Green Hairstreak emergence

A single Green Hairstreak on the wing at the Drumtee colony north of Fenwick on Sunday 27th. Most of the forestry here has now been harvested and most of the hairstreak habitat patch (strip of fenced blaeberry/heather/etc between the forest edge and grazing) has been trashed by machinery. If the site is left as a clear fell it'll probably recover in time. Also at least seven Emperor moths buzzing around. No hairstreaks at Corsehouse Reservoir yet.

Dragonflies link from Ayrshire Birding

I've added a new link at the bottom of the floating menu on the Ayrshire Birding web-site to Fraser's new Dragonflies in Ayrshire web-site.

Small Tortoiseshells emerging from hibernaculums

The unseasonal, double-figure temperatures and extended sunshine have resulted in several Small Tortoiseshells flying or basking this week. Singles have been noted near Girvan on the 12th, at Crosshouse Hospital on the 12th, and at Borland Fishery, Cumnock on the 13th. Thanks to Alan Paxton, Alistair Simpson and Robin Turner for these reports.

Stinchar Bridge

Two Peacocks and a Common Hawker still on the wing,

Angus Hogg

Black Darters at Loch Doon

Perhaps the biggest surprise were the 2 Black Darters - not the most active of dragonflies but, given the time of year and the temperature, hardly surprising.

Angus Hogg

Red Admiral, Pow Burn

Pow Burn had no Little Egret, but a Red Admiral brightened the area up.

Angus Hogg

National Moth Night 11th August 2007

Dear All,

As my first post to the blog I thought I would let you know the species people recorded from Ayrshire for National Moth Night on 11th August 2007:

Taxon	Vernacular
Argyresthia goedartella
Yponomeuta evonymella	Bird-cherry Ermine
Agonopterix nervosa
Bactra lancealana
Ancylis badiana
Agriphila straminella
Agriphila tristella
Catoptria margaritella	Pearl-band Grass Veneer
Dipleurina lacustrata
Evergestis pallidata
Udea lutealis
Euthrix potatoria	Drinker
Idaea biselata	Small Fan-footed Wave
Xanthorhoe designata	Flame Carpet
Xanthorhoe montanata	Silver-ground Carpet
Eupithecia centaureata	Lime-speck Pug
Crocallis elinguaria	Scalloped Oak
Noctua pronuba	Large Yellow Underwing
Noctua comes	Lesser Yellow Underwing
Noctua janthe	Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
Diarsia rubi	Small Square-spot
Xestia baja	Dotted Clay
Lacanobia thalassina	Pale-shouldered Brocade
Hadena bicruris	Lychnis
Cryphia domestica	Marbled Beauty
Cosmia trapezina	Dun-bar
Apamea monoglypha	Dark Arches
Mesapamea secalis agg.	Common Rustic agg.
Chortodes pygmina	Small Wainscot

Records have now been submitted to the recording scheme, but any late entries can always be sent to me.

best wishes,

Neil Gregory - County Moth Recorder

Garnock East

Mid-morning in hot sunshine:

1 Painted Lady
16 Peacocks
4 Small Tortoiseshells
1 Common Blue
1 Small Copper
1 Meadow Brown
11 Small Heath
2 Common Hawkers
Hundreds of Common Darters, including 20+ copulating pairs
1 male Black Darter

Bogside

A stroll round Bogside racecourse on Sunday afternoon produced 4 Meadow Brown, 3 Small White, 14 Small Heath, 18 Peacock and 3 Small Tortoiseshell, also 6 Common Darter.

Robert Kelly

Wall numbers climbing in the south

Inland on Friday looked grey so Scotch Argus counts were abandoned and I checked the southern coastal areas around Lendalfoot and Ballantrae. I managed a record number of Wall at Pinbain Burn with 35 counted along with 30+ Grayling. A Peacock here had a beak-shaped chunk of it's wing missing at the forewing eyespot. Further south conditions were less than ideal with wind and hazy sunshine providing only three Purple Hairstreak found on the scrubby, hillside oaks along Shallochwreck Burn. I was looking for impressive numbers of Wall on Donald Bowie in light of the Pinbain situation, though just 23 were counted here along with 50+ Grayling. Green-veined Whites were out in abundance in juncus marshes around Kilantringan Loch. Ringets appear to have finished on the coast. Single Red Admirals and Peacocks widespread elsewhere.

