Thursday, May 30, 2013

Glenwhan Moor–25th May 2013

A lovely sunny day, we went to one of my favourite places to see what wildlife was about. Our mission to see Green Hair-streak Butterflies, Emperor Moths and Sedge Warblers, as we had yet to see any this year. We weren’t disappointed we saw all three (although didn’t manage photos of all). We saw 27 species of birds, including Whinchat, Cuckoo, Wheatear, Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler & Sedge Warbler. We saw our first damselflies of the year, our first ladybird and lots more besides. Ahh Spring has finally arrived.

1 whinchat

Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra) not a great photo but we saw 2 pairs

20-male-whinchat

Here is a slightly better one I took in the same spot in 2010, they must come back to this same place year after year to breed.

2-green-hairstreak

Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi), dozens of these seen!

3-hares-tail-cotton-grass

Hare's-tail Cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum)

4-southern-upland-way

Southern Upland Way

5-glenwhan-moor

 

6-hoverfly eristalis intricarius

Hoverfly Eristalis intricarius

7-common-heath

Common Heath Moth (Ematurga atomaria), dozens of these seen in all their different colour forms

8-skull

Skull

9-common-lizard

Very green lizard skulking away

10 Rhingia-campestris

Hoverfly Rhingia campestris

11-common-heath

Common Heath (Ematurga atomaria), dark form

12-large-red-damselfly

Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula)

13-loch-of-the-eyes

Loch of the Eyes

14-mating-longhorns

2 Banded Longhorn (Rhagium (Hagrium) bifasciatum)

15-mating-longhorns

Watched dozens of these emerging from an old stump

16-longhorn

 

17-longhorn

 

18-longhorn

 

19-longhorn

 

20-longhorn

 

21-drinker-moth-caterpillar

Drinker Moth caterpillar (Euthrix potatoria)

22-drinker-moth-caterpillar

Drinker Moth caterpillar (Euthrix potatoria)

23-Southern-Upland-Way

Southern Upland way, we didn’t see another soul on this stretch all day!

24-lichen-british-soldiers

Lichen Cladonia sp

25-ladybird

7 Spot ladybird

26-stonechat

Stonechat

27-creeping-jenny

Yellow Pimpernel (Lysimachia nemorum)

28-drinker

Drinker Moth caterpillar (Euthrix potatoria)

29-g-v-white

Green-veined White (Pieris napi)

30-Marsh-Marigold

Marsh Marigold

31-orange-striped-stonefly

Orange-striped Stonefly Perlodes mortoni

32-green-hairstreak

Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi)

33-suw

 

34-mirid-bug

Mirid Bug

35-drinker

Drinker Moth caterpillar (Euthrix potatoria)

36-pellet

Owl pellet, most likely Short-eared Owl

37-shrew

Eurasian Pygmy Shrew (Sorex minutus)

38-orange-tip

Orange-tip Butterfly

39-mining-bee-hole

Mining Bee hole

40-heath-milkwort

Heath Milkwort (Polygala serpyllifolia)

41-heath-milkwort

Heath Milkwort (Polygala serpyllifolia) white form

42-heath-milkwort

 

43-waymerks

Still some Merks left in the Kist!

44-wood-sorrel

Wood Sorrel

45-primroses

Primroses

46-orange-tips-mating

Orange-tip Butterflies mating on Cuckoo Flower

47-green-hairstreak

Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi)

48-northern-eggar-caterpillar

Northern Eggar Moth caterpillar(Lasiocampa quercus form callunae)

49-buzzard

Buzzard

50-lilypad

Lilypad

51-glenwhan-moor

Loch of the Eye

52-tadpoles

Tadpoles

53-lilypads

Lilypads

54-loch

 

55-loch

Also seen-the following taken by Mike:

Noon Fly (Mesembrina meridiana)

57-tortoise-beetle

Cassida (Tortoise Beetle)

Mining bee

Mining bee

Hoverfly Sericomyia lappona