May on the Isle of Skye

1 May 2019 Finally added Common Sandpiper to the Skinadin list this morning. I've been hearing Cuckoos but it may be some time before I actually see one. When I checked the moth trap I found eight new species - Lesser Swallow Prominent, Glaucous Shears, Golden-rod Pug, Nut-tree Tussock and these.
Pale Prominent	Small Phoenix
Flame Carpet	Ruddy Highflyer

2 May 2019 A Whimbrel at Skinadin this morning!

6 May 2019 Sandpipers in abundance now, but no more new birds. I did have two new moths though - Common Heath and Magpie (larva). The highlight of the day though was this Tachinid fly. There are only four previous records for Scotland: two from Glasgow, one from Perth and one from Inverness!
Lypha dubia	Magpie larva

7 May 2019 First flowering speedwells today (V. serpyllifolia and V. filiformis) and more invertebrates.
Gymnocheta viridis	Cheilosia albipila
Micropterix calthella

10 May 2019 A good day for flies and beetles!
Eristalinus sepulchralis	Xylota segnis
Meloe violaceus (Violet Oil Beetle)	Rhagonychra nigriventris (formerly R. limbata)

11 May 2019 My first (and probably only) Skinadin damselfly.

Large Red Damselfly

14 May 2019 This longhorn beetle takes the total for Skinadin to 400.

Rhagio bifasciatum

15 May 2019 Another fruitful visit to Skinadin.
Four-spotted Chaser	Pyrausta purpuralis	Crambus lathionellus

16 May 2019 Another fruitful visit to Skinadin.
Eriozona syphoides	Chrysotoxum arcuatum	Cionus scrophulariae
Necrophorus vespilloides	Phyllobius pyri	Probably Rhogogaster viridis (though R. chlorosoma is very similar)

17 May 2019 Just a short outing today, but still a couple of new things.
Staphylinus erythropterus	Micropterix aureatella

19 May 2019 Still managing to find new things every time I return to Skinadin.
Ruby Tiger	Garden Tiger
Craspedolepta nebulosa	Ancylis badiana

20 May 2019 I really wasn't expecting to get an ID for this very nondescript beetle.
Galerucella tenella	Epiblema scutulana

23 May 2019 More beetles.
Cantharis nigricans	Vine Weevil

24 May 2019 A really good session today with new plants, flies, bugs, beetles and moths.
Pedicia rivosa	Helophilus pendulus

27 May 2019 Lots of snipe flies about today. The other fly is one I haven't seen before and, conveniently, can be identified on the basis of the associated plant (Marsh Thistle in this case).
Rhagio scolopaceus	Tephritis conura

28 May 2019 My first shieldbug of the year and a very common sawfly.
Hawthorn Shieldbug	Tenthredo livida