I spent a very informative Saturday morning at the Allt Mhuic nature reserve on Loch Arkaig, led by Dr Tom Prescott of butterfly conservation. We started off looking at some amazing moths caught in a moth trap set up the night beofre. i was particulalry intrigued by the buff tip which even on close examination is difficult to distinguish from a piece of birch twig. A master of disguise indeed.
The real target of the day was the chequered skipper which is found within 30 miles of Fort william and nowhere else in the UK. They weren't exactly in abundance, the cold winter having delayed spring somewhat, however we did find one and I was pleased with the resulting photo's (see top). Plenty of other interesting insect life around too and having an expert guide to help understand the habitat and how everything fits together made it a really enjoyable morning. On the down side, the midges were biting for the first time this year.
A walk thtough Glengarry forest yesterday, in the evening brought my first dragonfly of the season, a four spotted chaser. Plenty of birds singing, though I'm still having difiiculty picking out which ones are which! Still, I will persevere!
