Review of the Year

Wildlife Highlights of 2023

| jaclyn

There are a lot of gloomy predictions about the state of wildlife, and it is easy to get depressed, but last year, I was pleased to be involved in positive action.

Butterfly Recording and Out with the Bog Squad

Until now, I have been a reluctant recorder as all I felt I was doing was observing decline. Previously, it did not appear to lead to action. However, after joining Butterfly Conservation this year, I started using the I-Record App for butterflies. It is very straightforward to use, with your records accessible after submitting them.

For the first time, I spotted Green Hairstreak, Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary, and Large Heath butterflies. These are all found in and around peatland sites on the edge of town such as Blantyre Muir, Langlands Moss, and Ardochrig.

Visit the Butterflies of East Kilbride Page to find out more.

Last year, I hoped to see Speckled Woods locally, and much to my surprise, they turned up in Calderglen Country Park.

I am not sure I would have spotted any of these had I not been out recording.

The other benefit of being a member of Butterfly Conservation is being out with the bog squad.

At Langlands Moss, invasive trees that could dry the bog out were removed. Numerous Bog specialists will benefit, such as the Large Heath butterfly. Targeting where to concentrate effort can be achieved by looking at the records supplied by volunteers. So now there is more of an incentive to get involved. Recording need not just be about observing decline, it can lead to positive action.

Snowberry Clearing

Clearing Snowberry bushes appears to be never-ending, and it is hard to see if you are making any impact. But, this year, the Calderglen Volunteer Group did start to see results for all their efforts. After removing a lot of Snowberry from the path heading north to the expressway, there are now views of the river, making the walk more enjoyable.
Another area where there has been significant clearance is the area above Castle Falls. Wildflowers are flourishing, and walking along the trail, the bell pits are much more evident. These are the remains of an early method of mining for lime.
With Scottish Water felling some trees to help divert a drain, more light is now penetrating the woodland.
Could this create an opportunity for Speckled Wood butterflies to move into this area? Now, that would be fantastic.
The Council has also been clearing Snowberry. They have concentrated their efforts in the woods at Morrishall Road. If Speckled Wood Butterflies were to take up residence there as well, that would also be fantastic.
I am optimistic as Speckled Wood Butterflies appear to be increasing their range within Scotland, so fingers crossed.
The woodland also attracted a flycatcher. Being a migratory bird, it was probably a stopover on its flight south.
Like the Speckled Wood Butterfly, flycatchers like open woodland with plenty of light.
With increasing space for native flora and fauna to recover, could a pair be tempted to raise their brood in a local woodland?

A Garden Water Feature is Worth it.

Adding a water feature is a great way to improve your garden for wildlife, but as I created it in mid-summer, I did not expect a lot to happen immediately. The expected drone fly larvae appeared and then the snails and beetles followed. Next was a beautiful damselfly and then a grey wagtail. Also, the reclusive willow warbler was now not so shy. The risk of being out in the open was worthwhile as emerging adult insects were proving to be a tasty snack.
What was a real surprise was a visit from a frog. I was not expecting that quite so soon. Will there be any frog spawn in the spring?
It will not be long before I find out.

Wildlife Highlights of 2022

A graphic showing a Kidney spot ladybird, figwort, chimneysweep moth, bird's nest orchid, a dipper, a speckled wood Butterfly, a nuthatch bird, and a Broad Leaved Helleborine.
| jaclyn

It has been an interesting year for wildlife spotting, from tiny ladybirds to ugly flowers. Here are some highlights local to East Kilbride:

Chimney Sweep Moth

This moth is unusual as it flies during the day. I initially thought it was a butterfly. However, on closer examination, the antennae were not shaped like clubs, as you would expect with butterflies. I have often seen them in other places, but this was the first time I had seen one in Calderwood amongst pignut.

Bird’s Nest Orchid

I was walking through dense woodland and nearly stepped on one of a cluster of about twelve plants. These plants lack the green pigment Chlorophyll, which is why they are brown in color, making them perfectly camouflaged against the beech leaves that I happened to be walking through at the time of my discovery. Their name comes from the tangle of a root-like system that is said to resemble a bird’s nest. They get their nutrition from being a parasite on other plants, such as trees.

Speckled Wood Butterfly

This butterfly flies along sunny woodland rides. Its range has been expanding north. I saw this butterfly for the first time in the woods around Dumfries, but I have heard that there have been sightings locally. I saw a report of a sighting in K-woodlands near Hairmyres, which is fantastic. So next year, the aim is to try and spot it locally.

Figwort

The plant I found was probably the common figwort, and just like the Bird’s Nest Orchid, it is also quite ugly. It was extremely tall and had a distinctively square stem.
This year was the first time I had seen it on the main nature trail heading north in the Calderglen Gorge Woodland near the Black Linn Waterfall.

Kidney Spot Ladybird

A tiny ladybird that had it not been for another visitor to Cathkin Marsh, I would have walked by and never would have known it was there. This ladybird is only about 4-5mm in length, with two distinct red spots, one on each wing case. If you look carefully, there is a distinctive rim around the wing cases. If I remember correctly, it, along with several others, was on Willow (Salix spp).

Broad-Leaved Helleborine

This flower is not the prettiest of orchids, but for me, this was the first year that I had spotted it in East Kilbride along path edges. It flowers from July to September and likes disturbed places, particularly around the Glasgow area, and because of this, it has become known as the Glasgow Orchid.

Dipper

This incredible little bird can hunt underwater, and a day by the Rotten Calder River is not complete without seeing a Dipper. In previous years, I was worried that numbers were dwindling. They probably still are, but at least this year, I had more sightings than I have in previous years, and I also saw had sightings below Newhousemill Bridge and even below Castle Falls. So that is hopeful.

Nuthatch

It was once the case that this bird was resident mainly in England, but in recent years it has spread north. I saw it for the first time last year, and now it is visiting the garden. It is an incredibly agile little bird with the ability to descend head first down the trunk of trees.