Donegal
Butterflies 7 June 07 to 1 July 2010
Summary Report by Bob Aldwell
The mostly dry and warm weather of late May continued in much of Donegal throughout the period. As a result most resident butterflies flying at this time had favourable conditions and numbers were high, especially in sheltered areas. The GH, MF and SH did exceptionally well. So far in 2010 MF is up by eleven new 10 km sqs, SH by seven additional sqs and GH by three sqs. After a poor year in 2009, this year the SmT is doing exceptionally well in south and west Donegal with the new generation adults appearing in late May and early June. I saw a second generation SmT egg laying on 24 June nr Killybegs. By comparison in 2009 there appeared to be only a single SmT generation throughout Donegal.
The
calm weather enabled further checking of butterflies on a number of the offshore
islands, two of which yielded MF. The following is a list of island records in
the period and special thanks go to Sandy Alcorn (SA) for her records from the
smaller islands:
Inishtrahull this most northern Irish island is situated about 10 km NE of Malin Head, has an area of some 80 acres and is the only land on 10 km sq C46. It was abandoned as a regular human settlement in 1929, although the lighthouse continued to be manned until 1987. A noted haven for birds, reports in recent times talk of degraded habitat due to the introduction of a small number of deer on the island, combined with rabbits and exposure. Resident butterflies recorded there in recent years are GVW, SmT and P. PL and RA appear from time to time. On 12 & 13 June George McDermott overnighted on Inishtrahull. He counted ten OT eggs on Ladys Smock and three batches of SmT larvae on Nettles but saw no flying butterflies. On 15 June Con ODonnell spent some eight hours on the island in good weather but despite careful checking saw no butterflies.
Tory following the trip of 3 June, a further visit to Tory was made on 29 June with a view to seeing what butterflies were present in mid-summer. Ethna Diver, Eamonn McGlinchey and I undertook the survey in fine sunny conditions. ED and I checked the west of the island and EMcG visited the east side. Hundreds of CB were recorded together with dozens of SmT. The other locally common and widespread butterfly was the MB and EMcG recorded five Graylings on the cliffs on the NE of the island. We saw three young PL larvae on Spear thistles in exceptionally sheltered sites on the west of the island and one half grown RA caterpillar. No signs were seen of previously reported Peacock or Ringlet and no SC or SH were seen.
The only evidence of moths was a single six-spot Burnet and several groups of Cinnabar larvae at West Town. The sole bumblebee species seen on the island was B. muscorum.
Owey - this island lies some 500 m off Cruit and all year round human habitation ceased in 1974. Owey is about 300 acres in area and in recent years some ten cottages have been renovated for holiday use. On 29 June Sandy Alcorn visited Owey and noted CB and MB. Because of its size and proximity to the mainland other butterfly species are likely to be found there.
Inishsirrer is another small unpopulated island, SW of Bloody Foreland and was visited by SA on 17 June. She recorded SH and a single MF.
Inishfree Upper is a little over 1 sq km and is a few hundred metres from the mainland to the west of Dungloe. SA visited it on 10 Juneand saw six butterfly species there. She recorded CB 15+, LW 1, MF 1, SC 1, SH 20+ and SpW1.
Summary
for the Various Butterfly Species - 7 June to 2 July
DGF Richard McCafferty had the first 2010 Donegal DGF record near Glenties at the unusually early date of 2 June. Thereafter a few single DGF were reported until on 15 June. Richard McCafferty recorded 8 DGF in Bonny Glen Wood, nr Portnoo and on 18 June. Ian McCambridge recorded 15+ DGF at the usually strong colony at Sheskinmore (G69). On 20 June George McDermott reported 20+DGF at Doagh Isle, nr Ballyliffin in Inishowen and on 21 June Ian McCambridge saw 40+ DGF at Sheskinmore. On 30 June Ethna Diver and I saw about 10 DGF spread out over a number of sites near Malin Head. The habitat was damp heath and the butterflies were mostly nectaring on Meadow Thistles. Possible sightings of DGF on 10 km sqs C33 and G99 await confirmation.
DS the Dingy Skipper has had a good year in south Donegal. Usually in Donegal DS flies in May but this year a few records continued well into June. On 7 June Frank Smyth recorded three DS at Murvagh (G87). On 15 June Richard McCafferty saw 8 DS in Bonny Glen Wood (G79), on 17 June Ethna Diver and I recorded one DS at Murvagh and on 25 June RMcC and I recorded 3 DS at Cleengort (G89).
