nature

Summer Highs and Lows

| jaclyn

Poor weather has not made it easy to get out and find butterflies.

The Small Pearl-Bordered Fritillaries were spotted only on Blantyre Muir as there was no opportunity to try and look for them on other sites.

Suitable weather conditions to find Large Heath Butterflies did not occur on the days when I was available.

With the cool weather in the spring, I only managed to spot Green Hairstreak Butterflies on Langlands Moss and nowhere else. The opportunity was not there to see how they were doing on Blantyre Muir.

Green-Veined Whites and Orange Tips were also spotted, with Orange Tips being more numerous, in my view, than last year.

The other common butterflies spotted were the Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Comma, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Small Heath, and Peacock. Sadly, the number of sightings was down from last year.
As for the Cabbage Whites, both Small and Large White, the best place to see them was on allotments.

On a more positive note, the Small Copper Butterfly, a tiny butterfly that is hard to spot, was seen along with Burnet Moths at Glen Esk Pocket Park.

However, the biggest surprise was the Speckled Wood Butterfly, with sightings at Calderwood, Brancumhall, and West Mains. This butterfly does appear to be increasing its range.

While Butterflies may have been disappointing, Dragonflies were not, with sightings of the Common Darter, 4 Spot Chaser, and Common Hawker all spotted around our wetlands along with red and blue damselflies.

Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary
Large Heath
Green Hairstreak
Green Veined White
Orange Tip
Small Tortoiseshell
Red Admiral
Peacock
Comma Butterfly
Ringlet
Meadow Brown
Small Heath
Small White
Burnet Moth
Small Copper Butterfly
Speckled Wood
Red Darter
Blue Damselfly
Four Spot Chaser Dragonfly
Common Hawker

Planting for eggs

| jaclyn

Planting for Pollinators is Important.

Providing Nectar for Energy and Pollen for Protein should maintain a healthy, viable adult insect population able to provide pollination services to plants to enable them to produce seeds.

Doing this is beneficial to the food production that we rely on. Where would we be without strawberries and apples and so many other crops?

But without the plants for the larval stages to thrive we face a dwindling insect population no matter how many plants are provided for pollination.

Growing Cuckoo Flowers for orange-tip butterflies is easy. Take the leaves from the base of a well-established Cuckoo Flower Plant and lay them on wet soil.

Keep it damp, and soon, shoots will grow.

A year later, there will be flowers.

Then, plant them where they will attract orange-tip butterflies.

One other benefit is the plant is a member of the mustard family, so they are edible. A handy winter addition to a sandwich!

The above image shows progress from the leaves to tiny shoots to flowering plant.

The above image shows an orange tip egg, the male butterflies on the cuckoo flower and cuckoo flower growing in amongst daffodils. Daffodils are usually left to die back before being mown. This is important to allow the caterpillars to find a safe place to overwinter. A nearby hedge is ideal.

So plant not just for pollination but also for Eggs.

For Orange Tips it is Easy.

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.