Meeting report
Dean Burn & Bonaly Reservoir area
26 March 2022 10:15 – 16:40
Leader: David Adamson
Despite the mild Spring sunshine the “Group” on this outing consisted of only Vladimir Krivtsov and myself. Sometimes quality is more important than quantity, and Vladimir’s wide knowledge ensured that some of my wilder identifications were not accepted without some evidence. Between us we found some 70-80 species but the many differing Sphagnum species, S paluste excepted, will have to wait for a better bryologist than me for correct identification.
We entered the shallow gorge of the infant Dean Burn by the wooden stile at the side of the main path to Bonaly Reservoir. This is an easy entry point and avoids the gorse thickets lower down. There are a number of large boulders covered in bryophytes, each with its own community. One had a good mat of Hedgwigia stellata, while others were cloaked in Racomitrium, Hypnum, and Plagiochila species. On the rocky sides of the gorge were Bartramia pomiformis with its globular capsules and a dark brown colony of Frullania tamarisci.
Above the small waterfall the gorge is replaced by an open watercourse. In a base-rich flush were Campylium stellatum, Plagiochila asplenioides, and Fissidens adianthoides. Our list was augmented by epiphytic mosses on alder, including at least 3 Ulota species.
The reservoir shoreline appears to have remained unchanged so that there was no newly exposed mud despite the recent dry spell. Instead, we found lots of Bryum pseudotriquetrum, Climacium dendroides and a small patch of Archidium alternifolium. After being baffled by Sphagnum in the moorland above the reservoir we ended the outing by following its outflow channel, my highlight being some stunning tufts of Bryum pallens.
David Adamson, April 2022