Continuing on from my previous post..
The first Small Heath was seen on the 17th May. They weren't seen in high numbers in 2023, possibly because not as many people were recording along the coast where they are most commonly seen. Apparently, there are two generations a year, but it is difficult to separate the generations because they overlap and vary according to each site along the coast and in the hills.
2023 could
certainly not be described as a Painted Lady year. I only received 46 records
and it was the first year, since I started recording butterflies in the 1990s
that I didn't see one myself. The first record received was on 29th May and the
maximum number seen in a week was 8 in August, indicating that they had managed
to breed. It is interesting that the other migratory butterfly, the Red
Admiral, did so well, but not so the Painted Lady.
The
first Meadow Brown was recorded on the 4th June. They had the best year since I
have been collating the butterfly records with 2565 butterflies recorded.
Almost every year they are our most numerous butterfly recorded.
In
contrast, the Common Blue had its worst year since I have been collating the
records! The first record was on the 12th June and I only received records of
252 butterflies, with the average number over the previous ten years being 465.
Ringlets
were another species that had a poor year. In fact the worst year in the last
ten years, not counting 2020, when we were in lockdown. The first record was on
the 15th June and initially they seemed to do well, but just didn't peak in
July as they normally would.
The Dark
Green Fritillary also didn't do well in 2023 with the number of records being
about a third of what we would normally expect. The first record was on the 18th
June. The caterpillars feed on various species of Violets. I wonder if these
plants didn't do well the previous summer with the dry weather we experienced.
I saw
five Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries when I was looking for Northern Brown
Argus. They were the only records that I am aware of this year. It is a rare
butterfly in East Lothian, which has only been recorded from a couple of sites.
The
final species to be recorded in 2023 was the Grayling on 3rd July. There is a
well-established colony on the pyramid at Meadowmill. I am aware of them being
seen in an east Lammermuir Dean and I hear that they are often seen at the old
power station site at Cockenzie. This year there was one seen at Levenhall,
which is very exciting. Maybe our re-location project is going to be a success
after all!
Sadly,
there were no Brimstones seen in East Lothian in 2023, having had a few records
in 2021 and 2022. We normally rely on the odd migrant flying in and I suspect
that until we have more food plants available for them, they will not be able
to maintain a presence in East Lothian.
I
didn't receive any records of the Green Hairstreak in 2023. They are known to
occur in a few remote locations in East Lothian, so we rarely get records of
them. I saw some just over the border at Soutra, where they appeared to be
doing well, so hopefully they are doing as well in their colonies in East
Lothian.
Similarly,
the recently discovered Purple Hairstreak occurs in a few small colonies in
East Lothian. I didn't receive any records in 2023, but I am sure they would
still have been at their covert colonies in the eastern Lammermuirs
Good to hear from the other end of Britain and many species that did well in the north mirrored the south. A few differences but most were similar!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Bob. That is interesting to know.
DeleteHello Nick :=)
ReplyDeleteSo sorry it has taken me so long to visit you. Time gets away from me as I get older, and what used to take me an hour to do ,turns into an afternoon or morning. Because my garden is neglected I hardly see any butterflies except Cabbage Whites, but when I first started my blog I took loads of photographs of them because there were all kinds of flowers in my garden which attracted them. Sadly I can't garden any more, and only the toughest plants survive, not always butterfly friendly.It's sad but that's just the way it is, When I see all your lovely pictures, it reminds me of those early days when I was taking photos of butterflies every day, enjoying each new species I found to photograph. I really don't know how it is possible to take note of how many different species you encounter.. How do you know you have not counted the same butterfly you saw the day before? I'm glad you have help from various sources to help with these sightings. I enjoyed seeing your butterfly images Nick and hope that East Lothian butterflies prosper. Good luck!:=)
All the best
Sonjia..
Hello Sonjia. Thank you for visiting. I am sorry to hear you can't tend your garden as much these days. It must be upsetting to see it become overgrown. It is really interesting to hear that there are fewer butterflies as it becomes wilder. We think that wild spaces are best for them, but of course we now have to manage our wild spaces to try to make them ideal for butterflies or other wildlife. Without the right balance of herbivores and predators places tend to develop into rank grasses and thick shrubs.
DeleteOur formal transects are monitored once a week. Other records are those that volunteers see when out and about. There is a slim chance that some butterflies may be recorded more than once, but the important thing is that recording is consistent year on year. When you think of it, we are only recording a fraction of the butterflies that are out there, but enough to give a good picture of how each species is doing.
Hi Nick :=)
ReplyDeleteI don't answer questions on my blog any more, so came over to tell you that the orchid I thought I had, was not an orchid at all but a Hoya, a Hoya Carnosa. I love this plant and it's flowers have the most wonderful perfume.Thanks for explaining how the counting is done, which makes perfect sense.