THE NATURE OF FIFE

Around 23 people braved a cold December night to be rewarded with an outstanding presentation by Gordon Corbet at Crail Church Hall. Gordon gave a background to the book The Nature of Fife that he had edited in 1998, and he outlined the huge amount of work that went into such a big project. The species listed are just a representative fraction of what has been recorded and Gordon identified areas where work still needs to be done such as marine shore and estuaries. Also mentioned were changes over the last 50 years the huge increase in puffins on May Island and that eider ducks and terns no longer nest on the coast preferring the islands instead. Gordon emphasised the diversity of different sites such as at Kincraig Point. Recently, he has concentrated on the SWT Dumbarnie Links Reserve with its rabbit-cropped dune turf. He has identified some 80 flowering plants, 25 mosses and 1200 invertebrates of which 800 are insects, many never previously recorded in Fife. We were informed of a fly larva that feeds on barnacles! Must have some teeth! Gordon’s talk was illustrated by some excellent close-up photographs from spiders to hoverflies and general topographical pictures of Fife. Braving that cold night was worth it.

Jamie Lyall