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It is gratifying to know that after five years birding and walking in North Wales that there are still some beautiful and wildlife rich areas I have not yet visited, but I think that after today I will be lucky to find one quite as good as Eyarth Rocks again.
My principal reason for visiting was to look for Pearl-bordered Fritillary, although ‘look’ is hardly the correct word – avoiding treading on would be more apt as there must have been in the region of one hundred and thirty today!
Aside from the astonishing number of butterflies, the reserve is also excellent for warblers with Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap all present in good numbers, plus one Garden Warbler - a bird that seems to like this habitat as I have seen them at Aberduna too.
Wild flowers are abundant here and with the aid of my reference book I was actually able to correctly identify one for a change - the stunning Early Purple Orchid. A pukka one this time too – not like my Hyacinth Orchid!
For the last hour or so I had a mooch around for some other butterfly species that added Small Heath, Speckled Wood, Large & Small White, but strangely not one Peacock…
On the subject of butterflies, I found a rather dry quote from the Collins Field Guide to UK Moths and Butterflies that made me chuckle:
"Butterflies are creatures of little importance and have never played much part in international commerce, either of goods or ideas."
Eyarth Rocks 20.05.10
130 Pearl-bordered Fritillary
1 Speckled Wood
3 Small Heath
1 Garden Warbler
1 GS Woodpecker
Until later.
Hi Paul
ReplyDeleteIt might be a nice idea to start a Butterfly Blog,I think you might be surprised at just how popular it would be.
I've started to try to look at them myself lately,and I've been surprised at just how many there are flying around.
LLANFAIRFECHAN AND MORFA MADRYN NR
58 SPECIES RECORDED
88 SPECIES RECORDED AT SITE SO FAR
OYSTERCATCHER c300
RINGED PLOVER 4
SANDWICH TERN 11
COMMON TERN 8
RED BREASTED MERGANSER 3
SKYLARK 12
LAPWING c30
PEREGRINE FALCON 2
COMMON BUZZARD 2
LINNET 6
SEDGE WARBLER 11
REED WARBLER 1
WILLOW WARBLER 5
BLACKCAP 3
GARDEN WARBLER 2
COMMON WHITETHROAT 9
KITTIWAKE 5
WHIMBREL 2
CHEERS DENZIL
Hi Paul
ReplyDeleteI wonder who picked up the Black Kite at the DNS at Connah's Quay,what a great find that is.
POINT OF AYR
59 SPECIES RECORDED
68 SPECIES RECORDED AT SITE SO FAR
BLACKCAP 7
SKYLARK c100
COMMON WHITETHROAT 11
CHIFFCHAFF 5
WILLOW WARBLER 4
LINNET c20
SEDGE WARBLER 2
MEADOW PIPIT 7
STONECHAT 5
WHEATEAR - FEMALE 1
RAVEN 2
TREE PIPIT 1
OYSTERCATCHER 2
CURLEW 2
RINGED PLOVER c50
DUNLIN c50
SHELDUCK c100
SAND MARTIN 2
RED LEGGED PARTRIDGE 1
GARDEN WARBLER 2
COMMON TERN 1
CHEERS DENZIL
Not sure who found the bird Denzil, I was asking around yesterday but nobody knew.
ReplyDeleteI did manage to find out that it was first seen at 5am though!
Cheers, Paul.