The most northerly oak woodland in the UK - the Lobarion community

Oak woodland at |Loch a' Mhuilinn National Nature Reserve

As was mentioned in the preceding post on the Loch a' Mhuilinn National Nature Reserve  there are 'good examples of the macrolichen Lobarion community' and a Lobarion community is defined by the British Lichen Society as :

Lobaria species and species associated with them like Sticta, Degelia, Pannaria and Nephroma.

Lichenologists appear to dislike using common or folk names, a great pity, as for the layman Catolechia wahlenbergii is nowhere near as memorable as the Goblin Lights lichen. Nonetheless it is worth persevering with, as over the years some words eventually stick.

Green Satin Lichen (Lobaria virens) 

When the wind blows in woodland then for me close up photography is the fall back and time for a closer look at nature, which in the case of the Loch a' Mhuilinn woodland means photographing the resident lichens. Or at least the lichens growing on truly static objects, it is surprising to observe how much a tree trunk flexes in a hooley with the wind gusting and close focusing in live view with 10X magnification.

Plumb fruited felt lichen (Degelia plumbea)

Tree Lungwort (Lobaria pulmonaria)

Desperate Dan lichen (Parmotrema crinitum)

Red-eyed shingle lichen (Pannaria rubiginosa)

The Loch a' Mhuilinn woodlands haven't disappointed, with enough lichens in fruit and in sheltered locations to provide interest on days when the weather for the big views of landscape and woodland photography wasn't inspiring or practical.

Links to websites that have proved useful for information and identifying lichens :

Lichens of Atlantic Woodlands - Guide 1: Lichens on ash, hazel, willow, rowan and old oak

Lichens of Atlantic Woodlands - Guide 2: Lichens on birch, alder and oak

Scottish and other British lichens

Irish Lichens