On a fine warm summers day there is no finer place to be than in a
Northumberland Dune system. Today we visited Birling Links a few miles down
the road from us. Its a good spot as it takes a bit of a walk to get there, so
tourists are few and far between.
Our goals today were to check out the flora and try to get a photo of the Wolf
Spider Arctosa perita that we saw last year but without a macro lens.
No birds at all went into the notebook, probably because my head was down and
eyes were focussed to under a metre. Its probably best to let the photos do
the talking...
View North towards Alnmouth.
Dune flora reminds me of the machair in the Hebrides
Bee Orchid
Eyebright
Restharrow
Depressaria daucella caterpillar on Hemlock Water Dropwort
Drinker moth caterpillar are common here.
Not too sure but looks like an Ectimnius Digger Wasp with prey.
Dune Chafer
Garden Tiger caterpillar
Micropterix aruncella
Coastal Silver Stiletto Fly
Coastal Silver Stiletto Fly
One of the Spider Hunting Wasps poss Priocnemis parvula or Caliadurgus
sp? Witha Wolf Spider
Yellow-tail Moth caterpillar, the first one of these larvae Ive seen.
The main target, Arctosa perita found on the bare sandy patches. What a
stunner...
Despite a mixed weather forecast, Sunday morning seemed rain free so we took a chance and headed back to Swarland Woods to look for invertebrates.
Only our second visit here after a brief inspection in the spring, we walked a similar route, taking us clockwise around the outer edge of the wood. Under the trees, it was quite dark now that the leaves were fully open resulting in it being very quiet with little of note to see.
Once out on the sunnier rides, things improved with lots of insects in various attractive spots.
Of the ones I have been able to identify, often through photographs, 5 species were new to me (bold).
Hoverfly Xylota segnis lots
Hoverfly Sericomyia silentis
Hoverfly Volucella bombylans several
Tenthredo maculata
Sawfly Tenthredo maculata several
Club horned Sawfly Abia faciata
Club horned Sawfly Abia faciataegg laying on honeysuckle, quite scarce I believe.
Long horned Moth Nemophora degeerella
Long horned Moth Nemophora degeerella 10+ lekking in a sunny glade, lovely.
Green Dock Beetle now pink
Green Dock Beetle now pink.
Blue tailed Damselfly
Large Red Damselfly
Micro Moth Micropterix aruncella
Micro Moth Micropterix aruncella
Speckled Longhorn Beetle
Speckled Longhorn Beetle several.
Black and Yellow Longhorn Beetle
Black and Yellow Longhorn Beetle, several all on dog rose.
Tetragnatha spiders.
Weevil Polydrusus pterygomalis
A small green Weevil Polydrusus pterygomalis on sycamore.
Figwort Weevil Cionus scrophulariae
Figwort Weevil Cionus scrophulariae 9+ on foodplant. A target of mine for some years so pleased to finally find some.
Snipe Fly Chrysopilus cristatus
Snipe Fly Chrysopilus cristatus 2, male and female.
Large Knapweed Aphids Uroleucon jacaea
Large Knapweed Aphids Uroleucon jacaea on knapweed showing very unexpected behaviour by all of them waving side to side like tiny out of sync flags. Maybe a county first as not found near here.
Its days like these when some detective work combined with expert help from Facebook specialist groups work wonders.
Later in the afternoon when returned from a meal out, we were very surprised to see a Common Shrew hunting around the short grass of our drive . It reminded me of the Water Shrew we saw in the open a few years back. I managed a few record shots then it went back into cover behind the bird feeders.
Where does the time go? Here we are almost a month since the last blog
post on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Soon we will be
Christmas shopping!
Anyway there are plenty of long days to enjoy before then so here I'll say a
bit about our week in Scotland from 10th June.
Allt Beithe, Arivegaig, Acharacle and the track leading to the house in
the trees.
We were staying, for the 7th time, in our usual house at Arivegaig, Acharacle.
