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Scotch Argus [almost] in garden in NE Scotland.


Singleton Scotch Argus on the grass verge just outside boundary, 16th August but had found strong colony a few miles into the hills earlier in the day after many previous abortive searches. Males only so far so presumably it’s quite a late season. No doubt Scotch Argus will eventually be seen in garden once the “re-wilding” has made sufficient progress by next season.

Also seen in garden during the six weeks since I have lived here: Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Peacock (caterpillar), GV White with Ringlet not far away.
Torties keep coming into the house to hibernate – one on ceiling above this computer as I write). It will get too warm indoors during the winter so eventually will transfer in a plastic container in an outhouse. When there is a really cold spell, the box will be moved into the fridge (temperarure some 4 to 6C as this has worked well in the past and prevents them waking too early in the spring).
Birds on feeders are the usual plus Coal Tit and Great Spotted Woodpecker. Buzzards nesting [noisily] in nearby woods. Osprey seen once (apparently breed not far away) and Swallow, Rooks and Starlings by the thousand. One Red Squirrel in coniferous woods and apparently Pine Marten locally but not yet seen.

The wildflower garden has a reasonable base having been neglected for many years. I am now working to decreases the fertility with sand and fine gravel. The excessive hawkweed and white clover is being reduced and reseeding in patches will begin soon. Thanks to Paul for the Yellow Rattle seeds but later amazingly, just happened to come across a moorland roadside bank with an ample source of more seeds.

It’s good to be online at home after a six week wait. Satellite broadband is giving an adequate 6 megs speed but that might well increase.

Finally, a view from the back fence.


Jack

Good to see you are back on-line, Jack. Makes me wonder why the Govt is investing in cable to remote villages when satellite broadband is available at a respectable speed.

You are already beginning to tantalise us Southerners with tales of Scotch Argus in the garden and, no doubt, you will soon have Ospreys feeding in the garden pond, plus Crested Tits, Scottish Crossbills, etc., etc...

Very nice clouds, too.

Mike

That looks nice and calm, Jack. You won't be having problems with noisy neighbours
Chris

Looks like an excellent spot to settle in Jack.

I look forward to hearing and seeing more about your "re-wilding" as the project progresses. Good luck!

Looks quite idyllic, Jack, and even better for having Scotch Argus on your doorstep (I doubt if anyone else on here can lay claim to that).

I shall look forward to future instalments.

Sunday 23rd August BURGHEAD (coast about 10 kms northwest of Elgin).

Fabulous cloudless weather temperature around 24C.
6 x Peacock, 2 x Meadow Brown, 1 x Tortoiseshell, several GV Whites and a rapid poorly observed fly-by of greyish brown nymphalid either Painted Lady or more likely Dark Green Fritillary. Many Gannets offshore, presumably from the colony at Troup Head to the east.

Jack

and somewhere else, you wrote that there were only two types of butterfly locally - black and white

Gannets always remind me of a visit to Ellin's Tower at South Stack, Anglesey, where I asked if Choughs were about. The response, delivered in a primary school teacher manner, worthy of Joyce Grenfell, was that "today, we are watching Gannets"

Sunday 22nd November to Tomintoul

No butterflies of course, but I thought I'd share the day out.

Not really safe to stop on road between Grantown-on-Spey and Tomintoul so from passenger seat of moving car.



Stopped very briefly for this shot of Red Grouse out of passenger side window (shows about 2/3 of total flock)



Tomintoul itself was a bit quiet on a winter Sunday (most places closed but we got a very reasonable lunch in the Glen Avon).



All photos with Sony a6000 and standard 25-75 lens. A long lens would of course have been much better for the Grouse.

Jack

In the French Alps they are worried about the skiing season being able to start on time.
Your winter has started already, Jack !
If it is any consolation, this weekend on the South coast of France, temperatures have suddenly gone from Lo of 10° and Hi of 20°, to Lo of 2° and Hi of 9°.
It was bound to happen. Only 3 and a half months till the 2016 BF season
Cheers, Chris

Wow! You may as well be in Norway, Jack.

