Winter e-newsletter December 2019
Photos Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Contributions to our newsletters Dates for your Diary & Winter Workparties....2 Borage - Painted Lady foodplant…11-12 are always welcome. Scottish Entomological Gathering 2020 ...... 3-4 Lunar Yellow Underwing…………….13 Please use the contact details Obituary - David Barbour…………..………….5 Chequered Skipper Survey 2020…..14 below to get in touch! The Bog Squad…………………………………6 If you do not wish to receive our Helping Hands for Butterflies………………….7 newsletter in the future, simply Munching Caterpillars in Scotland………..…..8 reply to this message with the Books for Sale………………………...………..9 word ’unsubscribe’ in the title - thank you. RIC Project Officer - Job Vacancy……………9 Coul Links Update……………………………..10 VC Moth Recorder required for Caithness….10
Contact Details: Butterfly Conservation Scotland t: 01786 447753
Balallan House e: [email protected] Allan Park w: www.butterfly-conservation.org/scotland Stirling FK8 2QG
Dates for your Diary
Scottish Recorders’ Gathering - Saturday, 14th March 2020 For everyone interested in recording butterflies and moths, our Scottish Recorders’ Gathering will be held at the Battleby Conference Centre, by Perth on Saturday, 14th March 2020. It is an opportunity to meet up with others, hear all the latest butterfly and moth news and gear up for the season to come! All welcome - more details will follow in the New Year!
Highland Branch AGM - Saturday, 18th April 2020 Our Highlands & Island Branch will be holding their AGM on Saturday, 18th April in a new venue, Green Drive Hall, 36 Green Drive, Inverness, IV2 4EU. More details will follow on the website in due course.
Scottish Members’ Day - Saturday, 3rd October 2020 We will be holding our annual Scottish Members’ Day at Battleby Conference Centre by Perth on Saturday, 3rd October 2020. More info will follow in due course.
Winter Workparties Bog Squad:
Bog Squad Workparty - Scrub clearance at Wester Moss by Stirling - Saturday, 11th January 2020
Bog Squad Workparty - Scrub clearance at Abronhill in Cumbernauld - Saturday, 25th January 2020
Bog Squad Workparty - Scrub clearance at Kirkconnell Flow by Dumfries - Saturday, 22nd February 2020
For more information please go to www.butterfly-conservation.org/bogsquad or contact David Hill [email protected]
South West Scotland:
Carrick Workparty for Northern Brown Argus - Wednesday, 8th January
Mabie Forest Workparty for Pearl-bordered Fritillary - Sunday, 23rd February
For more information please go here
BC Events in Scotland Don’t forget to check out our website at www.butterfly-conservation.org/scotland as well as your local Branch website for up-to-date lists of fieldtrips, events etc: Highlands & Islands - https://butterfly-conservation.org/in-your-area/highlands-and-islands-branch South & West Scotland - https://butterfly-conservation.org/in-your-area/glasgow-and-sw-scotland-branch East Scotland - https://butterfly-conservation.org/in-your-area/east-scotland-branch N.B These are usually compiled over the winter months for the following season.
______
2 Scottish Entomological Gathering SEG 2020
For those who have not heard of or attended a SEG before they are just as they sound. A gathering of Scottish entomologists who meet up over a weekend once a year and get out in the field and record invertebrates. They are obviously also very enjoyable and sociable as well as being informative with many of the great and good of Scottish entomology in attendance. However, in recent years SEG has proved more difficult to organise often being undertaken at the last minute. Therefore, in order to ensure that this valuable event continues and is planned well in advance so attendees have chance to put the date in their diaries, the following people have put their heads above the parapet to ensure that SEG 2020 and beyond happens. Their role is to ensure that SEG happens as smoothly and timely as possible rather than organising every subsequent SEG! Suzie Burgess [email protected]
David Hill [email protected]
Tom Prescott [email protected]
James Silvey [email protected] We therefore seek volunteers to organise future SEGs as well as welcome ideas of where future SEGs could be held, ideally in previously unvisited parts of Scotland and with suggestions of suitable venues and accommodation rather than simply a location. To help this task the map below shows where every SEG is believed to have been held. This is also set out in the table below.
