This week i have been on a Colsec field meeting to Wigtownshire and what a lovely place it is. A back drop of hills, open fields, lots of bays and miles of coastline. RSPB Crook of Baldoon was superb, although this cow was keeping an eye on me.
That was looking out to see but looking inward they have built a whole wetland area of scrapes, lakes and ditches tp protect nesting wading birds and it was great to see lapwings, egrets and redshank already making it home.
Also making it home was a Ranatra linearis (Water Stick insect). This is a first record for Scotland only having been known as far North as Carlisle before. It was great that it was just a juvenile and there will be more of them about and breeding next year.
It is a weak flyer that is very gangly and seems to put a lot of energy in to get not very far which may have impeded its spread across the UK but it is going for it now and i am sure it will find plenty of suitable habitat as it continues.
