Wildlife Birds and Butterflies in the garden

A Talk by Derek McLaughlin. Monday 7 September 2009 to Donegal Garden Society

Derek is an environmental\ecologist scientist from Co Mayo. He has been studying the little finch known as the Twite; his PhD thesis is a comprehensive account of the bird in the West of Ireland.

Starting with Butterflies, Derek explained that the common sighting of butterflies -both native and migrants to Ireland, is a sign of a healthy garden. Their presence indicates that you have achieved the right balance of nature; this attracts not only butterflies but sustains the whole chain as a habitat for wild life.  He went on to talk about individual butterflies as follows:

Peacock – very distinctive, recognisable by the colourful eye markings on the wings. A strong flyer; they roam through the countryside and can be seen in gardens feeding in late summer

Painted Lady –  colourful, migrates from Africa, can be seen in any habitat. Very attracted to flowering Chives but prefers an open area of thistles.

 

Small tortoise Shell –  one of the first  to be seen in spring. Find female laying eggs in sheltered nettle patches in April. In autumn, often spotted in gardens

 

Small copper –  warm, dry habitats with plenty of Sorrel, red clover and kidney vetch.

 

Marsh Fritillary – restricted to damp grasslands especially land full of tussock – forming grasses, or heath and calcareous grassland.

 

Large White – mainly seen in fields or gardens where brassicas grow

 

Plants favourable to survival of butterflies mentioned above were: Devil’s Bit Scabious, Common Knapweed, Ragged Robin, Bird Foot Trefoil, Kidney Vetch, Dandelions, Lady’s Smock, Primroses, Violets, and Nettles.

Message was - leave some room for weeds and wild patches to encourage diversity of wildlife in your garden.

Wild Birds
Talked about the common birds that can be seen in the garden such as: Linnet, Green finch, Goldfinch, Tree Sparrow 

Twite (carduelis flavirostris) – a special bird of Donegal 

You will not see the Twite in your garden but you will find it on the coast of West Donegal.The bird could be easily mistaken for a Linnet but the Twite’s markings are darker and more extensive.

The conical bill is yellow. The name of the bird comes from the nasal “tweet” call.

The Twite in Donegal breeds in heather and bracken has a short life span of 3 years and their diet is comprised solely of seeds such as dandelions, sorrel and thistle. Twites breed in Donegal, they nest in bushes, laying 4-7 eggs. In fact they have a limited range and overwinter near their breeding grounds. They can be seen outside the breeding season in flocks around Sheskinmore near Rosbeg.
Sixty years ago the Twite was common in all coastal counties of Ireland.

They have probably survived in West Donegal because of the continuation of traditional farming methods; their decline reflects modern farming practices and the growing of mono cultures food crops.
Derek said the future of the Twite in Ireland was uncertain, its decline has been largely unnoticed up to now, during his recent study he counted between 50 – 100 breeding pairs. This puts it in the endangered species category. Conservation of the habitat is important task for the future so we can sustain a rich diverse wildlife in Ireland.
There are other populations in Eastern Turkey, Tibet and Western China and is featured as a national postage stamp of Iran.

A very interesting talk; much appreciated by the Garden Society members.
(Report by John Sneddon)