Little Egret - 2, Strand Lough, Co. Down
Sanderling - 24, Portrush East Strand
Sanderling - 40, Ballykinler, Co. Down
Great Skua - 1, between Ramore Head and the Skerries, Co. Antrim
Dipper - 2, Antrim Castle Bridge, Co. Antrim
Garden Warbler - 1, singing this morning behind the Omniplex Cinema, Racecourse Lough, Enniskillen, Co.Fermanagh.
Crossbill - 5, Antrim Marina, Co. Antrim
Dipper Cinclus cinclus
by Ed O'Hara, May 2010
Republic of Ireland
Glossy Ibis -1, Tacumshin, Co. Wexford
Forster's Tern - 1, adult summer, Tacumshin, Co. Wexford
Butterfly and Moth Update
The first 2010 outing of the Northern
Ireland
Branch of Butterfly Conservation was held in sunny if breezy conditions
on Saturday 8th May in North Armagh. I
was
not present and have not yet seen a full report, but I understand from
James
O'Neill that Oxford Island on Lough Neagh, Derryloiste Bog a few miles
west of
it, and Craigavon Lakes about 2 miles south of it, were all visited.
Highlights
include a total of about 50 Reals Wood Whites (Leptidea reali), about 5
at
Oxford Island and the rest at Craigavon Lakes (where 2 had been seen on
30th
April), Holly Blue (1 or 2 at both Oxford Island and Craigavon Lakes),
and
Green Hairstreak (at Derryloiste Bog); I believe most or all of the
commoner
whites, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, and Speckled Wood were all seen at
1 or
more of the sites so up to 10 butterfly species may have been seen. As
the
previous night was cool, the catch of moths was not high, but at
Derryloiste
Bog, a total of 3 Heath traps and one MV trap caught a total of 19 moths
of 8
species (4 Lesser Swallow Prominents, 3 Early Thorns, 7 Hebrew
Characters,
1 Clouded Drab, 1 Muslin, 1 Streamer, 1 Early Thorn and 1 Red
Chestnut).
Walter Veale reports up to 5 Holly
Blues in his
garden at Lisburn, Co. Antrim (see photo at http://nibirds.blogspot.com/p/
Martin Smith reports a Peacock
butterfly at
Peatlands Park, Co. Armagh, on 3rd May, while on 5th May he saw at least 4 Green Hairstreaks at Mullenakill
NNR (which is
also within the Peatlands Park) and a pair of Peacock; also on 5th May
inside Peatlands Park, at the hollies between Mullenakill and
Derryhubbert
he saw 2 Holly Blues and 2 Green Hairstreaks, and a further Green
Hairstreak
beside the railway line on Derryhubbert, making 7 in total. He also saw
10 plus
orange tips, 10 plus green-veined whites and 4 speckled woods.
http://www.bcni.org.uk/Main.
| Date | Species | Location | Reported By | |
| 01/05/2010 | Small Tortoiseshell (1) | Glenhead Road, Glenwherry, Co. Antrim | I Millar | |
| 01/05/2010 | Green-veined White (12) | Loughloughan Road, Broughshane, Co. Antrim | I Millar | |
| 01/05/2010 | Small White (1) | Loughloughan Road, Broughshane, Co. Antrim | I Millar | |
| 01/05/2010 | Orange Tip (2) | Loughloughan Road, Broughshane, Co. Antrim | I Millar | |
| 01/05/2010 | Green-veined White (63) | Glenhead Road, Glenwherry, Co. Antrim | M and I Millar | |
| All within 0.2 mile stretch of roadside | ||||
| 02/05/2010 | Speckled Wood (4) | Killybegs Bog, Co. Antrim | Frank Turtle | |
| 02/05/2010 | Small White (1) | Killybegs Bog, Co. Antrim | Frank Turtle | |
| 03/05/2010 | Green Hairstreak (1) | Drumack Road, Rasharkin, Co. Antrim | I Millar | |
| On grass verge. Very windy conditions but sunny | ||||
| 03/05/2010 | Holly Blue (1) | Mountstewart, Co. Down | Richard Weyl | |
| 03/05/2010 | Green-veined White (7) | Derryloiste bog, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh | James O'Neill | |
| 03/05/2010 | Orange Tip (1) | Derryloiste bog, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh | James O'Neill | |
| 03/05/2010 | Speckled Wood (6) | Derryloiste bog, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh | James O'Neill | |
| 03/05/2010 | Green Hairstreak (10) | Derryloiste bog, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh | James O'Neill | |
| 03/05/2010 | Small White (2) | Portadown, Co. Armagh | James O'Neill | |
| 03/05/2010 | Orange Tip (1) | Portadown, Co. Armagh | James O'Neill | |
| Male | ||||
| 03/05/2010 | Holly Blue (6) | Portadown, Co. Armagh | James O'Neill | |
| 4 males and 2 females | ||||
| 03/05/2010 | Orange Tip (1) | Drumack Road, Rasharkin, Co. Antrim | I Millar | |
| Very windy conditions, otherwise more | ||||
| 03/05/2010 | Speckled Wood (1) | Garden at Killicomaine, Portadown, Co. Armagh (J025543) | IAN RIPPEY | |
| 03/05/2010 | Speckled Wood (1) | Drumack Road, Rasharkin, Co. Antrim | I Millar | |
