Darvel & Stewarton area

Finally a better day weather-wise.... Lower numbers of Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries than usual at the site near Loudoun Hill but I guess the season is more advanced this year and most individuals were quite faded. Corsehouse Reservoir and one small corner of Glenouther Moor produced a reasonable count of 36 Large Heath, so probably good numbers over the entire area moor. Every year I come up to survey them there are usually a lot of Wood Tigers zipping past at speed. This year, I finally managed to observe one on the deck.

Allantonplains Wood
Ringlet (124)
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (25)
Meadow Brown (25)
Green-veined White (5)
Dark Green Fritillary (1)
Small Heath (4)
Common Blue (1)
Small Tortoiseshell (1)
Painted Lady (1)
Common Hawker (2)
Large Red Damselfly (10+)
Red-necked Footman (1)

Corsehouse Reservoir & Glenouther Moor
Large Heath (36)
Meadow Brown (6)
Ringlet (2)
Small Heath (2)
Green-veined White (1)
Red Admiral (1)
Small Tortoiseshell (1)
Common Hawker (1)
Large Red Damselfly (40+)
Emerald Damselfly (30+)
Common Blue Damselfly (20+)
Wood Tiger (20+)
Red-necked Footman (6)

Garnock East

Breezy with sunny spells at Garnock East (north of Bogside, Irvine) on Saturday. There were 6 Six-spot Burnet Moths, only two of which were flying; 5 Common Blues; 6 Small Heaths; a single Ringlet; 6 Small Tortoiseshells in the livestock field; many Meadow Browns; a single ‘blue’ damselfly; and 4 female Common Darters. Today at Garnock East the sunshine was stronger and longer and there was a bit more about: 18 Common Blue butterflies, 9 Small Heaths, 10 Six-spot Burnet Moths, 3 Graylings, 2 Small Tortoiseshells, and a Small Copper. There were a few more female Common Darters about, particularly along the woodland tracks. More damselflies too, mainly Blue-tailed and Common Blue. 2 Common Hawkers were patrolling along a woodland track, plus there was another male over at Ardeer Fen.

The highlights of a quick stop off at Shewalton Sandpits SWT reserve were 4 Common Blue butterflies and 7 or 8 Six-spot Burnet Moths.

(Photos: Common Blues, Small Copper, Six-spot Burnet Moths)

A few days ago a local wildlife enthusiast told me that he saw a Fritillary at Ardeer Fen and that he was 100% sure it was not just a Painted Lady. Visiting the site on Saturday I flushed a large, very bright orange butterfly. It sped off with purpose west. A couple of hundred meters further on I flushed a second butterfly of the same species and it flew off east never to be seen again. Very frustrating, but I’m pretty sure that these were Dark Green (?) Fritillaries.