Pinbain Burn

Wall (35)

Grayling (30+)

Small Copper (3)

Peacock (4)

Red Admiral (1)

Meadow Brown (10+)

Green-veined White (3)

Small White (1)

Silver-Y (1)

Golden-ringed Dragonfly (1)

Shallochwreck Burn - Currarie Port

Purple Hairstreak (3)

Wall (23)

Grayling (50+)

Green-veined White (22)

Meadow Brown (3)

Peacock (3)

Large White (1)

Small Tortoiseshell (3)

Kilantringan Loch

Green-veined White (100+)

Kilantringan Loch - Currarie

Peacock (7)

Green-veined White (50+)

Scotch Argus at Stinchar Bridge

Near Stinchar Bridge this morning... butterfly activity was a bit limited but there were about a dozen Scotch Argus in the area, and the only dragonfly seen was a Common Hawker.

Angus Hogg

Scotch Argus in Changue

Surveyed Kirstie’s Trail and Devil’s Trail at Changue for Scotch Argus. While waiting for the weather to improve I checked Craigens Hill forestry near Kirkoswald without seeing much. Intermittent periods of warm sunshine in the glen at Changue provided some immaculate looking Scotch Argus and it looks like emergence wasn’t particularly early here this year. Numbers could be in the hundreds in a week or two. The bridge accessing the Fairy Knowe trail is still closed so I didn’t try for Black Darter which can be common here. The pool near Kirstie’s Stone had up to three Common Hawkers plus another pair in copula nearby. One individual attempted to take a worn Meadow Brown. The Water of Gregg and Changue Burn held territorial Golden-ringed Dragonflies but the most interesting sighting was of one patrolling a wee burn less than 35cm across which runs along the footpath between High Changue and the car park. Or at least it ‘runs’ when we have a wet summer like 2007! Surprisingly not many Peacocks around yet.

Changue Glen
Partly Cloudy, 16-17ºC
Scotch Argus (42)
Green-veined White (39)
Ringlet (13)
Meadow Brown (10)
Peacock (2)
Red Admiral (1)
Small Tortoiseshell (1)
Northern Eggar (1)
Common Hawker (13)
Golden-ringed Dragonfly (4)
Common Darter (1)
Emerald Damselfly (1)

Craigens Hill forestry
Cloudy, 15ºC
Meadow Brown (3)
Ringlet (2)
Peacock (1)
Common Darter (3)

Ardeer & Bogside

A Common Hawker along with many Common and Black Darters at Ardeer/Bogside today. Also Large Heath, Small Heath, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Peacock, Red Admiral, Common Blue, and Small Copper.

Mike Howes

Common Hawker in Dalry Garden

A Common Hawker was reported from a garden in Dalry on 29 July...

this dragonfly - photo attached, was in my garden in Dalry about 7pm today for over an hour and a half, just sitting as you see it, on the sweet peas. Can you please identify it for me.

Anne McDowall

Garnock East

62 Common Blue butterflies
19 Small Heath
71 Meadow Brown
5 Grayling
3 Small Copper
14 Green-veined White
2 Small Tortoiseshell
Also, a dull looking Four-spotted Chaser.

Purple Hairstreak

First Purple Hairstreak of the year reported at Shallochwreck Burn by Angus Hogg today. Scotch Argus should also be emerging now.

Stevenston Dunes

A hot day and a walk in Stevenston Dunes LNR produced quite a lot: 12 Common Blue butterflies, 3 Graylings, 2 Small Tortoiseshells, 20 Meadow Browns, 32 Green-veined Whites, 10 Small Heaths, and 143+ Six-spot Burnet moths (one patch of flowers, 3m x 3m in area, contained over 50 Burnets). Most of the insect life was concentrated in the sheltered dune grassland around NS264410.

