Garnock Estuary Area

On a sandy, wildflower-rich track on the Ardeer Brownfield land across the river from Garnock East, 2 Small Coppers were basking (2 more at Garnock East and 1 at Ardeer Fen). A Cinnabar moth was there - my first this year - and the ground was alive with solitary wasps. A Common Heath moth was nearby.

Yesterday, a BTCV insect netting event at Ardeer Quarry produced only one moth, which they identified as Least Black Arches, a very local moth in Scotland.

(Photos: Small Copper; Cinnabar)

First Small Heath

I saw my first Small Heath of the year this morning near the village of Rankinston (NS444143), other butterflies seen in the area were 24+ Green-veined Whites and 3 Orange Tips.

Whites

Largely overcast and with a cool east wind, I didn't encounter a single butterfly during my walk in the countryside above Stevenston, until I reached Auchenkist Farm. A marshy field, 300m x 40m, dotted with Cuckoo Flowers, had at least 80 Whites dancing about during sunny spells. My best estimate of species composition was 62 Green-veined Whites, 13 Orange Tips, and 5 Small Whites.

(Photos: Small White; sheltered, marshy field)

Small Tortoiseshell survey

This survey was brought to my attention today:

http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/form/3196/Scottish_Small_Tortoiseshell_survey.html

A few firsts

The warm, sunny weather today produced my first Four-spotted Chaser, Blue-tailed Damselfly, and Azure Damselfly at Garnock East. Single Small Copper and Red Admiral were across the Garnock at the Ardeer Brownfield land.

(Photos: Four-spotted Chaser; Azure Damselfly; Blue-tailed Damselfly)

Small Copper

My first Small Copper of the year was flushed from a worn track at Garnock East this afternoon.

Green Hairstreaks at Craigdow Loch

During a visit to Craigdow Loch near Kirkoswald this afternoon I saw my first Green Hairstreaks of 2009 (a total of 7 butterflies), other butterflies seen in the Kirkoswald/Craigdow area were 18+ Green-veined Whites, 6 Orange Tips and 2 Small Tortoiseshells.

Red Admiral

My first Red Admiral of the year was at Garnock East today. A Common Carpet was disturbed beside the wood.

(Photos: Red Admiral; Common Carpet)

Holly Blue in Ayrshire (again!)

Following Angus Murray's discovery of a Holly Blue in his garden in Ayr on three dates last August, he has recently sighted a first brood male on 22 April. Observers are encouraged to search out this species throughout the county.

There are a number of interesting questions and possibilities here: is the species holding on at a few undiscovered locations?; has it recently colonised from coastal D&G (and why no records in the large gap between?); has it (as eggs/larvae) been accidentally introduced with holly/ivy/another plant which may have come via garden centre from further south?

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)

Small Tort

With the cold spell over, a single Small Tortoiseshell was in a Dandelion-studded garden opposite Saltcoats Harbour this afternoon.

More Peacocks

Temperatures peaked at 16 deg C today. A single Peacock was basking at Garnock East. 3 Peacocks were at Ardeer Quarry, 2 of them basking on the old Railtrack access road. Also, 2 Green Tiger Beetles at Garnock East were the first I've seen this year.
(Photos: Peacock at Ardeer Quarry; Green Tiger Beetle at Garnock East)

Small Tortoiseshell in Ayr

Whilst out walking in the lovely spring sunshine this afternoon I saw my first butterfly of 2009, a Small Tortoiseshell flying along the bank of the River Ayr close to Dam Park Stadium (NS344214).

My first butterflies of the year

With bright sunshine all day, next to no wind, and temperatures peaking at 14 deg C, I wandered around Stevenston's green spaces in search of newly emerged hibernators. A Peacock powered over the small Ardeer Quarry pond and a Small Tortoiseshell fed from heather in a garden beside Ardeer Quarry.
(Photo: Small Tortoiseshell)

Moths in Ayrshire Literature

I'm trying to find out any literature references for moths in Ayrshire. With Marco's help we've found a few bits and pieces, but nothing substantial. Also I'm investigating if there are any historic natural history societies that may have literature. I know about the Ayrshire Archaelogical Society, but no success with useful references.

Or could it be that there has been very limited entomological work in Ayrshire!

Hope you can help.

Neil

Ardeer Quarry LNR public consultation

As part of the development of the Ardeer Quarry LNR management plan, Stevenston Environmental Group is holding a public consultation on proposals for the reserve. Several of the projects are butterfly/moth/dragonfly related.

Details of the projects and the group's email address can be found at:
http://www.geocities.com/stevenstonenvironmentalgroup/ardeerpage.htm

Physical work cutting back scrub, felling trees, etc. will probably start at the end of winter. With all the red tape involved in creating a new wetland, I'm guessing that work won't begin on this until the end of next summer.

Ruby Tiger Larvae

Dear All,

A number of people have reported seeing Ruby Tiger larvae this year, but not from Ayrshire. They are small hairy, brown (sometimes black) and an orange body stripe sometimes. They run fast and can be found in grassy areas often looking for bare ground, which is warmer than other places. Let me know if you've seen any with the Grid Ref. Here's a picure taken last year:

Best wishes,

Neil Gregory

Garnock East

Warm sunshine for much of today saw lots of Common Darters out, many in copulating pairs. Good numbers of Black Darters too, including a couple of copulating pairs. Also, a Common Hawker was out and about.
(Photo: Black Darter)

Migrant Hawker

I came across a Migrant Hawker yesterday (25^th September) hawking along the woodland edge near the eastern end of Auchenharvie wood in Stevenston (NS 262 420). There’s only one previous record for Ayrshire, but it is a species extending its range northwards. Whether my sighting is indicative of a greater presence by the species in the NW this year I don’t know. However, it’s worth keeping an extra eye open for them over the coming weeks (their flight season extends into November).

It was feeding 8-16 feet in the air and was intermediate in size between Common Hawker and Common Darter. I found the dragonfly to be very obviously smaller than Common Hawker – a size difference I wouldn’t have expected from reading the field guides. Because of its small size, it didn’t give the impression of being a ‘miniature aeroplane’ like the Common Hawker does. The individual I saw hawked with the end of its tail curved slightly.

This size difference was accompanied by a feeding behaviour noticeably different from that of Common Hawker.

It fed far more frantically than Common Hawker, taking detours off its flight path far more frequently to flycatch – dipping down one second then jumping up the next. Similarly, it also changed direction far more often when hunting. Changing direction frequently and randomly, it covered a smaller area than Common Hawker when feeding.

To those familiar with the jizz and behaviour of Common Hawker and Common Darter, Migrant Hawker should stick out like a sore thumb – the difference in size and behaviour between the two species is obvious.

It’s worth pointing out that Migrant Hawkers can turn up just about anywhere; they don’t just frequent wetland habitats. The one I saw was several hundred metres from the nearest pond, hawking along a woodland edge.

Also worth mentioning, I’ve seen a few Red Admirals powering about recently, including one today at Eglinton and two yesterday at Auchenharvie. Also a couple of Peacocks during the past week: 1 at Shewalton Wood on Sunday and one at Garnock East on Tuesday. There was also a Common Hawker at Garnock East on Tuesday, along with dozens of Common Darters.

(Photos: Common Darter at Garnock East)

Ardeer Quarry LNR

A window of sunshine for a few hours today saw a few butterflies on the wing at Ardeer Quarry: 3 Common Blues, 2 Red Admirals, 1 Small Copper, 1 Meadow Brown, and 1 Small White. Also, there was a White Ermine moth caterpillar crawling across the tarmac.
(Photos: Common Blue, Small Copper, White Ermine moth caterpillar)