Kilpatrick Hills, West Dunbartonshire

Today I walked to the Hidden Valley aka the Haw Craig cliffs to be absolutely sure that there are no Badgers in the area - I've always hoped to see Badgers in the Kilpatrick Hills but there doesn't seem to be any, whether due to lack of suitable habitat or persecution (or both).

The Haw Craig valley is a great spot - very secluded and quiet! No one ever seems to venture down there and the boulder scree is a nice sun-trap.

On my way up to the Haw Craig cliffs the road was fringed with flowering thistles and I stopped to take some quick photos. The three most common species in this area are: Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense), Marsh Thistle (Cirsium palustre) and Spear Thistle (Cirsium vulgare).

Here's how to identify them! Firstly, the Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense):

Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense)

Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense)

The Creeping Thistle can be easily distinguished by its pale lilac flowers and the lack of spines on the stems. The flowers have a strong, honey-like fragrance.

Next, the Marsh Thistle (Cirsium palustre):

Marsh Thistle (Cirsium palustre)

This species has dark purple flowers, spiny-winged stems, and the flower bracts are short-spined and purplish. The florets (petals) are longer than those of the Creeping Thistle.

Lastly, the Spear Thistle (Cirsium vulgare):

Spear Thistle (Cirsium vulgare)

The Spear Thistle has significantly larger flowers than the previously mentioned species and the flowers are purplish-magenta in colour. The stems are spiny-winged and the flower bracts are green and long-spined. The flower is very globe-shaped.

The roots and peeled stems of these thistles are edible when cooked and are supposed to taste similar to Jerusalem Artichoke. I don't know whether they'd be worthwhile harvesting though (by the time you remove all the spines and roughage).

Also flowering along the Humphrey Road were Upright Hedge Parsley (Torilis japonica), Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) and Sneezewort (Achillea ptarmica).

Sneezewort (Achillea ptarmica)

Sneezewort (Achillea ptarmica) is related to Yarrow and the entire plant is highly aromatic. The scientific name refers to the use of the dried, powdered leaves as a sneezing-powder (ptarmicus = to cause sneezing).

I sat down on the edge of the Haw Craig cliffs to watch the Buzzards (Buteo buteo) soaring in the sunshine. I lay down in the grass and they circled low overhead - to see what I was up to. It was amazing to sit there with my flask of coffee and some chocolate and just watch these handsome birds enjoying the air.

Buzzard (Buteo buteo)

Buzzard (Buteo buteo)

Buzzard (Buteo buteo)

Buzzard (Buteo buteo)

Buzzard (Buteo buteo)

The grasses are looking gorgeous right now, in shades of gold, mauve and pink. They have such a subtle beauty which is often overlooked. The more I look at grasses, the more I realise that there are so many species - I wish I had a book to identify them.

All around me, the air was filled with the soft chorus of churring grasshoppers, safely hidden in the grasses. One frequently encountered species is the Common Green Grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus) - it produces a sound somewhat like 'an approaching moped' (Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe: Michael Chinery).

Common Green Grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus)

Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea), Wood Sage (Teucrium scorodonia) and Slender St. John's-wort (Hypericum pulchrum) were growing over the boulder-scree and crumbling dry-stone wall. I looked for lizards as I'd always thought this seemed like ideal habitat for them - no luck.

A female Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) landed briefly on a stone but moved off before I was able to photograph her.

Bramble (Rubus fruticosus)

Fighting through the dense undergrowth in the Hidden Valley was very arduous, to say the least.
Head-high Bracken, powerful Bramble vines snaking around my legs and holding me fast with their barbarous blood-letting thorns, ridiculously tall Stinging Nettles threatening to burn my eyes and face at every turn, inch-long woody Hawthorn spines raking my face and catching in my hair, and finally - treacherous, ankle-breaking boulder-scree, disguised with thick plant growth.

Nearer the bottom, the undergrowth and boulders disappeared and the going was easier. At this point the forest is mainly mature Sycamore trees. No evidence of any Badgers, sadly.

