Ringlet

My first Ringlet of the year at Gailes Marsh today – a nice fresh, silky, dark individual. Low numbers of everything else such as Small Copper, Small Heath and Common Blue. Damselflies were fairly scarce with the following found: Emerald Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly and Large Red Damselfly.

Fraser Simpson

Meadow Brown at Eglinton Loch

Meadow Brown seen at Eglinton Loch. Also, plenty of Common Blue Damselflies in the water vegetation at the west end of the loch with a single Common Hawker and Large Red Damselflies in drier habitat at the east end.

Gordon McAdam

In the shelter of North Glen App

I checked a few sites on the southern coast today but it was clear that the wind was one factor in the low numbers around. Still, Pinbain Burn had a single Grayling (my earliest record), 10 Large Skipper, 2 Northern Brown Argus, 1 Wall, 6 Common Blue, and 3 Small Heath. Moving inland to the shelter of North Glen App proved a wise move with some good counts:

Dark Green Fritillary (17)
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (13)
Large Heath (17)
Small Heath (70+)
Large Skipper (2)
Wall (1)
Golden-ringed Dragonfly (min 9)

Also Meadow Brown, Common Blue, Green-veined White, Peacock (very worn individual from the 2007 brood), Chimney Sweeper, Large Red Damselfly, Crossbill (4+), Jay and Tawny Owl.

Fraser Simpson

Portencross Today

Very little about today: only one micro-moth (unknown sp.), no Burnets or Blues or Whites about! I think the wind and temperature were just too low.

The rocky outpost next to the pier at Portencross is fanatstic for flowers:
Wild Thyme
Devil's-bit Scabious
Northern Marsh Orchid
Bird's Foot trefoil
Blooody Cranesbill
A small white bladder type campion
Red Campion
Lady's Bedstraw

There were also 8 Large White larva on the field escaped Oil Seed Rape plants - see picture


Nil Gregory

Basking Shark - Bennane Head

Report of a Basking Shark at Bennane Head on 09/06/08 only 4m out from the shore!
Neil

National Moth Night 7 June

From Neil Gregory...

Just a reminder that National Moth Night is happening this Saturday. We would be very grateful for any records you may have from day-time observations and night time trappings. Please contact your local moth recorder with your records. Below is a message from the National Moth Night team with a little more information:

"Once again National Moth Night (organised by Atropos and Butterfly Conservation) is upon us and this year we are celebrating its 10th anniversary. Even more reason to go out into your gardens and the wider countryside to record moths!

For 2008, NMN includes a daytime element and a change from the normal macro-moth only list of targets with the inclusion of both micro-moth and habitat targets, respectively Anania funebris and Orchards; the macro-moth targets being Bordered Gothic (Heliophobus reticulata) and Narrow-bordered bee Hawk-moth (Hemaris tityus).

It is recognised the target species and habitat will not be in the reach of every recorder or public event; however, the NMN team do encourage recorders and event co-ordinators to allocate their own local targets of interest, an ideal opportunity to do so.

For 2008, we strongly encourage the use of the revamped NMN data submission form and the new NMN recording template forms (Microsoft Office and Sun Systems OpenOffice formats) which will be made available from the NMN website (www.nationalmothnight.info) for the event until the end of the year. Along with a short questionnaire, the data submission form gives provision for recorders to attach the NMN recording templates, MapMate `Sync' files (in preference to submission via the MapMate Web Server) or any other suitable data format (visit the NMN website for further details).

On behalf of the National Moth Night team, thank you for your continued support for the event and let's hope for good weather and a bumper crop of moths!

Regards, Les Hill.Data manager, National Moth Recording Scheme

Dalmellington Area - 4th June

Today whilst out walking in the Dalmellington area I saw a very early Dark Green Fritillary near Dalcairnie Glen, this is the first time that I have ever seen this butterfly before the last week of June, other butterflies seen were as follows: -

Bogton Loch > Dalcairnie Burn/Glen > Wee Berbeth Loch/Hill
60+ Green-veined Whites
3 Small Whites
8 Orange Tips
12+ Small Heaths

Dalmellington Moss
4 Green-veined Whites
1 Orange Tip
2 Small Heaths

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Sunday 1st - Near Drumshang Loch in the Carrick Hills

2 Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries
3 Small Heaths

May Roundup

30 May
Borland Fishery: Orange-tip, Green-veined White, Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral (AS).

26 May
A stop at Pinbain Hill on the way home produced the first 3 Northern Brown Argus along with about 12-13 Wall Browns (RHH).

20 May
During the past week lots more butterflies have been seen within the village and in surrounding areas, these have included the first sightings for 2008 of Small Heath (3 on 19th), Large White (1 on 18th) and Small White (1 on 13th) as well as loads of Green-veined Whites, some Orange Tips, a few Small Tortoiseshells and Peacocks and 1 Red Admiral (JC).

18 May
A walk round the Garnock Floods and the west side of the railway embankment: plenty of Green-veined Whites and Orange-tips, with a few Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells and a single Small Copper. Plenty of Large Red Damselflies, a few female Azure Damselflies, several Four-spotted Chasers (GM).
Garnock East: Small Copper near the railway at Ardeer Quarry; Four-spotted Chaser over scrub near the upper Garnock Estuary; and a Blue-tailed Damselfly in a ditch at Ardeer Quarry (IH).

15 May
Craigdow Loch: 4 Green Hairstreaks, 10 Green-veined Whites and an Orange-tip (JC).
Culzean and Kirkoswald area: loads of Green-veined Whites, 16 Orange-tips, 5 Small Whites, 8 Small Tortoiseshells and 3 Peacocks (JC).
Glen App : Wall Brown and Red Admiral (RHH).

13 May
Glen App: 6 Small Heath (RHH).

11 May
Garnock East: 3 Small Tortoiseshells, 6 Peacock, 5 Green-veined Whites, 7 Orange Tips. Ardeer Fen: 15 Green-veined Whites. Ardeer Quarry: 7 Peacocks, 2 Small Tortoiseshells, 17 Orange Tips, 7 Green-veined Whites (IH).

6 May
Had a very enjoyable 2 hours wandering around one of my "local" tetrads this morning (south edge of Blairquhan up to Dyke Farm). Lots of Orange-tips about (RHH).

3 May
Culzean: 2 Peacocks (G).

2 May
Ardeer Quarry: 10 Orange-tips, 1 Peacock and 3 Small Tortoiseshells (VF).

1 May
Garnock East:Large Red Damselflies (c150), 15 Peacocks, 7 Orange Tips, 3 Green-veined Whites, and 9 Small Tortoiseshells (IH).

Thanks to Gayle, John Candlish, Vallerie Firminger, Iain Hamlin, Angus Hogg, Gordon McAdam, and Alistair Simpson for the news.