Latest news Archive

Moira Meldrum saw a Red Admiral in her Fortrose garden today.

Graham Crittenden has reported that recently a Scourie school pupil found a Death's-head Hawk-moth on a road at Scourie.  This is a first for VC108.

Bob Turner saw a Red Admiral just north of Aviemore today.

John Carruthers saw a Painted Lady on Fortrose beach today.

Bob Turner and I saw a Red Admiral today at Coignafearn.

Another first for Carole Mellor's garden near Wick today was a Painted Lady nectaring on Chive flowers.

Carole Mellor saw 2 Peacock Butterflies in her garden near Wick in Caithness today which was probably the first time she has seen them in the area.

Bob Turner and I saw several Red Admirals, a couple of Scotch Argus, a Common Blue and a Peacock around Insh Marshes NNR today.  We also saw a Peacock on our Buddleia when we got home to Aviemore.

Hilary Swift saw 3 Painted Ladies in Grantown-on-Spey today as well as several Red Admirals and some Peacocks.

Yesterday Bob Turner and I saw a Red Admiral at a pond in Abernethy Forest and today I saw a Red Admiral at the north end of Aviemore.

Mike Taylor had a Hummingbird Hawk-moth in his Boat of Garten garden this afternoon!  I rushed outside and checked my own Buddleia when I heard the news, but no luck.  Thanks to Mike for his lovely photo.

Corrine Allward saw 6 Speckled Wood, 3 Scotch Argus, 9 Green-veined Whites and a Fritillary, possibly Dark Green in Glen Stockdale, Appin.  She also saw some Leeches in a puddle.  The previous Tuesday she saw a Small Tortoiseshell and a Purple Hairstreak!

Bob Turner and I saw our first Scotch Argus of the year today, 8 of them at a site near the Old Spey Bridge, Grantown-on-spey.

Bob Turner and I saw our first Meadow Brown of the year at the north end of Aviemore today.

Stephen Rawlinson from Leicester visited Creag Meagaidh today and saw 3 Mountain Ringlets, 3 Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries and a Dark Green Fritillary.

Despite rain and a a temperature of only 12C, Dr Patrick Frew saw 2 Mountain Ringlets at Creag Meagaidh during a brief sunny spell at 2pm.

Brian Neath reports that it was another strange month for moths in Dornie.  He had 113 moths of 40 species on the 5th June but only 34 moths of 21 species on the 17th and 37 moths of 22 species on the 29th. Highlights have included a Saxon, Satin Lutestring, 3 Scorched Wing and 10 Lunar Thorns on the 5th,  Poplar Lutestring and Scalloped Hook-tip on the 17th and Clouded Silver on the 29th.  35 Broom Moths on the 5th was the largest count of any one species.

Corrine Allward saw a Dark Green Fritillary in Duror, Argyll just after it stopped raining and the sun came out.

Despite the showers Bob Turner and I saw 6 species of butterfly at Ardersier today; a Small Blue female egg-laying, Dingy Skipper, Ringlet (photo below), Common Blue, Speckled Wood and Green-veined White.

We also had another look at the Old Spey Bridge at Grantown-on-spey and saw Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Small Heath, Northern Brown Argus, Green-veined White, and surprisingly a male Orange Tip that Bob managed a photo of.

There were a few butterflies on the wing today near the Old Spey Bridge at Grantown-on-spey despite the rather dull, cloudy weather.  Green-veined Whites, Small Heath, Northern Brown Argus and at least 5 Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries.

Pete Gordon saw a Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary at Croftmaquien, north-east of Nethybridge.

Rosanna Clegg found a Small Elephant Hawk-moth in her garden west of Muir of Ord.

About a dozen Small Blues were seen to the east of Nairn around grid reference NH9057.  Also seen were Speckled Wood, Orange Tips, Painted Ladies and a Small White.

Bob Turner and I saw 2 Painted Lady butterflies at Insh Marshes NNR today, we also saw another Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth.

Mike Taylor saw 3 Painted Lady Butterflies in his Boat of Garten garden today, whilst Brian Neath also saw a Painted Lady in his Dornie garden.  Thanks to Mike for the photo.

Bob Turner and I saw a Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth at Insh Marshes NNR today.

Nick Patel saw 2 Chequered Skipper, a Green Hairstreak, 3 Pearl-bordered Fritillaries and 10+ Orange Tips at Glen Loy today, thanks to Nick for the photos below.