(Photos: Common Blue and Six-spot Burnet moths)

Ardeer Quarry

Walking round the Ardeer Quarry LNR site: there were a couple of male Common Darters at the east end of the small pond, 5 Common Blue butterflies and a Small Copper at the butterfly grassland at the south of the site, 14 Azure Damselflies and an Emerald Damselfly at the western bay of the small pond, and a male Common Hawker patrolling along the cycle path.

(Pictures: Azure Damselfies, Common Blue)

Stevenston

Along the hedge at the barley field beside Dubbs Quarry there were 34 Small Tortoiseshells and 11 Meadow Browns. There were 7 further Meadow Browns in the quarry itself, along with 8 Green-veined Whites. 5 Six-spot Burnet Moths were on the wing over the damp, mossy grassland at the far end of the site. Also, there were a couple of male Common Darters at a small puddle – the first males I’ve seen this year. Over the main water body there were 20-30 ‘blue’ damselflies – the few I positively identified were Common Blues. There were also 4 Blue-tailed Damselflies.

The ‘butterfly grassland’ at the south of the Ardeer Quarry LNR site had 4 Common Blues, 1 Small Heath, 1 Six-Spot Burnet Moth, 2 Meadow Browns, and 1 Green-veined White. There was a single Ringlet and a couple of Small Tortoiseshells nearby.

(Photo: Green-veined White)

Dubbs Quarry, Stevenston

Overcast, cool, and windy - not ideal conditions. Had to walk along the edge of a barley field to get to the quarry. A 100m stretch of hedgerow, overgrown with bramble, thistle, and stinging nettle, had at least 18 Small Tortoiseshells. Many were roosting in the barley, as were about 6 Meadow Browns. Resting in the hedgerow were a Large Red Damselfly and a female Common Darter. There was no dragonfly activity at all over the quarry’s water body. However, there were 20 Common Blue Damselflies resting in the long grass on site, including a couple of copulating pairs. 1 Emerald Damselfly was also resting in the grass. There were 2 other Small Tortoiseshells and I either disturbed or saw resting 17 Meadow Browns. An interesting area of damp grassland/heathland at the site was pretty quiet – I disturbed about 6 Meadow Browns and there was a single Six-spot Burnet Moth on the wing. Yesterday there were 2 Small Heaths and 3 Common Blues in the ‘butterfly grassland’ at the south of the Ardeer Quarry LNR, and 2 male Common Hawkers were patrolling the upper reaches of Stevenston Burn above Kerelaw.
(Photos: Small Tortoiseshell; Large Red Damselfly)

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.

Carrick Hills

Didn't have the car today so I took the bus down to Maybole and walked into the Carrick Hills. Cool with low cloud all day and heavy showers from 1450h. There is a lot excellent habitat up there especially around Red Moss Loch, Drumshang Loch, Blacktop Hill Loch, and Sauchrie Burn. The sun eventually broke through around 1730h and many fritillaries appeared along the course of Sauchrie Burn.

Red Moss Loch > Drumshang Loch > Blacktop Hill
Ringlet (19)
Meadow Brown (8)
Common Blue (1)
Northern Eggar (2)
Common Blue Damselfly (2)
Common Darter (1)
Large Yellow Underwing (1)
Straw Dot (20+)

Sauchrie Burn
Ringlet (50+)
Dark Green Fritillary (37)
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (21)

Kirkoswald area

With the poor weather continuing and visibility in the hills south of Loch Doon down to 100m I gave up on my of aim of tracking down Azure Hawker (again). It wasn't until 1400h that the sun came out while I was at Craigens Hill. Good numbers of Large Skippers and Ringlets counted in three rides\firebreaks. Sheltered nettle beds held lots of late instar Peacock larvae with one 2 x 2 metre patch holding c180 larvae - I guess we will be seeing very early new generation individuals this year. Also my first Common Hawker of the year here.