3 Scottish Entomological Gathering
Year Location Month Year Location Month
1981 Lagganlia, Kincraig early May 2001 Speyside* July
1982 The Barony, Ae, Dumfries early July 2002 Inchnadamph mid August 1983 Rowardennan FC end June 2003 Cromarty late June 1984 Ballater end June 2004 Crianlarich * 1985 Firbush Centre, Loch Tay mid June 2005 Newton Stewart late June 1986 Kindrogan SFSC end June 2006 Kingussie late June
1987 Achnamara early July 2007 Jedburgh late June
1988 Tarradale mid June 2008 Forfar late June 1989 Rowardennan early Sept 2009 Auchincruive, Ayr early August 1990 Rum mid June 2010 Claonaig, Kintyre late June 1991 Galashiels mid June 2011 Corrour mid June
1992 Loch Eil FC early July 2012 Cupar (Fife) mid July 1993 Edzell early July 2013 Dundonnell late June 1994 Bettyhill FC, Invernaver mid August 2014 Caerlaverock late June 1995 Auchencruive, Ayr* early July 2015 Oban end June
1996 St John’s Town of Dalry end June 2016 Ballater mid June 1997 nr Tobermory late June 2017 Eyemouth early June 1998 Strathconnan late June 2018 Rowardennan mid June 1999 Shiskine, Arran late June 2019 Lagganlia, Kincraig mid August
2000 Ardeonaig FC, Loch Tay end June 2020 Dundreggan end June
*venue or date uncertain The map clearly shows areas of Scotland that have not been visited along with those that have hosted the event on more than one occasion. Obvious missing locations included;
Aigas FC Loch Tay reed beds Beinn Eighe Moray Firth coast Bute Morvern Dunbar area Peebles
Flow Country Shin Valley/Spinningdale Fort William Skye Gairloch South Fife coast Glen Affric/Strathfarrar Stirling Islay Tongue/Durness Lanark
For 2020, we have been in talks with Trees for Life at their Dundreggan Reserve near Glenmorriston and have booked their self-catering accommodation that takes up to 16 people for the weekend of the 26th-28th June. It is also possible to camp and there are various B&Bs and guest houses in the general area. Due to data protection, previous lists of SEG attendees have not been kept and the only list we have are those who either attended or showed interest in attending SEG 2029. They have already been informed of these plans. So if this is the first you have heard of these plans for SEG 2020 you are not on our list. So please get in touch if you want to be added to our list, wish to participate in SEG 2020, want to stay in the accommodation we have booked as rooms will be allocated on a first come first served basis, or have suggestions for future SEGs. Any queries/suggestions please contact any or all of us Many thanks Suzie, David, Tom & James
4 Volunteer News
David Barbour 1950 – 2019
It is very sad to have to report that David, one of Butterfly Conservation Scotland’s most active and respected volunteers and recorders, has died. David will be known to most as the Highland Butterfly Recorder, a role he held for over twenty years (1997 – 2017). In that time it is estimated he oversaw the submission of over 88,000 butterfly records to the Butterflies of the New Millennium (BNM) project, including around 7,400 of his own records. He was always an extremely thorough and conscientious BNM Co-ordinator, who ensured that butterfly records from both residents and visitors to the Highlands were accurately and carefully verified. These records contributed to The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland, all four of the State of Britain’s Butterflies reports that BC has published, and numerous analyses and scientific papers that have charted the fortunes of our butterflies and the drivers of change over the past 20+ years. After leaving Aberdeen University butterflies and moths became the basis of his professional life working for Forestry Commission and then as an independent entomologist specialising in the cyclical populations of forest “pests” including Pine Beauty and Bordered White. More recently he was involved in determining the status of the recently discovered population of Pine-tree Lappet in David presented with his favourite tipple at the BCS Spring the Highlands. Recorders’ Gathering in 2018 after 21 years as Highland Butterfly Recorder - photo by Jim Asher He also worked on several of Scotland’s rare and iconic species including Small Dark Yellow Underwing and Kentish Glory. However, it was the New Forest Burnet that became his main interest, monitoring the remote and isolated population on the west coast for sixteen years. In 2008 David was the leader author of the Atlas of Butterflies in Highland and Moray that maps the changing distributions of the region’s butterflies at 5km resolution. However, it is more than a series of maps as it contains some excellent and very useful identification tips on separating confusing species e.g. Small and Pearl-bordered Fritillary, and Large from Small Heath – mostly based on features gleaned by David’s experience in the field. He latterly moved to Perth where his excellent fieldcraft and knowledge was instrumental in the rediscovery of Pearl-bordered Fritillary in the Loch Katrine area. David’s hard work and dedication is highlighted by his former role as Highland Butterfly Recorder which is now taken on by eleven different recorders. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him.
