EuCAN volunteers lured to Dorset like moths to a mercury vapour lamp...

The EuCAN volunteers once again headed to Kingcombe for a specially organised Lepidoptera training weekend. That's butterflies and moths to most normal people, but to us conservationists its a chance to immerse ourselves into running about wildly with nets, getting covered in ticks and looking closely at a whole host of identical moths to try and distinguish between a Brown-line Bright-eye and a Bright-line Brown-eye. And that's if we can even manage to remember those names.

But all in all, its a chance to have a good time with some great people at some gorgeous locations looking at some groovy winged insects.
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I arrived at Kingcombe on Friday evening to find everybody sitting around in the sunshine. A cup of tea helped me freshen up after the sticky car journey, and there were many reunions to be had along with many introductions. Dinner was had and we were off on a trip around Kingcombe Meadows to take in the scenery and local area, put a few moth traps out and listen for some bats. The generators began their chugging as the mercury vapour bulbs blazed and blinded us! We managed to pick up a few Pipistrelles feeding up and down the river, and a walk up to Beech Cottage revealed some screeching baby Tawny Owls in a nearby tree. We could just about make them out, although silhouetted, clambered about unsteadily in the branches. We sat out and enjoyed the last of the sunlight in the garden.

 

Saturday morning a select few of us gathered around the recovered moth traps to begin the learning process. Straw Dot after Straw Dot passed my eyes as I struggled to take in the species - the nice surprise was the abundance of Eyed and Poplar Hawkmoths (Smerinthus ocellata & Laothoe populi) in the traps. They had their own hanging net basket to sit in quietly while they awaited the attention of a dozen camera lenses! Then the group split and I joined some budding botanists on a walk up the lane to look at some beautiful meadows and attempt to identify some plants. We saw Greater Celandine Chelidonium majus which I was surprised to learn belonged to the Poppy family rather than the Buttercups like its lesser cousin. I also learnt that its bright yellow sap was supposedly good at removing warts! While looking at plants in the meadow, Jenny befriended a Common Blue Polyommatus icarus which took a liking to sitting on her finger - perfect for a few close up shots.

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We reconvened at Kingcombe for coffee then headed off to Powerstock Common for some much anticipated butterfly action. The sun was blazing as we set out with our nets to find the Marsh Fritillaries Eurodryas aurinia that are apparently just clinging on at the reserve. Within 5 minutes we had spotted at least three individuals as well as a Green Hairstreak Callophrys rubi . The grass was crawling with irritating ticks so I was on constant alert to remove them from my trousers. While creeping up on a perched Four-spotted Chaser I heard a rustle at my feet and looked down to see a tussock of grass that appeared to be moving... out slithered an Adder and into the undergrowth it went. I saw my first Adder only two weeks ago at Stover...now along comes another - typical! We continued on towards the old railway line, netting our first Wood White Leptidea sinapis on the way. We had lunch on the grass while several Emperor Dragonflies Anax imperator hawked for insects above our heads. I kept spotting passing Marsh Fritillaries as I ate - they're obviously doing better here than first thought!

We split into two groups and walked back to the car park along a transect route. We recorded more Marsh Frits, many Common Blues and a Green Hairstreak. We also had Large, Dingy and Grizzled Skippers (Ochlodes sylvanus, Erynnis tages & Pyrgus malvae) and unusually a Wall Lasiommata megera  in the net! We arrived back at the cars before the other group, taking the opportunity to escape the blazing sun by finding a shady patch in the grass; I could feel the back of my neck cooking as we walked. When everyone returned we drove onto Eggardon Hill to find Adonis Blue Lysandra bellargus - which we did almost immediately! Its brilliant blue wings weren't difficult to spot amongst the comparatively dull Common Blues! We also came across a Mother Shipton moth Callistege mi and another couple of Walls. The sun was hotter than ever and although the hazy vista was fantastic, we were glad to be heading back. We drove back to Kingcombe in time for tea and cake, and a much needed shower to refresh and revitalise. We spent a while photographing the hawkmoths before releasing them away from the trapping sites. Kaylem and I were unlucky enough to get squirted on by angry Poplars - it stained my camera and hand nicely with an unidentified liquid resembling the orange foundation you see girls wearing to pretend they have a tan! I was not best pleased. Dinner was served in the garden from a pot over the fire - venison stew and jacket potatoes. I would expect nothing less on Leonardo funding! The emptied moth traps were set up again, and we watched as Neil ringed a smart male Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula  which still had food in its beak ready for its hungry young, and a Swift Apus apus which was unlucky enough to be host to not one but two Swift Lice Crataerina, an unsightly avian parasite that I'm sure the Swift was more than pleased to be rid of. We spent the evening wandering the lanes with beer and bat detectors (as one would expect) but again found only Pips and refound the Tawnys, still screeching incessantly for food. We sat around the fire until it died at about 1am and crawled sleepily into bed, ready for another day.

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Sunday morning was another 7am start for the mad moth-ers. We had plenty of traps to get through and all morning to do it. Once we'd sorted out our May Highflyers from our Common Marbled Carpets we were on our way, trawling through the hundreds of moths and listing them. The carpets were followed by pugs and wainscots, hook-tips and prominents. I'll post the entire moth list once I get it. I feel like I could almost call myself an expert afterwards - perhaps only an expert on that particular assortment of species!

Coffee was had and the group split into two. I went to Lankham Bottom where we were due to do more butterfly transects. After a picnic lunch I joined a group of wandering surveyers - no set route, just record what we see as we go! It wasn't long before we were spotting our first Large Skippers along with the masses of Common Blues. I was shown Fairy Flax Linum catharticum, a tiny flowering plant - tiny but beautiful! Even more dainty than the Sand Crocus at Dawlish Warren, but at least it had a stem so was a bit easier to spot elevated above the other plants. With a little help from a net we managed to positively identify the first Brown Argus Aricia agestis, and spotted several more as we walked, along with the other two species of skipper in amongst Small Heaths Coenonympha pamphilus. The sun was warm but shielded by a thin layer of cloud so we were spared its baking rays - and the cool breeze made it very pleasant. Just as we were complaining that we hadn't spotted any Marsh Frits - they appeared! The cooler weather made photographing them slightly easier; but you still had to be quick.

Then we headed back as some people needed to catch their trains home. There was time for one last cup of tea on the grass to reflect on the weekend's antics before we said our goodbyes, then the clouds rolled over the sun and it became chilly as we departed for home.

I'm glad my brain had a good lepidoptera soaking this weekend, as my upcoming trip to France will need it...