Another late Dragon

Resting in hedge, Moorland Hawker

On a dull day this week , I found this in a  hedge well away from Patterson’s lake.

 

Fritillary butterfly

silverwash fritillary co. cavan

Brief chance to get the picture before the battery in the camera went.

This is why the rough parts of the farm with the wild flowers are so important. Also feeding on the knapweed was 2 painted lady butterflies ringlet, large white and green veined white.

So now the question is do they breed on the farm or has this individual just flown in from else where?Anyway great delight in getting it on the butterfly survey and a small copper.

 

Heritage and discovery days

In conjunction with the heritage office in cavan and Bear essentials I will be  running a discovery day in BawnBoy, west cavan on the 22nd August. This aims to be a family day  with lots of activities come rain or shine . To book contact heritage office.

How to catch lots of little insects on a summers day. A malaise trap

 

Grasshoppers

This is not a part of the world you would associate with grasshoppers ( too wet) but they are singing away on the farm notably in the areas that have not been “improved”, and get no fertiliser. I also had a grasshopper warbler on the farm this week  which I don’t think breeds on the farm although we do have suitable habitat. Will have to get up early next year in May or June to double check. I only got them in one tetrad  of the eight I did a timed Tetrad in this 10km square last year for the Atlas, but obviously there could be some breeding not too far away.

Grasshopper photographed in July, co. Cavan

 

Butterfly survey and watching dragons

I walk a set route round the farm every week in order to do a butterfly  survey. The results will go to the Biodiversity Data Center in Waterford. As July comes to an end the number of ringlets is going down and the green veined whites seem to be at a peak. It also allows me to notice the dragonflies each week. The amber winged hawkers have been out for a couple of weeks now. These are some of the biggest dragonflies in the district and easily identified by their brown wings. I was able to confirm that we have the hairy dragonfly on the farm  this spring which delighted me. Today was the first time I noticed a darter on the farm this year . Probably a common darter but I got only a brief glance and there did not seem to be many yet.

mating pair of amber winged hawker Co. Cavan

 

More Pondipping

head and legs of caddis fly larvae

caddis case made of pieces of plant material

diving beetle , killeshandra

Mayfly larvae

dragonfly nymph possibly 4 spot chaser

Four spotted Chaser

 Had a marvellous time last week  pond dipping with children from Mullagh National school. The teachers were excellent at organizing the event the children interested and well behaved. Every one had a great time.

water snails in May

Mullagh lake has problems and had a strong algal bloom  last week however we managed to find lots of rams horn snails, freshwater shrimps, hoglice, damselfly larvae, caddis fly larvae, midge larvae , water boatmen, mayfly larvae ( small numbers) water scorpion and great diving beetle.

Warm weather brought out the damselflies on our own lake and bog.

 I was delighted to watch four- spotted chasers (Libellula quadrimaculata )egg laying and various chases and courtships. Also present was another type probably( Brachytron pratense) or hairy dragonfly.

 

Two different species above

 

Getting to know the white butterflies

We have 5 species of white butterflies to get to know. I am getting my eye in to be able to identify those flying at the moment. So far I have seen the orange tip and the green veined white. The female orange tip does not have the orange tips to the wings, which makes it a bit more tricky.

 Walking for one hour on the farm this week produced;

   6 green veined whites

    7 orange tip butterflies

1 peacock butterfly

The small orange egg of the orange tip is laid on the flower of the cuckoo flower ( left hand-side of picture)

Underside of the orange tip butterfly with mottled pattern

Underside of the green veined white

Underside of wood white butterfly, which is not as common as those above. I found this one in Clover Hill fen , Co. Cavan , 5th May last year

 

Butterfly food

The first butterflies are out . If the weather lets me I will be out tomorrow again to survey the farm . I walk a

food plant of the orange tip butterfly; the cuckoo flower

set route for an hour and record what I see. Only two sightings last week 1 tortoiseshell and an orange tip.

 

caterpillar in february

fox moth caterpillar

This was a sunny day in late february when this fellow appeared among the heather, grasses and red sphagnum moss up on slieve Rushen. The books use the phrase “basking in sunshine before pupation in early spring”

 

November pond dipping

I had a look in the drain yesterday and found some creatures.

Damsel fly larvae

Since there are 5 species of damsel fly, that I have seen in the summer, in that area. I wouldn’t know which these are. That would require greater study.

water slaters (I believe)