Species on the Edge has been delighted to work on a special embroidery project with a team of stitchers from Sutherland. The ‘Sutherland Stitchers’ created a tapestry depicting eight species on the edge found on the east coast to raise awareness of these internationally rare and at-risk flora and fauna.
The tapestry features: Arctic tern; bordered brown lacewing; common tern; northern brown argus butterfly; the purple oxytropis plant; and the small blue butterfly. Also represented are the caterpillar foodplants of both butterfly species.
Many of these species are found in difficult to reach areas or are tiny and hard to find meaning many communities are unaware of their existence. Through their detailed observations and fine needlework, the Sutherland Stitches are bringing these species to the masses.
The tapestry will be on display at Dornoch Museum throughout September and October 2024. It is then going tour in local museums, community halls and schools along the east coast to help raise awareness of these endangered species and the importance of our fragile coastal habitats.
Tracy Munro, Species on the Edge Project Officer, said: “The current bio-diversity crisis around us can at times leave us feeling overwhelmed; crashing bird numbers, plummeting declines in insect populations, rising sea levels and record-breaking temperatures around the globe are but a few of the headlines thrown our way. Normally the way for me to cope with this and achieve mental equilibrium would be to spend time in nature, away from people and enjoy the wildlife around me. Working with this lovely craft group though has opened my eyes to a very different way of connecting with nature. The skill of the stitchers and the way they bring the species to life, you can just feel the rushing of the air over your head as an Artic Tern swoops elegantly past. The stitchers allow you to feel the flow of nature around you and not just observe it.”
The sewers were able to depict the species and the east coast landscape with breath-taking accuracy and beauty. And this was no small task! One example of the incredible attention to detail paid to the project was the taking of pictures of the lighthouse featured in the tapestry at different times of day to ensure that the ‘right’ red with the ‘correct’ white was used. Another example was the redoing of the underwing of the small blue butterfly after the sewer depicting the butterfly saw it in real life for the first time.
Sally, who helped design the tapestry, said: “I was delighted to help design the Species on the Edge tapestry. It was a big learning curve sewing the six species that we were wanting to feature. I found it fascinating to learn through the project about these species and the importance of their survival in this area. As a professional artist, I have so enjoyed working on this project, and the wonderful interaction with the very skilled team of Sutherland Stitchers… We have all learnt so much, and the project has helped us all understand the huge importance of these amazing creatures.”
Barbara, one of the Sutherland Stitchers, said: “I have always loved stitching in various different forms and this tapestry has been a special project to work on with our small group. I enjoyed the combination of the challenge of the precision needed for the species and the freedom we could have with the background.”
Anne, who also worked on the project, said: “I have always enjoyed arts and crafts and to be able to combine this with the ecology of Dornoch has been wonderful. I had not done embroidery for quite a long time so it was a real joy to pick it up again with lots of help from Youtube and the rest of the group.”
Let’s take a closer look
1. Common tern (Sterna hirundo)
Perhaps our most familiar tern due to its habitat of nesting inland as well as along the coast. More silvery-grey than Artic tern they are hard to tell apart as both species have graceful tail streamers and red beak and legs. Common terns have slightly longer legs than Artic terns, allowing them to breed in grass as opposed to the bare rock preferred by Artic terns. Wingspan: 77 – 98cm
2. Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea)
Artic Terns have the longest migratory journey of any bird, registering a whopping 17500km to travel from its north breeding grounds to the Antarctic. With its long tail streamers and streamlined shape, the Arctic Tern is an elegant coastal bird. White with a black cap and red beak and legs, Arctic Terns depend on healthy marine environments, and some colonies have been affected by fish shortages and disturbance while nesting. Wingspan: 75 – 85cm
3. Small blue (Cupido minimus)
This is the UK’s smallest butterfly, not quite the size of a 2 pence piece! This tiny butterfly is now only know from around 80 locations in Scotland, with its stronghold being along the east coast. Despite its name, Small Blue is not particularly blue but is a dark dusky colour with a smattering of silvery blue scales. The female butterflies lay eggs on Kidney Vetch where the emerging caterpillars feed on the flower heads. Wingspan: 18 – 25mm
4. Northern brown argus (Aricia artaxerxes)
In the UK this small chocolatey brown butterfly only occurs in Scotland and the far north of England. It has a silvery appearance as it flies low over species rich grasslands and coastal cliffs making it a very hard butterfly to follow and identify! In Scotland most individuals are of the endemic race artaxerxes and are identifiable by a clear white spot on the upper side of the forewing. The Northern Brown Argus is restricted to species rich grasslands where its sole caterpillar foodplant, Common Rock-rose grows. Wingspan: 26 – 35mm
5. Bordered brown lacewing (Megalomus hirtus)
Within the UK this tiny lacewing, measuring only 1cm in length, is only found in Scotland. With beautifully brown patterned wings, this lacewing is thought to be associated with aphids and Wood Sage and can be found along the east coast at a few rocky and exposed locations. The adults can be found from June through August but very little is currently known about its life cycle. Size: up to 1cm
6. Purple oxytropis (Oxytropis halleri)
All UK populations of this attractive plant are now found in Scotland. Purple Oxytropis is a member of the legume family. This hairy perennial plant is one of Scotland’s rarest wild flowers, with silky leaves, a tufted nature and distinctive purple flowers it is easy to identify. It is associated with base-rich sea cliffs, mountain ledges and shingly sand on old river terraces. It does not like shade and is fairly drought resistant.
7. Kidney vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria)
Kidney Vetch is the sole caterpillar foodplant and is vital to the survival of Small Blue. Kidney Vetch can be found growing on sand dunes, chalk grasslands, disused quarries and railway lines. The small yellow flowers have a woolly appearance, the heads can also be more orange than yellow. Kidney Vetch was used by traditional herbalists to heal wounds and treat kidney problems.
8. Common rock-rose (Helianthemun nummularium)
Common Rock-rose is the sole caterpillar foodplant of the Northern Brown Argus and grows in calcareous grasslands as well as limestone heathland. The lovely bright yellow flowers of the Common Rock-rose open up in the sunshine and close over again at night, this is where it derives its name. Helianthemun meaning sunflower.
