Large Heath

[Dave McCormick]

I'll post a full report tomorrow as I am bit sore and quite tired after my long trek through bogs and fens, but my trip today to Peatlands Park, Co Armagh, to see my target species, large heath was a success with seeing over 20 (never saw it before now). I only managed several photos with tripod and glad one turned out well, the wind was blowing quite bad and most I got were bad, the large heath were not sitting well either and easily flighty. Weather was here and there with times being rainy and others being cloudy but it was warmish 19C, despite it being cloudy, disturbed quite a few large heath at first when weather was duller and rainy, but when it got brighter and rain stopped, many came out at once.

This is subspecies polydama, a little worn. The images is in the Large Heath gallery.

[Padfield]

That's a lovely picture, Dave - well done for getting it!

You are right - it is a very flighty species. Like most heaths, it can hear you blink.

Guy

[Pete Eeles]

Well done, Dave! Seeing a species for the first time is a sight that remains with you forever!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Dave McCormick]

Thanks Guy and Pete, your right, just three on my list of NI butterflies left to see, four if you include brimstone that is a rare vagrent to NI and five if you include rare monarch migrants but for true breeding natives just have to see Purple Hairstreak, Silver-Washed Fritillary and Dingy Skipper and seen all current resident butterflies in NI.

I noticed how much like small heath they were, just larger version. Most of the time that I did get close enough, they were resting under bits of heather or on bog myrtle (sweet gale) that was blowing about in the wind, not photograph friendly. There was about 6 of us trying to photograph them and 3 of us photographed the same one, the one in my image, the only one that was not camera shy.

[IAC]

Hi Dave,
Great stuff!!! You have inspired me greatly with your efforts, as I will be looking for the Large Heath over the next week or so in some Scottish windswept quagmires. Very challenging environments....and a very challenging butterfly....Well Done.

Iain.

[Piers]

Hi Iain,

If you are able to get up into the Caithness flow country, the large heaths are amazing; devoid of spots and very silvery, almost ghost like. Proper 'scotica', fantastic.

Piers.

[Dave McCormick]

Thanks Iain, have a full report here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5356 I have taken a few videos of the large heath and the habitat which I'll edit tomorrow and upload when I can. Good luck with finding the large heath yourself Iain.