This may be our last time as it has been sold which is quite sad, we've
enjoyed good times here, but it might still remain a holiday let. To be
honest, it hasn't changed much in the 16 years we have been going so it could
do with some upgrading, just not too much. If it were me, I would cater more
for naturalists and wildlife observers as its an excellent spot, especially
for its specialty, the Pine Martens. There is a poor, triangle bird
table that the martens love, but Id make a bigger more open one, as you will
see soon, and install an outside light on the wall above the window to
illuminate the scene in the dark. It would be great. As it happens, it barely
gets dark in June, so back to the post.
I made a schoolboy error in forgetting my notebook ( what!) so I've relied on
photos, sketchbooks and memory for all except the moths that were scribbled on
scraps until we got home.
As for our week, I'm not sure the area has seen a spell of weather like it in
a while being hot, sunny and calm all week and for the previous three weeks
before ours too. The blanket bog surrounding the house, Kentra Moss, was very
dry. This resulted in a dearth in the usual flora with not a single Heath
Spotted Orchid, Sundew or Butterwort when in most years these are all
plentiful.
On a few days we made the mistake in going for walk somewhere not arriving
until mid morning. By then it was already too warm for Peggy so it was quite
frustrating. All week the temperatures were between 23 and 28 degrees
averaging at 25 - 26 most of the daylight hours. Insects were quite
plentiful, mainly those that bite, with millions of midgies and clegs, of
which my cleg list is now at 3 species...
So, to the stars of the show. When we visit here we always manage some
sightings of Pine Martens. If you saw last Septembers blog post, we had them
nightly with Badgers and a Fox too. This week, there were no Badgers or Fox,
but the Pine Marten had nested in the garden and was coming everyday with four
of the finest kittens you could imagine. Providing we were indoors they had no
fear of us at the window or talking. As it was hot, I kept water topped up so
they could come and drink when they were too warm. In the evening I fed a
muesli type of mix with soaked hedgehog biscuits, chopped soft dog meat,
damped bread and jam, peanuts and sunflower hearts sometimes with some chopped
fruit like apple strawberry or raspberry, what ever we had available. The
family ate the lot with relish.
During the day it would be quiet. The female would sneak a meal and a drink
alone, but by 5pm we would hear the kits were out and about. What a commotion.
scrapping and squeaking like jazz band kazoos then the lot would appear. You
could never get sick of them. What a holiday highlight they were. Here we go
with some pics and a video -
If you can turn up the sound you'll hear kits calling for mum, and maybe a
quiet profanity from Jane as one baby launches itself off the table onto the
lawn!
To say I am pleased with the photos is an understatement. All taken
through glass. The Arivegaig Pine Marten family.
They are a difficult act to follow to be honest so here are a few other
odds and sods of wildlife interest and scenery from the week.
Top - Ardtoe, with Rum and Eigg in the background bottom, Kentra.
May as well begin with these two bitey bastards. Top is a rare
Golden Horsefly recovered from a spiders web, A very local species
found in only a handful of locations in the UK. Bottom is the ever present and
abundant Two lobed Deer Fly. There were also Notch horn Clegs all over
too I can highly recommend using 'Smidge' repellant, I am very prone to all
insect bites and only had about 20 small bites all week.
Butterflies were around but in the heat wouldn't settle for a shot. Around
the house were a few Large Heath, in wooded areas and the moss were a
few Small Pearl bordered Fritillaries and Peacocks, but
although there were still a few Orange Tips on the wing, we didn't see any
Chequered Skippers. They must have had an early season in the good weather.
We had a similar problem with Dragonflies. They just wouldn't rest other
than one Gold ringed Dragon. We had lots of Four spotted Chasers too
but dipped out on the Northern Emeralds that had been seen nearby a week
earlier.
Gold ringed Dragonfly were common.
Above, Sanna on the Ardnamurchan.
Birds were few and far between, though we did have an
imm White tailed Eagle at Fascadale and a nest with the female and a
large youngster . One correctly dressed Rock Dove came into the house
garden on one morning but no others were seen. At Ariundle 3
Wood Warblers were trilling while Tree Pipits parachuted over
head.
I ran the moth trap in the garden on 5 nights. There were two new
species for me plus a nice showing of highland specials that I will put in a
separate post to stop this one dragging on...
Physocephala nigra a rare large Conopid Fly almost an inch long.
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