At the very bottom, not far from Bowling, I sat in a small clearing (can't be far from the main road). In the grass there were Wild Strawberries (Fragaria vesca) with tiny sweet red berries.

crab-spider (Xysticus cristatus) female

Enchanter's Nightshade (Circaea lutetiana)

Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris)

Self-heal is a small plant with deep plum-purple flowers and is frequently found in meadows/lawns. The common name suggests that it was used traditionally to treat ailments of some kind - it is edible and the bitter leaves can be eaten raw or made into a tea.

I walked back up through the forested valley to look for fungi and the Buzzards of Haw Craig followed me - mewing loudly.

Dead Moll's Fingers (Xylaria longipes)

I found a Sycamore log which was absolutely covered with huge Dryad's Saddles (Polyporus squamosus). They are an edible species but are said to have little taste and older specimens are very tough and chewy. I am thinking about collecting some as I'd like to try batter-frying them...

Dryad's Saddle (Polyporus squamosus)

Dryad's Saddle (Polyporus squamosus)

Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia)

The sky started to darken so I headed home. Back in Glasgow, I found a male Poplar Hawkmoth (Laothoe populi) in my kitchen - the second this year (we don't get many moths in the city so I was excited!). I rescued him before any squeamish flatmates were shocked at the discovery of a 'monster-moth'!

Poplar Hawkmoth (Laothoe populi) male

Poplar Hawkmoth (Laothoe populi) male

Poplar Hawkmoth (Laothoe populi) male

Poplar Hawkmoth (Laothoe populi) male

Poplar Hawkmoth (Laothoe populi) male

Kilpatrick Hills, West Dunbartonshire

Today I walked through the Kilpatrick Hills - from Little Round Top to the Test, around the Greenside Reservoir and then to the Northern side of the Cochno Reservoir. I was hoping to photograph some Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries.

At Little Round Top I lifted some rocks, which revealed, amongst other things, a colony of Black Garden Ants (Lasius niger). I need to spend a day photographing this species in more detail, as they are extremely interesting.

In the photos below, worker ants (non-breeding females) are rushing to take the cocoons to a place of safety. Larvae of this species do not have a pupal stage but instead spin themselves silky cocoons - various stages can be seen in the photos.

Black Garden Ant (Lasius niger) workers with cocoons

Black Garden Ant (Lasius niger) workers with cocoons

This species is omnivorous and often 'milks' aphids for their honeydew. Lasius niger translates as 'Hairy black' (Lasius, from Greek lasios = hairy, and niger = black).

Dog Rose (Rosa canina)

Dog Rose (Rosa canina)

The fruits of the Dog Rose (rosehips) can be made into jam, syrup or tea, and are rich in vitamins A,C and E (as well as flavonoids).

The meadow around Little Round Top was full of butterflies: dark-brown Ringlets (Aphantopus hyperantus), brown-orange Meadow Browns (Maniola jurtina), little orange-grey Small Heaths (Coenonympha pamphilus), Painted ladies (Cynthia cardui), shimmering Common Blues (Polyommatus icarus) and a few Green-veined Whites (Pieris napi).

Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) male

Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) male

Like many members of the Lycaenidae, the larvae of the Common Blue have an association with ants - the larvae produce a sticky secretion which ants find attractive and the larvae, in turn, recieve a degree of protection from the ants. Its scientific name means 'many-eyed icarus' (Poly = many + ommatus, from Greek omma = eyed, and icarus = from Greek mythology - who failed in his attempt to escape imprisonment; using wings made from feathers and wax; when he flew too close too the sun).

Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi)

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

The leaves and young flowers of Red Clover can be eaten raw or cooked and the seeds can be sprouted for use in salads, soups etc. Red Clover, being a legume, is able to fix nitrogen through its symbiosis with Rhizobium bacteria found in root nodules.

Also flowering right now are Marsh Hawksbeard (Crepis paludosa) and Catsear (Hypochoeris radicata) - just below the Test.

Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus)

Mouse-ear Hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella)

Mouse-ear Hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella)

Mouse-ear Hawkweed can be easily identified by its solitary lemon-yellow flowers held atop erect, leafless stems, and by its hairy leaves held close to the ground in a basal rosette. This plant was traditionally used to treat a variety of respiratory complaints such as asthma, bronchitis and whooping cough, although the effectiveness has never been proven scientifically. It is known to be strongly diuretic.

Wild Pansy (Viola tricolor)

Also known as Heartsease, the Wild Pansy is the ancestor of the garden pansy and is highly variable in colouration. The flowers and young leaves (high in vitamins A & C) can be eaten raw in salads.

At the Test there was the usual flock of Reed Buntings (Emberiza schoeniclus).

Bog Pondweed (Potamogeton polygonifolius)

I explored the far side of the Test, along the crumbling old dry stone wall and managed to catch a plump, pregnant Common Lizard (Lacerta vivipara). No Slowworms though :(

Common Lizard (Lacerta vivipara) pregnant female

English Stonecrop (Sedum anglicum)

I crossed the heath to the North of the Test and continued towards the Greenside Reservoir where I took a detour around to avoid a group of teenage boys with quadbikes. The reedy edges of the Greenside were buzzing with damselflies - Large Red (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) and Common Blue (Enallagma cyathigerum).

Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum) male

The Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum) can be distinguished from similar species by the characteristic triangular black marking on the 2nd abdominal segment (pointing tailwards). This is refered to in the scientific name: 'cup-bearing' (Cyathi = cup/goblet in Greek + gerum = to bear/carry). It also has broad antehumeral stripes and is a brighter blue than similar species

There are at least 9 species of dragonfly & damselfly in West Dunbartonshire. I have found the best sites to be: the Greenland Reservoirs, the Lily Loch, Burn Crooks valley, Little Round Top, the Test, the disused mines near the Kilmannan Reservoir, and the Forth and Clyde Canal.

Hairy Stonecrop (Sedum villosum) was growing on the Western bank of the Greenside.

Hairy Stonecrop (Sedum villosum)

Hairy Stonecrop (Sedum villosum)

Because I love rusty metal (!):

I went to have a look at the young forest (part of a native woodland regeneration scheme) between the Greenside and the Jaw/Cochno. The grasses have grown luxuriously thick because the tall deer fence keeps out deer, sheep and most humans. The forest is still at a shrubby stage - an intermediate habitat which will attract species of its own.

While I was walking, a family of Whinchats (Saxicola rubetra) followed me along the fence. In the grass I found a large Common Toad (Bufo bufo). Lousewort (Pedicularis sylvatica) is flowering here.

The air was heavy, hot and humid and the sky overcast. I never get used to this sticky almost-tropical weather that we rarely experience in Scotland. It began to rain and the cool raindrops were so refreshing!

Snowy white, magenta-speckled Heath Spotted Orchids (Dactylorhiza maculata) were growing amid the damp grasses.

Heath Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata)

Heath Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata)

Common Cottongrass (Eriophorum angustifolium)

I was mobbed by a pair of very loud Common Gulls (Larus canus) at the Cochno Reservoir, so I presume they must have a nest nearby. I stopped at the Northern tip of the Cochno Loch, where the little burn emerges from the forestry plantation. Here I found plenty of Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries (Boloria selene) and decided to spend the rest of the day photographing them.

This species, along with Green Hairstreaks and Common Blues, are my favourite butterflies. The upper-sides of their wings are bright orange with delicate black latticing, trimmed with cream, and the under-sides are patterned like a mis-matched jig-saw in shades of white, cream, gold and rusty-orange. I followed them devotedly as they went from thistle to thistle, dancing with each other and landing every now and again on Bracken fronds to bask.

Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene)

Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene)

Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene)

Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene)

Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene)

Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene)

Water Avens (Geum rivale)

Painted Lady (Cynthia cardui)

I found another Common Lizard at the top of the Cochno Reservoir just before I headed home.

Back at my parent's house there were 2 Peach Blossom moths (Thyatira batis).

Peach Blossom (Thyatira batis)

Peach Blossom (Thyatira batis)