WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS 2007

[HarryB]

Lots of Meadow Browns (40+) at St Cyrus NNR this morning. Mainly in the area between the top path (along the dunes) and the low lying ground towards the cliffs.

[Gordon Anderson]

This is from way outside Angus but still East of Scotland and is interesting as it shows the Northward movement of this species.
At 11.30hrs in Penicuik today in my son's garden we saw one Comma butterfly. A second sighting in the early afternoon in the same place looked like another brighter fresher individual of the same species. How far north have they been seen? Was this sighting unusual?

[HarryB]

A Comma was reported in the Angus Courier last week (with a picture of it). Apparently it was found in the Perth area.

Yesterday on the path from Mains of Dun Farm to the SWT Shelduck Hide, at Montrose Basin, there were three Peacock, two Small Tortoiseshell and about ten Small White butterflies. Hardly any thistles now in bloom there and the favoured planr was the few Knapweed along the path.

[HarryB]

Today(23/08/07) there were various butterflies on the track through Montreathmont Forest, leading to Jim Garnes' hide.(opposite Polmood Horticultural Services)
8 Small Copper
11 Peacock
10 Common Blue (all females)
1 Small White
2 large, blue-bodied Dragonflies (identity unknown to me)
Lots of 'toadlets'
2 Common Lizards

[DK]

. How far north have they been seen? Was this sighting unusual?

Last summer as far as I know 3 were reported from St Andrews and 1 from Carnoustie (Nicola ?). If the weather had been more favorable this summer there may have been a good chance of more them in Angus. With any luck we should see them turning up over the next few seasons.

Same with Orange Tip a few have been blowing in over the last few summers and turning up around Carnoustie-Arbroath. I think Harry has been seeing good numbers of them at Kinnaber - it would be interesting to see if these were a small established colony from which they may spread.

[DK]

2 large, blue-bodied Dragonflies (identity unknown to me)

Thats a good find I did counts of damselflys in there for a few years but dont remember any seeing any dragons, will have a check through my lists. May well be worth reporting them if you get an ID.

Common Hawker turn up in Angus the males of which have blue markings. The only other "blue" species I have seen is the Azure Hawker and those were all up Clova, Doll, Dye etc. I belive a single Emperor Dragonfly was recorded on the Angus coast last summer, the male of these species has a lot of blue markings.

[HarryB]

I don't know the ID of ANY dragonflies, but these were definitely big big guys, and definitely NOT damselflies. Eileen saw them too, but we couldn't even see them land anywhere. There were two; flying from the small group of Scots Pines at the end of the track. The predominant colour was blue body - not the metalic -looking blue you see on damselflies. I've seen big dragonflies like this (not that colour) on the west coast on the shores of Loch Lomond and Loch Tulla.

[Charles Rough]

i visited a pond on the sidlaw hills today, the vegetation is realy poor but the damselflys have returned at last, i had given up hope,






there was also one larger brown one which i havent seen before, it fought with the damselflys but never landed on the vegetation, i couldnt get close enough for a decent pic but im thinking maybe a common dragonfly?

[Charles Rough]

i was just checking my 08/9 pics from last year and noticed these


a painted lady and a peacock which were fighting over the same plant overlooking the cliffs between arbroath and auchmithie just beside the dead whale,i posted the pic of the peacock on a website and some scots replied they have never seen one, this was the first i got a pic of since then i have seen numerous peacocks ,when did they become common in scotland?

[DK]

i posted the pic of the peacock on a website and some scots replied they have never seen one, this was the first i got a pic of since then i have seen numerous peacocks ,when did they become common in scotland?

Not sure about country wide figures but around 15 years ago we would occasionally see one or two at a time in our garden mostly during late summer. Certainly would not see them every week and the maximum was around six during the week.

Now it's a rare day if there are none in the garden during fine weather. Often they are in double figures. At the end of last summer during a period of bright/warm/windy days over a couple of weeks I was counting several hundred per day before giving up.

