Llanfairfechan - end of summer

Small Copper

Back from the Bird Fair at Rutland Water, lovely sunny day here if rather breezy – no day trips to Ynys Enlli (Bardsey) today! The Robin breeding season is over, they have moulted and the pairs have split up. Heard several Robins singing, the function is to defend individual feeding territories – this is the autumn / early winter song which gradually fades out leading up to December. These singing birds could include females, whereas from Christmas onwards only male Robins sing. Read all about it in The Life of the Robin by David Lack.

Not all birds have finished breeding though – lots of House Martins and Swallows about (the Swifts have all gone), and Woodpigeons carry on singing (and laying eggs) until October. No luck with Turtle Doves though this year; when I was living in North Wales in the late 1960’s, Turtle Doves were common breeders in NE Wales and a few bred on Lleyn and Meirionnydd. Now these have all gone - read about it in The Breeding Birds of North Wales by Brenchley et al (2013). I haven’t seen a Turtle Dove anywhere in Britain this year.

Getting a bit late for good butterflies, but quite a few showy ones on our Buddleia including a Painted Lady the other day and several Commas. Then this morning a Common Blue appeared (very scarce round here this year and our first in the garden for 2015), plus a very smart Small Copper. This picture was actually taken just up the road in August last year.

Several Purple Hairstreaks seen on our butterfly transect route earlier this month, we try to do this every week for Butterfly Conservation. Viewing one of these individuals I even saw the ‘hairstreak’ mark on the hindwing, usually they are too high up on the oaks or ashes to see this. They lay eggs on the oaks and visit the ash trees for honeydew. 

Geoff Gibbs

Butterflies (and butterfly watchers) looking up!

Our butterfly transect counts (done for Butterfly Conservation) got off to a late start this year. Our walk starts just up the road from our house in Llanfairfechan, and goes through woodland (3 sections), a small field (usually grazed by ponies) which is good for thistles, leading to a small car-park with brambles (1 section), then 3 sections leading up-hill past oaks and ashes (Purple Hairstreak territory, binoculars needed!) onto open sheep-grazed fields. On the way down we cover Section 8 along a narrow road with good nectar plants on each side.

Dark Green Fritillary on Creeping Thistle

Methodology suggests starting on the first warm day from April 1st (week 1) or even earlier if warm enough. This year we started on May 5 (week 5), when the temperature was 16 deg, and the butterfly count was 5 – three Green-veined Whites, a Comma and a Peacock. We have managed to do counts in all but one week since week 5, but numbers and diversity have mostly been very disappointing. By week 18 things were improving, with 8 species recorded, and today (temp 22 deg) has been outstanding – 9 species, total count 82, with a further 4 species in or near our garden.

The stars this afternoon were 2 Dark Green Fritillaries, 3 Purple Hairstreaks and a cloud of mud-puddling Green-veined Whites. The Fritillary is not uncommon in N Wales (easily seen at Newborough, for example) but we only get odd ones on our transects (not even annually) and I don’t know where they come from. The Purple Hairstreaks inhabit the canopy of oaks, where egg-laying takes place, but they will come lower down to seek out honey-dew on ashes, or occasionally to take nectar from brambles. The mud-puddlers are male G-v Whites, seeking out salts (sodium etc) to replace those lost during mating. I’ve never seen such a cloud of white butterflies in Britain before, although it is a common sight in warmer places.

Mud-puddling Green-veined Whites

Today’s list: seen on transects (in addition to species already mentioned): Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Large Skipper and Speckled Wood. Plus in/near our garden: Large White, Small White, Peacock and Red Admiral. Let’s hope those migrant Painted Ladies are heading our way! Anyone interested in starting weekly butterfly counts, or in submitting butterfly records to their local Recorder (who will be really delighted!), should go to the Butterfly Conservation web-site.