Saturday, July 28, 2007

Stripey Heads & Frontal Shields

It was good to finally get back out with my big lens and down to the WWT Wetland Centre in London again - hadn't been there for a few months. The Wildside's Great Crested Grebe brood of three are growing up fast and a couple of Little Grebe broods were showing well, at least once everyone had left and I was about to get kicked out at closing time. Maybe I'll try Thursday night when the reserve opens until dusk.



Monday, July 09, 2007

Ayrshire Weekend - North Glen App

Followed the Water of App north-east of Carlock House into Upper Glen App. 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)


Ayrshire Weekend - Gailes Marsh

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)


Ayrshire Weekend - 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)

Ayrshire Weekend - Carrick Hills

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)

Ayrshire Weekend - Darvel & Stewarton areas

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)