Species on the Edge East Coast Project Officers: Caitlin McLeod (Buglife) and Tracy Munro (Butterfly Conservation)
Our East Coast team were quick to jump into action for their first Species on the Edge survey season in the summer of 2023. Here’s a look at what they got up to 👇
With June consisting mostly of surveying, we managed to find and record the bordered brown lacewing, the northern brown argus butterfly, and the small blue butterfly. This year there were three records of the incredibly rare bordered brown lacewing at three locations on the Aberdeenshire coast. We hope to locate new sites for the lacewing and increase survey efforts next year in the hopes of a higher number of records and to learn more about this elusive species.
We also managed to locate at least one northern brown argus colony, also on the Aberdeenshire coast, and we located a number of potential sites for investigation next year. Over the next few years, we are hoping to improve the habitat at the known sites and create more suitable habitat by sowing seeds and planting the caterpillar food plant (common rock-rose). On the Angus coast, dedicated volunteers walked the transect in Carnoustie throughout the summer looking for and recording the small blue, with plenty of confirmed sightings.
Woodlands Primary School is the first Ambassador school in the area, advocating for the small blue. East Coast Project Officer Caitlin has been visiting the school to teach the P5-7 classes about the species and the importance of conservation work. P7 joined her on a visit to Carnoustie Golf Course to help the club’s sustainability team sow some wildflower and kidney vetch seeds on the southern boundary of the golf course. The children also helped volunteer Glyn Edwards plant some of the kidney vetch plug plants that he had grown. Despite a brief shower of rain, everyone got their hands dirty and took part in weeding, sowing, planting, and some species observation, all in an effort to expand and improve habitat for the local small blue population.
