Castramont & Upper Rusko Woods–13th July 2013

Very hot weather so decided on a walk in the woods with a bit of shade.

We had not visited Castramont Woods before so decided to go there.

Light Emerald moth

Yellow-barred Longhorn moth Nemophora degeerella

Spotted Orchid

Honeysuckle

There are some lovely old trees here

Ater luch we headed for Upper Rusko Wood, this is the view back towards Carstramont (click to view larger)

Whitethroat singing

Slender St Johns Wort

Ringlet Butterfly

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary Butterfly

Big Water of Fleet

Large Red Damselfly

Ringlet Butterfly

The banks suddenly rise into big cliffs

Large Red Damselfly

Four-banded Longhorn Beetle

Chimney Sweeper moth

Common Blue Damselfly

Beetle Pterostichus (Platysma) niger

Golden-ringed Damselfly laying eggs (©Pete Harrison 2013)

Butterfly Walk near Clatteringshaws–6th July 2013

We drove down the road  by Clatteringshaws Loch. This is not much more than a track with lots of potholes although it is due to be resurfaced soon.

We stopped first in the layby to walk a stretch of the Old Edinburgh Road, just a grassy path.

Smokey Wave moth

Ground Beetle….

…Carabus granulatus

Yellow Rattle

Spotted Orchid

Hoverfly Sericomya silentis on Marsh Thistle

Clouded Border Moth

Another Carabus Granulatus

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary Butterfly

Green-veined White Butterfly

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Female Green-veined White

Golden-ringed Dragonfly

 

 

 

A brief glimpse of a Roe Deer and fawn

Green Tiger Beetle

Epiblema sp

Large Red Damselfly

Ichneuman Wasp…

..it was very large with a very long ovipositor

Large Red Damselfly

Another ground beetle Carabus glabratus

Next we moved on further up the track to near Craigengallie where we needed to do the Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey for Butterfly Conservation

There is a small quarry with a pond that usually has life in it such as newts, dragonfly larvae and this time tadpoles…

..and lots of them!

Common Butterwort

Rove Beetle Staphylinus erythropterus

Burn

Green veined White butterflies…. 

….mating

Forest track

Small Argent and Sable moth

Silver-ground Carpet moth

Two-banded Longhorn Beetle

 

Galloway Hills panorama (click to see larger)

We saw two Wren families

Large Red Damselfly

Great clouds

Crambus pascuella moth

more clouds

And on the way back..Clatteringshaws Loch panorama (click to see larger)