| 03/05/2010 | Speckled Wood (1) | Carne, Portadown, Co. Armagh (J025543) | IAN RIPPEY | |
| 03/05/2010 | Green-veined White (10) | Dunamanagh, Co. Tyrone (C435074) | James O'Neill | |
| 03/05/2010 | Orange Tip (5) | Dunamanagh, Co. Tyrone (C435074) | James O'Neill | |
| 03/05/2010 | Green Hairstreak (4) | Dunamanagh, Co. Tyrone (C435074) | James O'Neill | |
| New site | ||||
| 03/05/2010 | Marsh Fritillary (8 larvae) | Dunamanagh, Co. Tyrone (C435074) | James O'Neill | |
| Well grown. Confirmed breeding at new site. | ||||
| 03/05/2010 | Green-veined White (16) | Drumack Road, Rasharkin, Co. Antrim | I Millar | |
| 04/05/2010 | Orange Tip (6) | Lagan towpath Lisburn, Co. Antrim | Jon Newing | |
| 04/05/2010 | Orange Tip (1) | Garden at Killicomaine, Portadown, Co. Armagh (J025543) | Mrs. Susan Rippey | |
| 1 male seen (via Ian Rippey) | ||||
| * 05/05/2010 | Common Blue (1) | Glenarm Forest,Big Field Area, Co. Antrim | DGMcBride,Damian CLarkin | |
| Tweve Thirty,Warm sunny day | ||||
| 05/05/2010 | Speckled Wood (3) | Glenarm Forest,Big Field Area, Co. Antrim | DGMcBride,Damian CLarkin | |
| Tweve Thirty,Warm sunny day | ||||
| 05/05/2010 | Large White (3) | Glenarm Forest,Big Field Area, Co. Antrim | DGMcBride,Damian CLarkin | |
| Tweve Thirty,Warm sunny day | ||||
| 05/05/2010 | Orange Tip (1) | Glenarm Forest,Big Field Area, Co. Antrim | DGMcBride,Damian CLarkin | |
| Tweve Thirty,Warm sunny day | ||||
| 06/05/2010 | Peacock (2) | Glenarm Forest clearing, Co. Antrim | I Millar | |
| 06/05/2010 | Speckled Wood (1) | Glenarm Forest, Co. Antrim | I Millar | |
| 07/05/2010 | Speckled Wood (2) | Old Mill Surgery, Newtownards, Co. Down (J483741) | David McCormick | |
| Male and female | ||||
| 07/05/2010 | Holly Blue (1) | Ballyskeagh Lisburn, Co. Antrim | Brian Mckee | |
| female first Holly blue to be seen in my garden | ||||
| 07/05/2010 | Orange Tip (10 male + 1 female) | Drumack Road, Rasharkin, Co. Antrim | I Millar | |
| 07/05/2010 | Holly Blue (1) | Mountstewart, Co. Down (J559699) | David McCormick | |
| Male, flying around holly | ||||
| 07/05/2010 | Speckled Wood (1) | Coalisland co tyrone, Co. Tyrone | Gabriel Kelly | |
| Flying around garden | ||||
| 08/05/2010 | Green Hairstreak (38+) | mountain track off Glenloughan Road, Co. Down (J251175) | Joe Devlin & Clifford Sharpe | |
| seen mostly on gorse along at side of track | ||||
| 08/05/2010 | Orange Tip (9 male; 1 female) | Loughloughan Road, Broughshane, Co. Antrim | I Millar | |
| 08/05/2010 | Holly Blue (1) | Drumreagh Road, Ballygowan, Co. Down | Mervyn Boyd | |
| 08/05/2010 | Speckled Wood (2) | mountain track off Glenloughan Road, Co. Down (J251175) | Joe Devlin & Clifford Sharpe | |
| seen mostly on gorse along at side of track | ||||
| 08/05/2010 | Green-veined White (2) | mountain track off Glenloughan Road, Co. Down (J251175) | Joe Devlin & Clifford Sharpe | |
| seen mostly on gorse along at side of track | ||||
| 08/05/2010 | Small Tortoiseshell (2) | mountain track off Glenloughan Road, Co. Down (J251175) | Joe Devlin & Clifford Sharpe | |
| seen mostly on gorse along at side of track | ||||
| 08/05/2010 | Peacock (1) | Kilfeaghan, Co. Down (J225172) | Joe Devlin & Clifford Sharpe | |
| 08/05/2010 | Orange Tip (4) | Kilfeaghan, Co. Down (J225172) | Joe Devlin & Clifford Sharpe | |
| 08/05/2010 | Green Hairstreak (1) | Kilfeaghan, Co. Down (J225172) | Joe Devlin & Clifford Sharpe | |
| 08/05/2010 | Green-veined White (4) | Kilfeaghan, Co. Down (J225172) | Joe Devlin & Clifford Sharpe | |
| 08/05/2010 | Speckled Wood (10) | Kilfeaghan, Co. Down (J225172) | Joe Devlin & Clifford Sharpe | |
| 08/05/2010 | Holly Blue (2) | Kilbroney Forest Rostrevor, Co. Down (J185175) | Joe Devlin & Clifford Sharpe | |
| 08/05/2010 | Speckled Wood (12) | Portglenone Forest, Co. Antrim | I Millar | |
| 08/05/2010 | Small Tortoiseshell (1) | Kilbroney Forest Rostrevor, Co. Down (J185175) | Joe Devlin & Clifford Sharpe | |
* I have reason to believe that the "Common Blue" at Glenarm, Co. Antrim, on 5th May shown below is more likely to have been a Holly Blue, as it seems much too early for a Common Blue especially
Robert Northridge of Enniskillen
reports a Peacock
and about 8 Emperor moths on Cuilcagh Mountain, Co. Fermanagh (H1228),
on 8th
May; the Peacock was at an altitude of 450 metres (c. 1,500 feet) and
the
emperors between 350 metres (c. 1,150 feet) and 450 metres.
Thanks again to Ian Rippey for this update.
Thanks again to Ian Rippey for this update.
