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Donegal Report Sept 2007

Details of Visit to Donegal by Bob Aldwell 6-10 September 2007
The weather was mainly calm due to the presence of a blocking anticyclone off the west coast. This however enabled occasional weak frontal systems to impinge onto the northwest coast. The result was a good deal of cloud each morning but Sept 07 and 10 were beautiful sunny days with temperatures of over 20o C on Sept 07 and up to 17o to 20o C on the other days.


6 Sept - St John’s Point – Inver dunes – 10km squares G76, G77, G87

St John’s Point, nr lighthouse on limestone pavement – G703 692 – MB 20+, SmT 6+
Ballyederlan – G756 730 – low sheltered coastal cliffs and adjoining narrow road with tall hedges – LW 6+ and one 2nd instar larva on wild crucifer, SW 2,  SpW 3
Ballyederlan – sheltered area with small stream and watercress – G756 727 - GVW 1, SpW 2 .
Pulldugh - sheltered garden along low coastal cliff, nr old friary – G747 719 - P 1, SmT 2.
Inver Dunes – eroded dunes with southerly aspect – G822 772 – GVW 1, SC 2, SmT 12 +

St John’s Point, Co.Donegal, 6/9


7 Sept – St John’s Point – Inver Dunes – Edenfinragh - Tievelough – Meenavale –Croaghbrack-- 10km squares G76, G87 and G99 – with Richard McCafferty.

St John’s Point –on sheltered low cliff in limestone pavement with high brambles –G7167 6993 –MB 1, SpW 1  * new 10km sq record for SpW on 10km sq G76
St John’s Point – limestone pavement with brambles and mixed wild flowers – G7176 6999 – RA 1, MB 1.
St John’s Point – limestone with brambles – SpW 1 (male and worn)
St John’s Point – dense scrubby thicket along steep limestone cliff above a marshy valley floor – G7137 6972 – MB 20 +, SpW 10 +
St John’s Point  - mixed vegetation nr base of cliff – G7146 6975 – CB 2, MB 3, SpW 6+
Inver Dunes – G8206 7729 – SmT 8+,  nectaring on mint and DBS (devil's-bit scabious)
Inver Dunes – G8194 7729 – SmT 10+ nectaring on DBS and perching on stones
Edenfinragh – G8970 9439 – on bank at back of chapel, nectaring on DBS – P 12+
Meenavale – G9040 9485 - along roadside on DBS 
Tievelough – G9130 9547 –  GVW 2,  P 4, - nectaring on DBS
Tievelough, nr Lough Ea, G9129 9547 – nr abandoned house with some trees – GVW 2, SpW 1
Male SpW aroused by passing GVW –  *new 10km record for SpW on 10km sq G99


8 Sept – Cruit Island  - 10km squares B71, B72

Nr cemetery – flat sandy area with small DBS plants – B7365 2005 – 6  MF webs 
nr cemetery on far side of road – flat dry area damaged by car parking B7367 2004 – 2 MF webs
To right of track leading to horse jumping area – low gently undulating area, rather sandy with carpet of DBS – B7381 2001 – 6 MF webs
At back of low hill nr horse jumping area – varying thickness of soil and size of DBS plants –
B7389 1983 – 30+ MF webs, some big –  first time MF breeding noticed in this area
In small valley between two low hills with apparently thick soil and larger DBS plants B7381 1984 – 6 MF webs
On side of low hill beyond abovementioned valley – B7383 1985 – 6 MF webs
Just to left of track to horse jumping area – dry sandy area – B7387 1997 – 1 MF web
To left of track – in local hollow - B7386 2004  - 3 MF webs
To left of track on low hillside on patches of DBS between bracken – B7385 2007 – 7 MF webs
On back of hill nr horse jumping area – B7391 1984 – CB 1, SmT 1.
To north of Donegal Thatched Cottages in area of maritime heath – B7327 2120 – 17 MF webs
On gently sloping south-facing hillside on damp heath with heather and tufts of grass. 
B7321 2115 – 30+ MF webs, a few of which appeared bright white and were winter webs
On similar terrain - B7314 2125 – 17 MF webs.
A little further north on hill – on DBS amidst grass and heather B7313 2128 – 12 MF webs On hillside – B7313 2132 – 20+ MF webs
Still on damp heath but a little further north – B7309 2129 – 30+ MF webs
Opposite side of road and further north – isolated DBS in sandy area - B7308 2194 –1 MF web
On sloping ground  and dry habitat  with DBS and marram grass – B7337 2111 – 10+ MF webs
Nr bridge leaving island on slope between the road and sea – B7376 1874 – 5++ MF webs


