First Large White

My first Large White of the year was nectaring on various woodland edge dandelions at Garnock East today. Also at Garnock East were 2 Orange Tips and 9 Green-veined Whites. A Small Tortoiseshell and a Peacock were basking just over the Garnock East boundary fence at Bogside Racecourse.

(Photos: Orange Tip; Large White; Peacock)

First damselflies

On Saturday I had my first damselflies of the year: c.60 Large Red Damselflies in the scrub around Garnock East. Also on the wing at Garnock East were 5 Green-veined Whites, 2 Peacocks, and 1 Orange Tip.

(Photo: Large Red Damselfly)

Rankinston Area

There were 10 Green-veined Whites, 3 Orange Tips and 3 Peacocks seen this afternoon in the Rankinston area, I also saw a single Green-veined White in Cumnock earlier this morning.

Ardeer Quarry and Eglinton moth

7 Peacocks (6 basking along the Railtrack road), 3 Green-veined Whites, and a Small Tortoiseshell were at Ardeer Quarry this afternoon. This morning, a Flame Carpet moth was roosting on a fence post in Eglinton Country Park.

(Photo: Flame Carpet)

Ardeer Quarry

3 Small Tortoiseshells, 2 Peacocks, 4 Green-veined Whites, and an Orange Tip were at Ardeer Quarry this afternoon.

Orange Tip & Green-veined White in Monktonhill

Monktonhill - Saturday 18th April.

There was one Orange Tip and at least one Green-veined White in our garden (NS352286) this afternoon - our first for the year. Also one Peacock.

Roger Hissett

First Green-veined White

I saw my first Green-veined White of the year today near the former location of Littlemill Colliery less than a mile outside Rankinston and despite the fine weather I saw only 3 other butterflies all day (2 Peacocks and 1 Small Tortoiseshell).

Ardeer Quarry Railtrack access road

5 Peacocks were basking along the old Railtrack access road. A Small Tortoiseshell was nectaring on a roadside Dandelion. As usual, the Peacocks were taking part in a lot of chasing. One Peacock pursued a Dunnock through the air for a few meters and 'mobbed' it for a couple of seconds after it landed.

Butterfly habitat improvement

A local conservation group has cleared away a lot of scrub at the south of the Ardeer Quarry LNR site. This area is rich in wildflowers and contains the greatest diversity of butterflies on the reserve. Much of the area - a former railway siding - had become overgrown with Gorse and Sea Buckthorn. The work wasn't a full clearance: several sizeable patches of Gorse and Bramble have been left.
(Photo: Sea Buckthorn stumps)

Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell in Kilmarnock

More early butterflies from the Kilmarnock area today included a single Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell in Wardneuk, at least two Small Torts in Townholm and a single in a garden near North Craig Reservoir (Obs: A & D Simpson).

Peacocks

A single Peacock was flying around dune heath on the Stevenston side of the upper Garnock Estuary; 2 were at Garnock East; 2 were on the track to Garnock East behind the recycling centre by Garnock Floods; 4+ were basking on the old Railtrack access road at Ardeer Quarry.
(Photo: Peacocks)