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Watch out for redstarts and tree pipits here in summer. These summer visitors are typical species in this kind of open woodland. Redstarts are mainly found in the north and west of the UK, and are immediately identifiable by their bright orange-red tails, which they often quiver. They ‘bob’ in a very robin-like manner, but they spend very little time at ground level. You might also see a range of other small woodland species such as tits and warblers, as well as sparrowhawks and buzzards, which might be spotted hunting overhead.


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We’ve identified over 500 types of plant on the site, with 150 on Invertromie Meadow alone. The reserve is well known for a wide variety of orchids. A careful search of the meadow areas in early summer should reward you with the beautiful purple flowers of the heath-spotted orchid or the sweet scent of the fragrant orchid. Just like the birds, the plants here rely on damp conditions to provide the essential conditions for them to survive. In summer, you may see many varieties of butterfly,


including Scotch argus and dark green fritillary. The former is found mainly in Scotland where it flies in tall, damp grassland, whereas the dark green fritillary occurs in a range of flower-rich grasslands, often with patches of scrub. You can often see dragonflies as well, including the black darter, close to the trail.


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Redstarts are summer visitors to Britain, arriving in April and leaving in early September.


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The heath-spotted orchid flourishes particularly in the west and northwest of Britain. It likes moorland, acidic soil or damp pasture, and flowers in late May to early August.


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Insh Marshes is one of over 50 national nature reserves in Scotland. Find out more at www.nnr-scotland.org.uk


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Visitors enjoying the view over Insh Marshes from the new information viewpoint, part-funded by SNH.


The Nature of Scotland


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