The following link has details of David’s funeral for anyone who would like to attend: https://www.dignityfunerals.co.uk/funeral-notices/02-12-2019-david-andrew-barbour/
______
5 Project Updates The Bog Squad Our Bog Squad project has been continuing in what is now the 6th consecutive year of carrying out peatland restoration works. As climate issues progress ever further up the political agenda it is fantastic that our volunteers have already been contributing to the fight for so long. For anyone who isn’t aware, the ‘Bog Squad’ is a team of volunteers who carry out restoration works on damaged bogs and mosses across Scotland with the aim of improving their habitats for butterflies and all wildlife. There is also a huge added bonus as the work helps to keep bogs wet, safeguarding their vital carbon stores and in time allowing them to begin recapturing carbon from the atmosphere.
During 2019 we held 25 volunteer work parties at 9 different bogs with 216 volunteer days contributed. A whopping 220 hectares of bog are now scrub free and an additional 32 ditch-blocking dams have been constructed. Recently we were delighted to be shortlisted for an RSPB Nature of Scotland Award for our work to conserve the Large Heath butterfly. Fitting recognition for the efforts of our wonderful volunteers over the years. We will be continuing our work in 2020 with some initial dates below. Please get in touch if you would like to get involved! Initial 2020 Work Parties Sat 11th January – Wester Moss by Stirling – Scrub clearance Sat 25th January – Abronhill in Cumbernauld – Scrub clearance Sat 22nd February – Kirkconnell Flow by Dumfries - Scrub clearance More dates to follow! For more information about the Butterfly Conservation Scotland’s peatland restoration activities please visit: Our blog: www.bogsquad.weebly.com Our website: www.butterfly-conservation.org/bogsquad Or contact David Hill at: [email protected] The Bog Squad project is supported by Peatland ACTION
6 Project Updates Helping Hands for Butterflies Our new volunteer project, Helping Hands for Butterflies, was launched in October. This project is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Scottish Natural Heritage, and over the next three years will involve hundreds of new volunteers in creating habitat for butterflies and in recording butterfly populations. The work is led by Anthony McCluskey, who previously worked on our Urban Butterfly Project. Already work has started on nine meadows in urban areas of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Kirkintilloch, Lennoxtown, Blantyre and Hamilton, where volunteers have been sowing wildflower seeds and planting wildflower plug plants. The project will continue to work at these sites over the three years so that by the end these grasslands will be much better for butterflies. There will also be butterfly identification and recording workshops next spring and summer, starting with butterfly transect training workshops in March. If you’re interested in volunteering or finding out more about the project, email Anthony on [email protected]
Volunteers raking grass to remove it from Springburn Park.
Photo by David Palmar
Pouring out Yellow Rattle Choosing plug seeds for plants for planting sowing in in Springburn Park Springburn Photo by David Palmar Park
Photo by David Palmar
Anthony McCluskey Helping Hands for Butterflies Project Officer [email protected]
7 Project Updates Munching Caterpillars in Scotland Munching Caterpillars has been working with five schools this autumn term, with a total of 192 children. In turn, those children have engaged with 127 additional children and 40 parents and teachers during their Learning Showcases.