G Like a number of other butterflies this year the Grayling had some unusually early Donegal sightings. On 20 June George McDermott recorded 4 G at Doagh Isle in Inishowen. On 28 June Ethna Diver and I saw at least 14 G flying around a low cliff and quarry face at Magheradrumman in North Fanad, while on 29 June Eamonn McGlinchey recorded 5 G on Tory.
GH 2010 was another good year for the GH in Donegal. In fact the species had a long flight period with the first sighting on 13 April and the last record on 30 June when Ethna Diver and I saw one nr Malin Head. Richard McCafferty reported 8 GH on June 10 at a site nr Glenties, 2 GH on 15 June at Bonny Glen Wood, one with its wings open, and 5 GH on 18 June at another site nr Glenties. An Interesting site is beside the Murlin River, nr Glencolumbkille. In 2009 in the last week of June I noticed over 100 GH, mostly perched on stunted conifers in an area of blanket bog with LH. This year on 22 June I visited this site in cloudy bright conditions and again saw 50+ GH.
GVW small numbers of GVW were recorded throughout the period. On 21 June Richard McCafferty recorded 30 GVW at Tievelough (G99), east of Glenties and which is the 10 km sq with the highest average elevation in Donegal. On 30 June I saw one GVW in north Inishowen. These are probably all late first generation specimens. However small numbers seen by me at warm sites in south Donegal for example on 24 June nr Killybegs, could have been early second generation.
LH this species was evident throughout the period and seems to have peaked in most of its known Donegal sites towards mid-June and to have been widely recorded in suitable habitat in south, west and mid Donegal up to around 25 June. On 22 June Etna Diver and I saw 3 LH nr Glenlough (G59) and on 2 July Richard McCafferty reported one LH from nr Glenties.
LW mostly single LW were seen widely during the period. On 15 June Ethna Diver and I saw five LW in West Bundoran. LW larvae were present on wild crucifers in Ethna Divers garden in Bundoran throughout the second half of June. On 30 June I found LW larvae on Sea Rocket at Port Ronan, nr Malin Head.
MB on 6 June Ethna Diver recorded the first Donegal MBs of the year nr Ballyshannon and the next reported sightings were on 15 June by ED and myself with five seen at West Bundoran and on 17 June at least 10 MB on the limestone pavement nr Lough Gorman (G96) also in south Donegal. On 18 June Richard McCafferty recorded 3 MB nr Glenties and on 20 June George McDermott recorded 4 MB at Doagh Isle. Thereafter MBs became widespread and numerous.
MF 2010 has been a very good year for the MF in Donegal with the species confirmed on eleven additional 10 km sqs as well as being discovered on many new sites within sqs already known to have the species. The MF has now been confirmed to be present on fifty-one 10 km sqs in Donegal, although it still remains to be confirmed on Inishowen. The six new 10 km sqs discovered with MF since my last months report are B73, C03, C10, C21, G78 and G99. As already mentioned on 17 June Sandy Alcorn saw a MF on Inishsirrer. Although the actual sighting, close to the island lake was a few metres inside B72, it may be assumed that the MF exists on B73, which is the sq that covers nearly 80% of this small island. George Jones made the C03 sighting at Ards, details of which were passed to me by Ralph Sheppard. The C10 and C21 records were by Eamonn McGlinchey, in the first week of June in areas of damp heath near Letterkenny in sites he knew had good amounts of the larval foot plant. Ethna Diver and I discovered the G78 site and Ian McCambridge and I saw 3 MF there during a follow-up search the following day on 24 June. On 14 June Richard and Margaret McCafferty saw two MF near Lough Ea on G99. R McC also found MF at three new widely separated sites near Glenties at Kilraine, Meenavale & Tullyard. On 18 June Ethna Diver discovered MF at two new sites on 10 km sq G97 with 10+ MF at Shannagh and 4 MF at nearby Ballydermot. It is planned to carry out checks for MF larval webs in September, including in Inishowen, where two good sites have been recently discovered near Malin Head.
OT by June OTs are reducing in numbers. However in the more mountainous areas such as on 10 km sq G99, 25+ were recorded by Richard McCafferty on 14 June. The latest one I saw was a female OT on June 27 to the east of Doochary.
PL after the huge numbers of PLs seen in many parts of Donegal in 2009, this year has seen very few migrant butterflies. The handful of PLs reported in my last report has seen little change. On 21 June Maurice Simms reported one PL at Croaghan Hill, nr Lifford. A few days later Nollaig Gillespie saw 2 PL in her garden at Dactan, Kilcar (G67). On 1 July Ethna Diver and I saw a very faded PL in Glentown Quarry, nr St Johnstone. The only PL larvae I have seen were the three second instar ones on Tory on 29 July.
