Introducing Alan Richards, our newest local volunteer and an all-round wildlife enthusiast, with a wide breadth of knowledge. He has been helping us to survey and record more of the flora and fauna that make their home at the Mull of Galloway. We linked in with Butterfly Conservation's annual national butterfly count and Alan led our butterfly survey work, encouraging many visitors to take part and leading mini guided walks to hunt out these winged beauties. Here is his blog and some of his lovely photographs:
On the weekend of 8th -10th August the Mull of Galloway Festival was held to celebrate the first year since the community purchase of the Mull of Galloway site. The RSPB joined in enthusiastically with a range of different activities – like story-time for children, guided walks, puzzles and treasure hunts about the local wildlife. One of these was linking with the national Big Butterfly Count and involved careful recording of all the butterflies (and some moths) found on the day.
Many of the visitors excitedly joined in, and the range of butterflies varied a lot through the day.
Early on Saturday, it was windy and cloudy, and there were few sightings of any butterflies. The first 15 minute walk was when the wind had died down, and we immediately found a group of Green-veined White butterflies in the willow scrub hollow near the RSPB Centre. There were some mating pairs linked together among the rushes. At various points there were yellow and black striped caterpillars of the Cinnabar moth eating the ragwort leaves. Officially, though, these cannot be entered in the Count – only the adult stage is recorded. Things got exciting when the group members spotted Painted Lady and Small Copper in a sunny area near the cliff edges.
Peacock and Red Admiral appeared occasionally, on walls and sucking nectar from the Greater Knapweed and Field Thistle flowers. Grayling butterflies rested briefly to get warmth in the sunny areas along the cliff edge tops. Wall Browns absorbed their sunshine on the old lighthouse walls, of course. Down near the eastern tip at Lagvag Point, the Common Blue could be seen feeding on the Heather and Bird's Foot Trefoil flowers. As we tramped through the Heather amongst Cross-leaved Heath and Bell Heather looking at their best now, Silver-Y moths dashed out of cover and flitted low until they would suddenly drop from view with fluttery wings to hide their outline from view. The 6-spot Burnet moths which had been in great numbers all the previous week only appeared once.
Photographs copyright Alan Richards, from top: 6-spot Burnet moth, Grayling, Silver Y, Wall.
There are two methods for counting in the survey, which must be carried out correctly to keep statistical validity in the Count: 15 minutes of watching a particular area, or a 15 minute walk around, in either of which you record the maximum number of each species that are seen at one time. If we do not follow these rules, then it damages the validity of our record, and we cannot use them effectively to track population changes, or predict trends and find ways to provide protection when it is needed. Although it is tempting to show every species that you have spotted in your own garden, it is important to keep to the 15 minute limit to avoid over-estimating national populations. Likewise, if you don't see any in your 15-minute period, and you don't send a nil result in, then the survey over-estimates again. Altogether, 17 species were recorded. Some butterflies that have been seen here before, like the Dark Green Fritillary, never appeared at all.
If you'd like to read more about this national survey, visit the Big Butterfly Count or Butterfly Conservation websites.