This time around, each class received a scrapbook to document their progressive learning through the Programme.
Townhead Primary School scrapbook Primaries 3&4 Townhead Primaries 4&5
Highlights this term have included a wonderful drama called ‘The Ugly Caterpillar’ that the P5s penned themselves at St.Catherine’s School in Edinburgh and performed for the P1s and P2s. Turns out the ‘ugly’ caterpillar turned into a beautiful moth! Wildflower seed sowing has also been happening at St. Catherine’s, Stoneyburn Primary in Whitburn and Townhead Primary, Coatbridge.
Additionally Munching Caterpillars visited Deanburn Primary, Bo’ness for some bulb planting with their enhanced provision children and we had a session training primary teachers from the Falkirk Council area, giving them the confidence to teach butterflies and moths to their pupils. The Munching Caterpillar ID sheets for butterflies and moths in Scotland are fresh off the press, along with associated A2 posters. The ID sheets will soon be available for download from https://munchingcaterpillars.org/resources/ If you would like more information about Munching Caterpillars Scotland please get in touch [email protected] Polly Phillpot Munching Caterpillars in Scotland Project Officer
8 Highland Branch News
Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland (MBOGBI) - For sale Highland branch have kindly been donated nine volumes of the multi-volume reference work on the lepidoptera of the British Isles from the late Derek Hulme’s family to sell for branch funds.
The volumes are Volume 1 (1976) (Micropterigidae to Heliozelidae) Volume 2 (1985) (Cossidae to Heliodinidae) Volume 3 (1996) (Yponomeutidae to Elachistidae) Volume 4 part 1 (2002) (Oecophoridae to Scythrididae, excluding Gelechiidae) Volume 4 part 2 (2002) (Gelechiidae) Volume 7 part 1 (1989) (Hesperiidae to Nymphalidae) Volume 7 part 2 (1991) (Lasiocampidae to Thyatiridae) Volume 9 (1979) (Sphingidae to Noctuidae - Noctuinae and Hadeninae) Volume 10 (1983) Noctuidae - Cuculliinae to Hypeninae, and Agaristidae)
There is also a copy of the Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Great Britain and Ireland. All books are in good condition. If you are interested in all or some of these books please contact Tom for more info or make an offer. Email: [email protected]. Tel: 01540 661469 Mob: 07979 785665
______
Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms Project Officer – Vacancy
This exciting and award-winning project focusses on recruiting and training volunteers to survey six of the areas rarest and most threatened invertebrates. This includes two moths; Kentish Glory and Dark Bordered Beauty. The Project Officer will complete stage 1 of the project as well as work with the Project Manager and partners to develop and secure funding for stage 2 of the project. For more information visit: http://ww2.rspb.org.uk/about-the-rspb/about-us/job-vacancies/details/475688-rare-invertebrates-in-the- cairngorms-project-officer The deadline for applications is 17th December.
9 Conservation News Coul Links The Inquiry report compiled by the Inspectors is now with the Scottish Government for a decision. There is still time for you to show your opposition to the application to turn an internationally protected area of dunes and heath supporting rare moths and butterflies into yet another golf course by sending an email to the Planning Minister, Kevin Stewart MSP, or to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP, using the e-action here.
Thank you!
______
Dumfries & Galloway D&G now has an active sub-group of more than 70 members. We have upcoming workparties at Carrick near Gatehouse of Fleet for the Northern Brown Argus (8 Jan), at Kirkconnell Flow NNR (with the Bog Squad) for Large Heath and Bilberry Pug (22 Feb), and at our Mabie Forest Nature Reserve for Pearl-bordered Fritillary (23 Feb). Full details are on our events page here. If you would like to get involved, please contact Jean Robson at [email protected] to get your name added to our mailing list.