P single Peacocks have continued to turn up here and there throughout the period. The latest ones that I saw were on 24 June, near Glenties. On 26 June Robert Pocock saw a Peacock beside Lough Gartan. On 24 June I saw full-grown Peacock larvae near Killybegs and various stages of larvae on 27 June in a sheltered area east of Doochary. On 30 June I saw full-grown larvae nr Glengad in north Inishowen.
RA as with the PL the RA this year has been rare in Donegal. During this period on 21 June I saw one RA east of Ballintra. I found only a small number of RA larvae on 24 June three half grown nr Killybegs, on 29 June one half grown larva on Tory and on 1 July two small RA larvae at Cavanacor, nr Lifford on nettles in a field in the lands of Joanna and Eddie OKane.
RWW only a few RWW were recorded in Donegal during the period. On 7 June Frank Smyth saw two RWW at the usually strong colony at Murvagh. On 17 June Ethna Diver and I saw two RWW at Ball Hill SW of Donegal Town at a new site for RWW and on 18 June Ethna Diver recorded 8 RWW east of Ballintra on what is also a new site for the species on 10 km sq G97.The RWW remains locally numerous in south Donegal but rare and very local north of the Bluestack Mts.
R the Ringlet is a July butterfly in most of Donegal with usually just a few appearing in the last week of June in the warmest areas. This year the first Donegal Ringlet record was on 18 June, when Ethna Diver saw one in a sheltered area east of Ballintra. By the end of June the species was widespread and in increasing numbers.
SWF the first 2010 records of SWF were at the unusually early date of 20 June, when two were seen by Richard and Margaret McCafferty at the strong colony in the warm sheltered site at Cleengort, nr Gweebarra Bridge (G79).
SB 2010 has been a good year for the SB in Donegal and the SB has been recorded on two new 10 km sqs in Donegal B60 and G47. On 23 June Maurice Simms saw two SB close to the cliffs at Dunmore Head (B60). On 10 JuneLynda McCann saw a SB at the Silver Strand (G47) at Malinbeg and which landed beside her on the sand. Above this strand are steep cliffs with Kidney Vetch and the site was top of my check-list for SB. Another new site for SB is the quarry at Gweebarra Bridge, where on June 20 Margaret and Richard McCafferty saw at least 3 SB on Kidney Vetch on the cliff face and on 25 June I saw 2 SB on the same cliffs and one faded SB across the road. The SB is now confirmed on sixteen 10 km sqs in Donegal but the colony at Ards (C03) remains the most northeastern colony in Donegal.
SC June is a valley period for SC in Donegal. Mostly single specimens were recorded widely throughout the month. On 7 June Maurice Simms reported 3 SC from nr Kiltoorish Lough (G69).
SH 2010 was a very good year for the SH in Donegal, with reports from a number of new sites as well as sightings on seven additional 10 km sqs. The SH has now been confirmed on seventy-five 10km sqs in Donegal with it remaining only to be found on remote offshore islands, such as Inishtrahull and Tory and a handful of small part-sqs. The new 10 km sqs in 2010 are: B60, B73, C20, C21, C31, G48 and H16. The SH is often a companion species for the MF, flying at much the same time and often in the same habitats and the attention given in recent years to surveying the MF in Donegal has also benefited the SH.
SmT after a poor year in Donegal in 2009, the SmT has recovered significantly in 2010, especially in south and west Donegal. Suspected second generation SmTs seen on Cruit Island on 23 May have been followed by numerous sightings of fresh SmTs throughout June. The laying of eggs by a second generation female on 24 June nr Killybegs witnessed by Ian McCambridge and myself is the earliest second generation SmT laying I have ever seen in Donegal. On 23 June Maurice Simms saw a SmT at Dunmore Head and this is a new 10 km sq record for B60.
SmW numbers decreased through the period. On 16 June Ethna Diver and I recorded a SW nr Lough Avehy and which is a new 10 km sq record for the Donegal part of sq H06.
SpW numbers gradually increased throughout the period as the new generation appeared.
WB the first generation was nearly over but on 7 June Maurice Simms recorded six WB nr
Kiltoorish Lough (G69). On 10 June Richard McCafferty saw 2 WB at a new site west of Glenties. The WB continues to do well at most of its many coastal sites in Donegal.