Bird Identification at St Cyrus NNR on 14 November 2019, 10:30am-2:30pm Would you like to be able to identify more… Read more »
Bird Identification at St Cyrus NNR on 14 November 2019
Posts Tagged: national nature reserve
These photos show an egg of the Purple Hairstreak butterfly on an oak bud. This species has not been recorded in the NESBReC area before and we think it may be the northernmost confirmed record in the UK to date. It was found last weekend near Ballater with another egg also found on another tree nearby. Purple Hairstreak lays its eggs in late summer on the buds of oak, one egg per bud, and the eggs stay on the buds until around late March when the larvae hatch out.![]()
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Adults fly in the oak tree canopy during summer, rarely coming near to the ground, and are really hard to see unless you are in a position to look down from above on to the canopy. It is worth checking oak buds just now for any eggs, including the buds on any fallen twigs. Please do report any sightings to us backed up with good photos of the eggs and a detailed location description. Many thanks to Patrick and Lynne for reporting this new discovery and for the photos.
5 days ago ·
We have very few records of Stoat so far this year. They can be difficult to see but in winter the coat can sometimes turn white, making them more evident unless they are in a snow covered landscape. This also helps to differentiate them from the similar looking Weasel which remains brown coloured over winter. Another key identification feature is that Stoat has a black tip to its tail all year round, as you can see in this photo. Weasel does not have a black tip and its tail is short and stumpy. If you see one of these Mustelids running fast before you, then concentrate on the tail and look for a black tip as the key identification feature. Do let us know if you have any sightings of Stoat or Weasel. Thanks to Peter for this photo taken a few years ago in Moray.
1 month ago ·