______
Vice-county Moth Recorder Required for Caithness (VC 109) After ten years of dedicated and excellent service, and following the publication of the Atlas of Britain & Ireland's Larger Moths, Neil Money is standing down as the Vice-county Moth Recorder for VC109 Caithness. We are therefore looking for a replacement to take on the position.
The role simply requires the collation and verification of the county’s new moth records. It is not necessary to be an expert as there is a great deal of help and support on hand from other Scottish VC moth recorders in the Highlands and further afield.
To make matters far easier Caithness is one of the few counties in Scotland that has its own moth website “The Moths of Caithness”. http://www.caithnessmoths.org.uk/ This excellent resource, put together by Neil, has all you wish to know about Caithness moths and their distribution, with photos, maps and phenology charts. A superb asset for the vital task of verification. If you are interested or wish to find out more please contact Tom. Email: [email protected]. Tel: 01540 661469 Mob: 07979 785665
______
10 ConservationVolunteer News News Borage Borago officinalis as Larval Foodplant for Painted Lady On the Bank Holiday weekend in late August 2019, I decided to escape the noise of the Harley Davidson rally, appropriately named "Thunder in the Glens", and visit a friend at her new house in Foyers, next to Loch Ness. She had long wanted to plant a "bee garden" and, having a proper garden for the first time ever, did an admirable job in choosing an assortment of pollinator-friendly flowers, including Borage Borago officinalis. In addition to a good number of butterflies on the Buddleia, I noticed several of the same type of caterpillar on her Borage. Not being very familiar with lepidopteran larvae and not being of the iPhone generation, I took some photos and went home to consult a book. I identified the larvae as Painted Lady, not surprising given the influx we have seen this year, but surprising in that Borage isn't mentioned as a foodplant for Painted Lady in Britain. I wondered if my identification was correct and consulted Roy Leverton by e-mail. He confirmed that the caterpillars were indeed that of Painted Lady, but suggested I rear one anyway, given that Borage had been thrown into the equation. The following weekend, my friend arrived at my house with a jam jar containing Borage cuttings plus large caterpillar, and another jam jar of cut Borage in water, to keep the "wee one" going with fresh leaves. Within 2 days pupation occurred. Now the Borage was no longer needed, I was about to throw it out when I nearly squashed a second caterpillar, a little over an inch long. Another Painted Lady larva, by the look of it! We named it "Larry" (Larry the larva) and he/she munched his/her way through the remaining Borage, finally pupating after 14 days.
Back to our first pupa and after 22 days an adult Painted Lady emerged, happily flying away on a nice sunny day. By now it was 24th September. Mission accomplished. However . . .
11 ConservationVolunteer News News
. . Larry was still a pupa and out went September, in came October and night time temperatures started to dip below zero. I brought Larry in from the cold and into our cool hallway. I kept looking at the weather forecast and worrying that Larry wasn't going to make it south before winter. To my utter surprise on 23rd October, at 13.3°C, Larry emerged in our back hallway, 40 days after pupating. It was sunny outside, but the southerly winds were far too strong for anything as delicate as a butterfly to fly. It remained so for the next couple of days, before the temperature plummeted to our winter average. I was faced with a dilemma.
The question was, should I put my lovingly-reared butterfly outside where it was surely going to die, but what would be deemed natural selection? Or should I nurture it further and allow it to overwinter in my hallway, thus defying the law of nature? I will leave you to guess . . . One thing is sure though: the use of Borage Borago officinalis as a larval foodplant by Painted Lady butterfly.
