Return to Dumfries - Day 3

On the last full day of my visit (27th May) the UK weather forecast was for bright and sunny weather from the outset. Not so however in the Burgh of Dumfries where it remained overcast until late morning.  I hung around a bit and did some minor shopping, then I left the bicycle at the B&B and drove to Mabie Forest for a butterfly walk around the brown track, arriving around 11.15.

Shortly after I started out I was greeted by the ninth incidence of a cuckoo calling over the three days, proving my observation that they are more common in Dumfries and Galloway than in the North East.

Then before I even reached the key area for butterflies, the sun came out and I saw what I had been looking for - three pearl-bordered fritillaries. This increased to double that as I reached the start of the south facing slope on the way to Craigsbill Hill, which is where most butterflies are seen,

Unfortunately the sun went in again around midday and I spent at least another hour sitting round and having lunch before I walked the full length of the path,

Pearl-bordered fritillaries proved to be the dominant species and I was still seeing them later on the way back to the car park, amassing a conservative count of 38 in total and discounting extra sightings on a stretch I walked twice.

I kept taking photographs of some when possible just to check that none were small pearl-bordered fritillaries as a chap who was doing a transect survey reckoned the latter could just about be on the wing for the first time.  However all the ones I observed or captured with the camera were pearl-bordered.

Pearl-bordered fritillary

Pearl-bordered fritillary (underwing)

While waiting for the sun to come out, I noticed several small orange moths flying but none were settling.  Once the sun was out, this changed and they could be seen to be clouded yellow moths. 

Clouded Yellow Moth

Further along the path, as I'd half expected there were four or five small heath and the smallest small copper  I have ever seen.  It really looked quite curiously stunted, with wing movements that vaguely ressembled a skipper.  Apparently however, small coppers are subject to considerable variations - perhaps another result of the poor weather..

Small Heath

Small Copper

As well as a good few green-veined white and orange tip, there was I couple of large white I spotted on the wing, the first I have seen this year.  Lastly there was a bumblebee that I really could not identify and am awaiting clarification on.  It looks like it might just be another cuckoo!

Another Cuckoo?

Passing a hovering kestrel at the viewpoint on the hill, I decided I was too tired to look for a Whinchat at Kirkconnell Flow and the trip was over.