Morvern Wildlife Diary. Week ending Sunday 24th August.
The unsettled end of Summer weather has continued, and it is certainly cooling down now.
On the butterfly transect scotch argus were still in good numbers. Just one other species, one speckled wood. Elsewhere, at last, small tortoiseshells and migrant red admirals, though only one or two. But still no Summer peacocks, although I have had reports of them. Also, on the hills, graylings were seen on sunny crags, they like the rocks, on which with their amazingly cryptic markings they are very camouflaged.
Dragonflies and damselflies…a few pale and worn Keeled skimmers still about. Common darters, always an abundant species though less so this year, and big and impressive common hawkers. Also a few large red damsels still on the wing. I have not been up to and around any hill lochans recently, but I expect that there are other dragons and damsels to be seen when I do, black darters for sure, and probably blue-tailed damsels.
Moths Have seen a few, again, fewer than usual, migrant silver Y moths. A beautiful moth that has on its wings, yes, a marking like a silver letter Y. It’s as though someone has taken a calligraphy pen and written the letter in metallic paint on the moth. Also a large yellow underwing at the window. I finally managed to photograph a dark-marbled carpet, another lovely and beautifully marked moth that commonly flies from tree trunks and tree boughs as you walk through the oak woods. I’ve tried many times, having flushed one and followed it to another tree, to approach it and photograph it. But they are very flighty and usually fly away before I’m close enough. On this occasion, probably because it was a cool day, an individual had landed on the ground, and it allowed me to get some pictures. Moths are amazing and beautiful, but alas I have still not had my trap out!
I’ve had a few days on the hills, and found them to be very quiet already, meaning that the meadow pipits that are ever present everywhere on the Summer hills have gone, leaving them almost deserted. I’ll miss them. I did come across a small flock on a sunny southeast facing rocky spur. A few juvenile Wheatear remain. Also families of both summer migrant whinchat and resident stonechat. Have seen the occasional kestrel, which are always a welcome sight. I always see them on the hills here in the late Summer, early Autumn. Sightings of both golden eagle and sea eagle have been brief. Vocal buzzard families are on the wing. Still seeing those sparrowhawks, and still have yet to get a good look at one, to see if they are adult or young birds, they’re so quick! One flew in between and through roadside trees and bushes. It had been raining and the hawk had become quite wet from flying through the soaking foliage. It alighted on a dead tree and immediately spread open its wings and fanned out its tail to dry them out, but it saw me and shot away.
Goldcrest from the forestry plantations have come to the oak woods and joined up with those merry bands of birds roving together through the trees. But unless you come across one of these mixed species flocks, you would think the woods were deserted. Nice also to hear and see coal tits among them.
I’ve seen, on lowland fields and meadows, big flocks of meadow pipits, down from the hills. Along with small parties of goldfinch, which are known as charms. A few yellowhammers too. And one or two curlew are back in their Wintering fields.
I took a walk along the shore of the local estuary one afternoon, to see what was about. The black headed and common gulls are sporting their winter head dresses already. Lots of herons as usual in the shallows, keeping a respectful distance from one another. They always look so humpty, and fed up, don’t they. Oystercatchers of course, a few curlew, and one greenshank, here for the Winter. But no Winter duck yet, it is a little too early. Although I did have great close views of a brood of five fully grown smoky grey and chocolate brown red-breasted mergansers, now without their parents.
On exposed tidal rocks close to the lochshore, were two common seals, hauled out until high water. I had perhaps my best ever views of them. They are such endearing animals, with those big sad watery eyes and those bashful oh please don’t look at me looks. No otters though, and I haven’t spent any time recently looking for them elsewhere along the coast. Two, presumably a pair, of red-throated divers flew towards the sea high above the village. They and others have been toing and froing back and forth between hill lochans and the sea all Summer. Surely now that’s all done with and they will now spend the Winter months at sea.
We had our first Autumn gale (although it wasn’t really that windy, not for here anyway) along with a spell of heavy rain yesterday. This afternoon (Sunday) I went out and there was a distinct lack of swallows and house martins flying about. They have been perching in big morning gatherings on telegraph wires the last few days, as they do before they depart for the south and warmer climes. So, I think these big gatherings of local birds may have moved on. There’ll still be swallows and martins around for another month and more, and I’ve seen this week martins still feeding young in nests. Bad weather though will see set the majority on their way, where as if the weather were to settle down (huh, yeah right) then they would hang around and not be in such a hurry to leave. Also this afternoon I heard a robin singing its Autumn song, declaring its Winter territory.
Yes, like it or not, Summer is on its way out. I always look forward to fresher Autumn days at the end of the Summer in the same way that I look forward to warm Spring days at the end of the Winter, and September is a favourite month.
Oh, and good bye you midges…