Sept 09 – Ardara – Meentashesk - Glencolumbkille  - Malinbeg  - Carrick – 10km squares  G68, G58, G47, G67

This was the most cloudy day of the five, with only a little hazy sunshine at Malinbeg in the early afternoon. The main objective was to check for DBS and possible MF sites. In fact only at a single site at Cuskry (G67) had plentiful DBS and this was in wet bog and proved negative. it seems most of this area has been heavily grazed by sheep and many previous MF sites have been made unsuitable for the butterfly. Still could be MF in this area in small pockets of DBS.

In sheltered local dump at Laghil, east of Glencolumbkille G5624 8589 – disused PL larval tent
At Silver Strand, Malinbeg nectaring on sheltered sea cliff – G4977 7986 - SmT 1 – Kidney Vetch noted on lower part of cliffs and Small Blues could be present there.
Cuskry at G6069 7818 – on nettle clump, nr bog edge - 80+ final instar SmT larvae.


Sept 10 – Crovehy – Meennamarragh – Crolly – Jackstown – Dunmore – Dunlewy – Money Beg - 10km squares B81,  B72, B91, B92

Nr Loch Leathan Beg in long linear stretch of DBS beside minor road on south-facing bank – B8115 1313 - 2 MF  webs. This is the first time MF have been recorded in Donegal in such a location, although Dr Michael Salter has reported this as a typical place for DBS webs near Knock in east Mayo – *  new 10km square record for MF on 10km sq B81.
Nr Meennamarragh in area of sheltered DBS in small hollow just below and to the southside of a minor road – B8150 1357 - 3 MF webs.
Meenamarragh – in small meadow rich in DBS beside ruined house – B8152 1364 – 1 MF web
Meenamarragh – beside local small wooded area – B8158 1377 – P 1, SpW 6+
Crolly – in area opposite wood and beside large active quarry – B8344 1951 – SWF 1, SpW 10+
Jackstown – along narrow  sheltered entrances to houses with mix of garden and natural plants –B8245 1996 – LW 1, SmT 1, SpW 2
Dunmore – small dune area with carpets of DBS – B7936 2411 – 1 MF web
Money Beg – along path at edge of blanket bog and sheltered to north by small conifer plantation 
B9048 2013 – 1 large MF web - * new 10km square record for MF on 10km sq B92.

Comments: Both these new 10km sqs for MF have been targeted for at least three years and visited by me on at least six occasions each, during the flight and larval stages but up to now without any success. It shows the need for persistence in these surveys. The common factors in these positive sites have been 1) plentiful DBS, 2) south-facing slopes, 3) sites are damp or dry but not very wet 4) absence of sheep. Based on these findings and those of Frank Smyth in south and east Donegal it now appears likely that MF are still present on many more 10km squares throughout Donegal besides those 17 10km sqs on which we have them so far confirmed. 


Overall Summary for Donegal for Sept 01 – 15
 Besides the 11 flying species seen by me Maurice Simms also reports PL and WB nr Portnoo on second weekend of September. The most numerous butterflies have been LW, SmT and SpW. P have been local and RA widely scattered but few in number.  The anticyclone has been located too far south and west of Donegal to provide sustained sunny weather and some districts, such as St John’s Point have had much more sun than others.
                                                                                                                                Bob Aldwell

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