Quarrel Hill forestry
Ringlet (12)
Meadow Brown (2)
Golden-ringed Dragonfly (1)

Craigens Hill forestry
Ringlet (330)
Large Skipper (14)
Meadow Brown (5)
Small Heath (4)
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (1)
Golden-ringed Dragonfly (pr in tandem)
Common Hawker (1)

Gailes Marshes

Gave Gailes a quick look on the way home. Few butterflies but good numbers of damselflies and two teneral Common Darters.

Emerald Damselfly (100+)
Common Blue Damselfly (50+)
Azure Damselfly (20+)
Blue-tailed Damselfly (20+)
Common Darter (2 tenerals)
Meadow Brown (42)
Small Heath (4)
Common Blue (2)
Green-veined White (1)

North Glen App

Followed the Water of App north-east of Carlock House today. The banks of the burn are very rich in flora and can be superb for insects on a hot day. Not bad today considering the weather. Before this I checked Pinbain and Kilantringan on the way down though it was still a bit cool at this time - no Four-spotted Chasers found.

North Glen App
Ringlet (119)
Meadow Brown (29)
Large Skipper (6)
Dark Green Fritillary (4)
Small Heath (3)
Common Blue (1)
Painted Lady (1)
Golden-ringed Dragonfly (1)
Common Blue Damselfly (1)
Red-necked Footman (2)
Yellow Shell (2)

Kilantringan Loch
Ringlet (120)
Meadow Brown (11)
Small Heath (3)
Common Blue Damselfly (40+)
Blue-tailed Damselfly (30+)

Pinbain Burn
Ringlet (7)
Meadow Brown (4)
Grayling (2)
Six-spot Burnet (4)

Testing...

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Auchalton Meadow/Gailes Marsh

An interesting visit to the SWT reserves at Auchalton and Gailes produced the following:

Auchalton
Small Tortoiseshell (1)
Ringlet (41)
Small Heath (1)
Chimney Sweeper (43)
Silver-ground Carpet (5)
Cream Wave (1)
Straw Dot (3)


Gailes
Small Tortoiseshell (1)
Ringlet (7)
Meadow Brown (19)
Dark Green Fritillary (1)
Common Blue (11)
Small Heath (1)
Latticed Heath (1)
Cream Wave (4)
July Belle (1)
Cinnabar (2)
Straw Dot (1)
Silver Y (1)

Also at Gailes were a few Blue-tailed, Common Blue and Emerald damselflies and Common Darter dragonflies.

Southannan Sands

Still very little flying in the north of the county.

Common Blue (4)
Grayling (5)
Meadow Brown (2)
Six-spot Burnet (1)

Coastal Walk: Currarie > Ballantrae

Saturday was much better, on the coast at least, and continuing evidence of the Painted Lady invasion suggests that this year may even top the all time biggest year of 1996. At least 49 were counted on the coast south of Ballantrae, without any systematic counting or coverage. More signs of the advanced spring were realised today with multiple sightings of new generation Small Tortoiseshell. I’ve never seen Small Torts emerge in June in Ayrshire – its usually mid to late July before they are expected. Currarie Port and Donald Bowie had at least 23 Grayling and 2 Dark Green Fritillaries and, unusually, a Large Heath which had probably wandered down Shallochwreck Burn from suitable habitat on Penderry Hill. Pinbain Burn didn’t disappoint with at least eight Northern Brown Argus, 23 Graylings, six Large Skippers, six Painted Ladies, as well as the odd Dark Green Frit, Ringlet, Common Blue, Meadow Brown, Small Heath and Common Blue.

On Sunday it was back to rain around my intended sites. Only Barony Pit provided some butterflies with 67 Ringlets (they don’t mind light rain), 14 Meadow Browns and a few Grayling, Small Heath, Meadow Brown and Common Blue. Now that I’m bank in London, I’ve heard the weather is better!