I knew snow had fallen in certain parts of the country but to see the evidence in photographs just reminds us of how different the climate is depending on where you live in these isles.

Thanks for sharing.

Your report reminds me of Easter 1992 when 10 intrepid birders from the Glamorgan Bird Club drove up to Scotland in a hired mini bus and toured the highlands staying in youth hostels. We drove along the Cockbridge to Tomintoul road in conditions much like those in your photo. Whenever I hear the BBC radio traffic report stating that the Cockbridge to Tomintoul road is closed due to snow I smile. Red Grouse everywhere, and it remains my one and only sighting of Ptarmigan on the summit of the Lecht. 19 April 1992, ye gods, where has the time gone ?

Jenks

HI Jack;

Your tale of the Fermyn Purple Hairstreak has relevance to the same day that my Emperor images
were taken. As i said in my posting I arrived very early, but then more people arrived as the morning
wore on. One chap who i have met on many occasions whilst out Butterflying arrived and with glee
showed me some images of a pristine male Purple Hairstreak, which he had found,open winged
on the same track I had used earlier.
I managed not to blurt out the four letter words I was thinking. His image can be seen on the
species specific page, under the name of John W.
I have had a colony of PH. in an Oak at the bottom of my garden, but i've never seen one low down.

All the best,
Trevor.

Apparently Skoda like publicity (???) shots of purchasers (optional).

​I DID try to look happy but obviously failed. However that's hardly surprising when you've just forked out 12 grand.

Jack

Jack Harrison wrote:Apparently Skoda like publicity (???) shots of purchasers (optional).

I hope you got a discount, Jack! And good to see you in fine fettle

Cheers,

- Pete

I hope you got a discount

I may have a few creaky bones, but the brain certainly works. Yes, a reasonable discount plus some goodies thrown in. The real concession to my age is the colour: not that many yellow cars so easy to find in a crowded car park. We still - for the moment anyway - have kept the six year old Peugeot. That too is yellow!

Jack

Sparrows 29th November on garden feeders

Numerous House Sparrows and what I believe to be Tree Sparrows.
Tree Sparrow?
House on left, Tree Sparrow on right.

Dull day, high ISO + slow shutter = dreadful photos. Confirmation please of i/d.

Jack

ID confirmed. Isn't it amazing how just recognising these as tree sparrows makes one perceive them quite differently? House sparrows are no less attractive birds.

You obviously don't have too many cats around if you can leave bird feeders on the ground like this!

Guy

Guy:

You obviously don't have too many cats around if you can leave bird feeders on the ground like this!

It works like this.

We get huge quantities of cheap bird food. The cats then catch lots of birds so we don't need to buy expensive cat food.

Simple innit

Jack

The Tree Sparrow was the common 'sparrow' during my recent visit to Borneo. This species is easily distinguished from the House Sparrow by the black cheek patches and the white collar, extending round the back of the neck. Also, unlike the House Sparrow, both sexes are similar, with chestnut caps and neat black 'bibs'. They have become quite scarce locally, as a result of changes in farming practices and there is, currently, a feeding scheme in Oxfordshire, to help them through the winter.
One thing I noticed in the rainforest was that, although there are a great many species, the number of individuals in any one area is quite low. Apparently, this is because of the much high levels of predation in the 'natural' environment. One effect of man's influence in the British Isles has been to remove many bird predators, so we have unusually large numbers of many small bird species, compared with 'wilder' areas of the world. Domestic cats have become the major predator here but they tend to stay fairly close to their comfortable homes, fortunately. In the rainforest, there's a lot more than cats for birds to worry about!

Mike

Hi Jack
You're very lucky to have Tree Sparrows. They are pretty rare these days, although in some locations they can be locally common. They can be encouraged to breed in colonies in your garden if you put some boxes up for them.
Paul