Searching for Butterflies on Corstorphine Hill

 I'm involved with butterfly surveying again this year. As well as my second year surveying the rewilding fields at Lauriston Farm, this year I'm also surveying a transect on Corstorphine Hill. Today was my first survey walk on Corstorphine Hill. The weather wasn't actually good enough, so my survey won't be actually valid (but according to the weather forecast, today had the best chance of good enough weather). 

I saw only two butterflies, both Speckled Woods, in the lovely Walled Garden on the hill. (The butterflies aren't in the photo!).

I did see a good variety of hoverflies though, including this lovely Lucazona lucorum

and this Pellucid Hoverfly (Volucella pellucens) 

There's a lovely selection of flowers in the Walled Garden, which on a sunnier day would (hopefully!) attract a good number of butterflies. It was interesting to see this Cuckoo Spit in amongst the flowers of the Viper's Bugloss

Cuckoo Spit is a frothy substance produced by the young of froghopper bugs. 

In a corner of the Walled Garden is this Bug Hotel, which offers hones to all sorts of insects. 

The rest of the survey transect passes through woodland glades and open areas where wildflower meadows are being established

It was very nice to see several orchids in the grass. Mostly Common Spotted Orchids, but some may have been Marsh Orchids. 

I'm also talking about insects and climate in this week's post on my Substack. You can read it here: https://craftygreenpoet.substack.com/p/insects-and-climate