Wednesday 22 April 2009

Kilpatrick Hills, West Dunbartonshire


I got up early this morning (4:30am!) to help out with a Black Grouse survey to the West of the Kilpatrick Hills. We didn't see/hear any Black Grouse but we heard plenty of Cuckoos (Cuculus canorus). It was extremely cold before day-break and the ground was damp with a dew-frost.

I walked to Burncrooks Reservoir, briefly investigated Burn Crooks valley and then walked over to the Whangie and onwards to Stockiemuir. By 10am the thick blanket of mist had lifted, giving rise to a sunny, cloudless day.

As I approached Burncrooks Reservoir I found lots of Drinker Moth (Euthrix potatoria) caterpillars on the grasses. The drinker is a common moorland species and gets its name from the old belief that the caterpillars drink dew (they are often found on dew-covered grasses in the mornings). Its scientific name means 'good-hairy drinker' (Eu = good, thrix = animal hair and potatoria = drinker). This caterpillar may look gorgeously fluffy and adorable but if handled the irritant hairs embed themselves into your skin and the affected area swells up and becomes incredibly itchy, so it's best not to handle these cuties!

Drinker (Euthrix potatoria) larva
Drinker (Euthrix potatoria) larva


I spent some time searching amongst the boulder piles and loose scree around Burncrooks Reservoir for Adders/Common Lizards/Slowworms, without any luck. I did see some Curlews (Numenius arquata), Red Grouse (Lagopus lagopus) and a male Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba).

I wandered a short way down Burn Crooks valley and disturbed a Sparrowhawk (Acccipiter nisus) which had been sitting in a tree. On a river-side rock I found a fresh Otter spraint: a good sign!

At the Southern end of Burn Crooks valley (near the dam) was a patch of flowering Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara). The young leaves and flowers can be eaten raw/cooked and can also be dried to make an aromatic tea with a licorice-like flavour. The whole plant is rich in mucilage which has a demulcent effect which is why it has long been used as a treatment for coughs and sore throats. However, Coltsfoot contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids which can damage the liver in large doses (but are largely destroyed by boiling) and it shouldn't be consumed in large quantities.


Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara)


All around Burncrooks Reservoir, the fungoid sporing stems (strobili) of Common Horsetail (Equisteum arvense), were emerging from the ground. Horsetails are very rich in silica (10%)and can be used to scour/polish metals. Horsetails are also astringent and can be used externally to staunch bleeding. This is another plant that shouldn't be consumed in large quantities: it contains both thiaminase (which breaks down vitamin B) and equisetic acid (heart and nerve sedative: dangerous in large doses).

Common Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) strobilum 
Common Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) strobilum 
Common Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) strobilum 


Below the Whangie was a very placid herd of black Galloway cattle. The fresh cowpats were swarming with Golden Dung Flies (Scathophaga stercoraria). Males are thickly covered with plush golden hairs and are especially photogenic! The females are smaller, greyer and less thickly furred.

Despite its striking shimmery golden fur, this fly is not blessed with the most appealing (or imaginative) of scientific names: 'Dung-eater of-dung' (Scatho = dung, phaga, from phagein = to eat, and stercoraria = of-dung). Although the larvae feed on cow/horse dung, the adults are predatory: hunting the smaller flies attracted to dung.

Golden dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) male
Golden dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) male
Golden dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) male
Golden Dung Flies (Scathophaga stercoraria) mating pair
Golden Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) male
Golden Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) male
Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) flowers
Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) flowers


Unable to find Black Grouse on Stockiemuir, I spent the rest of the day exploring the interesting, steep-sided rivers which criss-cross the moor. They look to be good Otter habitat and have trees (birch, willow, rowan) growing up their rocky sides.

When I got back to my flat in Glasgow (West End), there was a plump, slightly nervous-looking Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus), sitting on the roof.

Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)


There are plenty of Woodpigeons in Glasgow's West End due to the proximity of the Botanic Gardens and the many large trees dotted about the avenues and gardens. Woodpigeons are the largest of our native pigeons with distinctive, noisy wing-claps in flight (usually alerting all other species to your presence!).

Thursday 2 April 2009

Kilpatrick Hills, West Dunbartonshire



Toad Rescue:

Toads are creatures of habit and become particularly reckless at this time of year, crossing busy motorways in their determination to return to their spawning waters. My dad's friend has a pond near him which the council have recently filled in. The toads, which have bred there for years, are returning (as they do every year) to discover....NO POND!
My dad offered to rehome as many toads as possible and I came over to help carry the toads in buckets.

firstly, some pictures of the guys (the females emerge slightly later!):


Common Toad (Bufo bufo) males
Common Toad (Bufo bufo) males
Common Toad (Bufo bufo) males

They were a noisy bunch! All of them were making a croaking/honking noise (reminiscent of distant Greylag Geese), probably at their distress at finding themselves in such close proximity with other male toads.

We deposited some toads at the pond below the Mohican Woods (above Gavinburn) and took the path leading up through the forest and over the Slacks. A lone Buzzard (Buteo buteo) circled low over our heads, inspecting us closely.

Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
Buzzard (Buteo buteo)

As we approached the Humphrey and the light was beginning to fade, a Brown Hare (Lepus eauropaeus) ran onto the road ahead, turned, and began running down the road towards us. At the last minute it realized we were there (perhaps we had been in its blind spot) and darted under the fence and into the reeds and grasses.

Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus)

We released the remaining toads into the pond beside the Humphrey Reservoir. The water was ice cold and my fingers got so numb I could scarcely operate my camera.

Common Toad (Bufo bufo) male
Common Toad (Bufo bufo) male
The Humphrey Reservoir

We made our way back home with the help of torches. From the Slacks we could see the twinkling orange streetlights right across Glasgow.