[DK]

i couldnt get close enough for a decent pic but im thinking maybe a common dragonfly?

Yes, from that image it appears to be a male Common Darter.

[HarryB]

An Otter was on the southern shore between Old Montrose Pier and Maryton Bay this afternoon (low tide)

[Charles Rough]

two small butterflys unientified, one damselfly ,one red Squirrel,kinnordy

[HarryB]

At least 4 Peacock Butterflies, between Old Mill Car Park and the disused railway line at Mains of Dun Farm this afternoon

[Nicola Main]

One Common Pipistrelle bat flying around our garden at about 7pm last night.

[joncook]

Otter diving in Forfar Loch, Monday 11.30am, seen briefly from South side, opposite yacht club.

[HarryB]

Today, in the field on the right,just before The Lurgies car park, were 2 Peacock butterflies, 1 Red Admiral and lots of what I think, are damselflies (about 10). Don't know how to identify them, but anyone who can help, is welcome to email me and I'll send a picture or two

[DK]

Damsels in Angus are easy -
Common Blue Damselfly = blue
Large Red Damsefly = red
Emerald Damselfly = green
Blue-tailed Damselfly = mostly black with blue, green, purple, pink or copper coloured lines on the thorax and one blue segment at the end of the tail.

[HarryB]

Thanksto DK. I don't know enough to be able to tell if these insects were
damselflies, or darters. Don't think they were dragonflies, as they look to have a different shape and are smallish and rest with their wings pointing downwards.
I'll see if it's possible to upload a picture here and let everyone tell me how wrong I am!

[DK]

If they wont load try mailing me one now that I have enabled the e-mail button.

All forms of the Blue-tailed are similar to cr's images above. The other three species present in Angus are obviousle either red, blue or green.

The common dragons round here are also easy to ID. The Black Darter is black and obviously small for a dragon fly. The Common Hawker is much larger and black with small bright yellow and blue or green markings depending on sex. The Common Darter is either mostly yellow or red depending on sex.

The only other and much less common ones round here that I know of are the Azure Hawker which I have only seen in the Glen Clova and Glen Dye areas and the occasional record for possible migrants.

So if you can get the hang of identifying four damsels and three dragons thats it for here apart from the odd stray

[Dave Adam]

Its nice to have such a healthy population of Otters in East Angus. I have just spent 3 hours motionless in the dark with a cold wind blowing down my collar at a river bank waiting for an otter. Reward - several squeaky whistles and a water wake swim past with a prolonged sniffing grunt. Obviously sussed me out. Tracks are often found but more obvious are the sand scrapes shaped like mini mountains and spraint marking found especially on muddy/sand banks. One fisherman has described stroking one as it passed by him on the bank! Some have all the luck.

[HarryB]

Hah! No I haven't seen some.
This is a reminder that a form is shown on page 1 of this forum, showing how to send in records of Orange-tips to Butterfly Conservation Scotland.
There are lots of records of Orange-tips on the forum: please send yours in, so the record will be as complete as possible for this year.

[DK]

Harry re-telling damselflies and dragonflies apart. A damsefly looks about the size of a short length of wool with wings whereas a dragonfly looks more like the stub end of a pencil with wings

[HarryB]

Hi Deny,
Now you're talking!
I can understand that definition.
Thanks

[Mark Caunt]

DK here is Harrys picture.

[HarryB]

Approx 12 Bottle-nosed Dolphins showing well at Fishtown of Usan this afternoon. NOTE*This place is shown on maps as 'Seaton of Usan'.
Report by Rob and Maggie Noble-Nesbitt

[Nicola Main]

One Grey Squirrel in the lower part of Shanwell Wood, Carnoustie this afternoon about 1.00pm.

[Mark Caunt]

Date & Time: Friday 21st December 2007 - 11:00am
Species: Bottlenose Dolphin
Details: At least 12x Bottlenose Dolphins going north past Auchmithie Harbour at 11:00am today. Jumping and tail slapping!