Skye - Passing 500

Well I finally managed it, the 500th species in NG3963 fell yesterday afternoon. I had a day off work and decided I wasn't coming back until 500 had been achieved. First addition at number 498 was this

Nettle Clustercup Rust Puccinia urticata  on Common Nettle

This was followed by the common moss Mnium hornum which I've just overlooked. And the 500th? Bit of a bolt from the blue and not at all expected, a Grey Seal spyhopping in the bay! I'd heard that a bull sometimes follows the fishing boats into the pier (outside my square) but boom! There he was across this side just lazing around. No pics, too far away to be worth pointing my clickamatic at him.

Also in the bay was a lone Greenshank picking through the debris at the water's edge, they breed on Skye so I expect this individual won't be the last one I see.

I managed to find not one but two Arion ater beneath stones, black colouration and fringe lines running into the pale sole clinching ID for me

Arion ater - where have they all been hiding?

The remaining four additions were all microfungi, with two of them being lifers for me. Here's the first one

Puccinia primulae on Primrose leaf. Apparently common but new for me

Uromyces ficariae was found in quantity on a patch of Lesser Celandines

Uromyces ficariae - spores checked just to be sure

The next lifer was parasitising Marsh Marigolds growing in a tiny freshwater seepage in grasses at the top of the beach. I'm more used to seeing these plants in woodland habitats, not in the middle of an open field.

Ramularia calthae on Marsh Marigold - the spores are very thin and elongated (and difficult to photograph!)

Additions since last update as follows:

486 - Trombidium holosericeum Red Velvet Mite (arachnid) - Lifer

487 - Butterbur (plant)

488 - Ommatoiulus sabulosus Striped Millipede (myriapod)

489 - Wild Thyme (plant)

490 - Eisenia foetida Brandling Worm (annelid)

491 - Agonopterix heracliana (moth)

492 - Common Sandpiper (bird)

493 - Swallow (bird)

494 - Blackcap (bird)

495 - Common Dog Violet (plant)

496 - Fringecups (plant)

497 - Campaea margaritaria Light Emerald (moth)

498 - Mnium hornum (moss)

499 - Puccinia urticata (microfungus) - Lifer

500 - Grey Seal (mammal)

501 - Ramularia calthae (microfungus) - Lifer

502 - Greenshank (bird)

503 - Arion ater (mollusc)

504 - Puccinia primulae (microfungus) - Lifer

505 - Trochila craterium (microfungus)

506 - Uromyces ficariae (microfungus)

Still waiting for that mass-emergence of inverts and flowering plants. The Fringecups was new for the hectad and only the 5th record for Skye. Even better, the carpet of Ground-ivy I found some weeks back is the first record in Uig for decades and just the 6th post-2000 record for the entire vice county! I think the BSBI recorder is quite pleased thus far.