Hilary Swift
12 Lunar Yellow Underwing
Lunar Yellow Underwing - Caterpillar Hunt - Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve, Fife Monday 9th and Tuesday 10th March from 6 - 10pm Lunar Yellow Underwing is a very scarce moth in Scotland with Tentsmuir being its last surviving site. However, despite previous searches, mainly using light traps to attract adults, it has not been seen here (or elsewhere in Scotland) since 2007. In England Lunar Yellow Underwing is most regularly and successfully monitored and surveyed via night-time caterpillar searches, usually between November and March. This is something that we have only occasionally undertaken in Scotland, until now. To help us improve our chances of finding larvae we will be led by Sharon Hearle, Butterfly Conservation’s East England Regional Conservation Manager. Sharon has a wealth of experience managing for and monitoring Lunar Yellow Underwing, especially at the larval stage, at a number of Breckland sites in Suffolk. Sharon will be visiting Tentsmuir during the day prior to the night-time surveys to help locate the most suitable habitat, bare ground with adjacent fine-leaved grasses, that we will search after dark. We will be running the event over two nights to maximise our chances of finding larvae as well as doubling our chances of getting a dry and mild night. You are welcome to attend on either or both evenings. We are keen to run the event even in the unlikely event that the weather is excessively wet or cold (i.e. definitely sub Lunar Yellow Underwing larva - Roy Leverton zero). If in doubt please contact one of the organisers. Meeting place, timings and logistics We will meet at the automatic barrier at the entrance to Forestry and Land Scotland’s Kinshaldy car park (Grid reference NO488238: Google map link https://goo.gl/maps/V9exo3zAjZrcSmZj9) in Tentsmuir Forest at 6pm on both evenings rather than in the car park itself as the gate leading down to the car park is likely to be locked. This lies 1½ miles (2.4 km) east of the B945 between Leuchars and Tayport in northeast Fife. Simply follow the brown signs for Kinshaldy Beach from the church in the middle of Leuchars village. If using a sat nav the nearest postcode is KY16 0DR. After a briefing from Sharon at the gate we will then drive, in as few cars as possible, through the forest and walk out onto the dunes to search the best areas of suitable habitat for a couple of hours. We intend to finish around 10pm. Because of the locked gates it is essential that we all arrive and leave the site together. What’s needed It is essential you bring a torch with spare batteries, warm clothes and stout walking shoes/boots. A hand lens and pots to temporarily house any larvae will also be useful. A good sense of humour is also recommended! Caterpillar hunting at night - Tom Prescott Booking It is not necessary to book but it would be useful if you could let us know if you intend to attend so that we can determine how many areas we can survey each night and ensure we don’t leave anyone on the wrong side of the locked gate. Want to do more at Tentsmuir? Concerns have been growing over the fate of the Grayling butterfly at Tentsmuir as counts from the regularly walked butterfly transects show it to be in steady decline. Grayling occupies a similar habitat to Lunar Yellow Underwing and thus its decline and the scarcity of the moth at the site might be linked. In order to try and reverse this decline a local team of Butterfly Conservation Scotland volunteers from our East Branch are developing a project with Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to investigate the reasons behind the decline and develop ways of enhancing the habitat. This might include removing scrub and rank vegetation through volunteer work parties and creating very small patches of bare ground. They are therefore keen to seek more volunteers to help undertake this work and/or assist with survey and monitoring. If you are interested in getting involved please contact either Tom or Colin. For more information contact: Tom Prescott, Butterfly Conservation Scotland; OR Colin Edwards Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Tel: 01540 661469. Mob: 07979 785665 Mob: 07720 049774
13 Survey Updates Chequered Skipper Survey In 2020 we are hoping to be able to run another national survey for the Chequered Skipper, by providing target 1km squares for volunteers. This proved really popular and successful in 2012 and 2013 when this stunning but under-recorded species was discovered for the first time in more than half of the 100 target squares. We also need more volunteers to help monitor its colonies by doing transects or timed counts, and also to help us learn more about the health of its habitats, by carrying out habitat condition assessments. Please get in touch if you can help.
Contact: Tom Prescott Email: [email protected] Tel: 01540 661469 Mob: 07979 785665.
______
Butterfly Conservation Company, limited by guarantee, registered in England (2206468). Registered Office: Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5QP. Charity registered in England & Wales (254937) and in Scotland (SCO39268)
14