Tom Prescott reports that a Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth was seen at Errogie, VC96, possibly the first in Scotland this year.

Ron and Dot Ruston saw 2 Dingy Skippers on the Polmaily transect yesterday.

Things are still fairly quiet in Dornie, Green-veined White and Orange Tip being the only butterfly species so far.  Brian Neath had his best moth catch of the year on the 15th with 49 moths of 21 species.  2 Lunar Thorn, a Yellow-barred Brindle, 4 Least Black Arches, a Scarce Prominent and a Lunar Marbled Brown were the pick of the bunch.

Chequered Skipper butterflies have been seen on the wing at the Glasdrum reserve.

Helen Mainwood found 2 Green Hairstreaks whilst walking the transect and also the first Small Copper of the season.  Tony Mainwood saw more Pearl-bordered Fritilaries at Rogart Quarry, photos below.

Helen Mainwood found a Green Hairstreak on a Gorse bush whilst walking the Loch Fleet Butterfly Transect yesterday, photo below.  It was in a sheltered spot at NH816965.  Her husband Tony saw two Pearl-bordered Fritillaries this afternoon at the Rogart Quarry.

Brian Neath reports that April continued to be disappointing with only one Green-veined White butterfly being seen and only 17 moth species recorded which was Brian's second lowest April count since he started trapping in 2004.  Numbers have ranged from 15 in 2013 to 38 in 2007.  A Twin-spotted Quaker on April 20th and 2 Early Thorns on the 29th were the pick of the bunch.

Dot and Ron Ruston found a Brindled Ochre moth (see photo below) in their trap on the 2nd of April.  Due to the poor spring weather they have only seen a Peacock butterfly at Polmaily and Small Tortoiseshell in the garden.

Catherine MacLeod saw a Peacock butterfly near the Ariundle Centre, Strontian on the 20th of April.

Duncan Davidson reports two Green-veined White butterflies flying near Nairn, coinciding with the arrival of the Swallows.

The Culbin Forest Kentish Glory trapping event on the 23/24 April went ahead despite the unpromisingly cold conditions.  Very small catches but one male Kentish Glory did turn up in one of the traps so the ten hardy souls who attended in the morning were in luck and all managed to see the very obliging moth which remained on its perch for a good half hour.  Thanks to Mike Taylor for the photo and report.

Mark Wynn saw two small male Orange Tip butterflies along the Rosemarkie cliffs, both not much larger than a Common Blue.  Mark spoke to David Barbour who said their small size was down to the fact that the caterpillars had not received enough warmth to grow to their usual full size, even though there would surely have been their usual food source available.  Further evidence of the cool summer of 2015.

Last night's moth trap here in Aviemore brought a total of 3 moths, a Common Quaker, below left, and 2 Clouded Drabs, below right.

Brian Neath caught 46 moths of 7 species on the 13th of March, 14 March Moths, 10 Mottled Grey, 8 Dotted Border, 7 Pale Brindled Beauty, 4 Chestnut, 2 Yellow Horned and a Double-striped Pug.  He was therefore a bit disappointed to only 11 moths of 3 species on the 19th, 9 Mottled Grey, a Yellow Horned and a Dotted Border, a night which seemed equally suitable.  Over the years Brian has caught 30 species of moth in March, so he is hopeful of better catches to come.

Ewan Munro saw a Red Admiral at Strongarve in Easter Ross.

Pete Moore has had some reports of Butterflies, on the 13th of March a Red Admiral was seen at Bunchrew near Inverness by Cat Owen Pam and 2 Small Tortoiseshells were seen at Insh Marshes on the 14th by Patrick Cook.  Pete also ran a trap at Ballinlaggan at the weekend catching Chestnut, Pale Brindled Beauty and a Red Sword-grass.

Bob Turner and I trapped 2 Pale Brindled Beauty, the 1st in the garden since 2011 and an Agonopterix scopariella, a 1st for our Aviemore garden.

Brian Neath reports that he had up to 10 Winter Moths on his windows during January.  As he was away for most of February, it wasn't until the 4th of March he saw more moths, 2 Pale Brindled Beauty, 2 Chestnut and a March Moth, then on the 6th he saw 3 Mottled Grey and a Pale Brindled Beauty, all attracted to windows.

The first butterfly sighting of the year was a Peacock on the wing at Loch Spynie at grid ref NJ235665.  Many thanks to Henry Farquhar for the record.