Puzzling Insects

Friday June 21

Plans for a day out again stymied by the garden's needs. Adrian arrived at 9.00 to plant out my 70 sweetcorn plants. The kernels freeze very well so it's worth growing two packets of seed. There's also room in the veggie plots as I have cut down on the variety of veg grown. 

Late morning, we decided to try Strumpshaw for butterflies. The sun was out so hopes were high. 

This is a very popular reserve these days but I was still surprised to find all the car parks apparently full. We found a space, crossed the railway line and parked ourselves at the wild flower bed near Reception. 

This bed has a wooden post full of holes, which insects love. We then spent half an hour trying to pohotograph the stunning Ruby-tailed Wasps which appeared for a short while before diving down another hole. What were they up to?

Chrysis ignita, also known as the ruby-tailed wasp, is a species of cuckoo wasp. Cuckoo wasps are kleptoparasites – they lay their eggs in the nests of other wasp species and their young consume the eggs or larva of the host wasp for sustenance. These wasps have a number of adaptions which have evolved to equip them for their life cycle. Chrysis ignita parasitize mason bees in particular. Ruby-tailed wasps have metallic, armored bodies, and can roll up into balls to protect themselves from harm when infiltrating the nests of host bees and wasps. 

I have yet to ID this bee species. Some sort of Mason Bee? 

This insect also appeared on the post.

 A Black-tailed Skimmer made a brief appearance, too fast for me.

 Seeking some shade, we moved to a nearby pool where Azure Damselflies mated and oviposited, mostly in the distance. 

Pam visited the  Reception hide to buy a drink and was told that there were Swallowtails everywhere at the moment. One had just flown past the hide.... 

On the way back, she was told that a Swallowtail had flown past where we had been sitting. Ah well. Another visit is not a penance.

I also photographed this wildflower beside the pool. The nearest I've got is Tansy ? But there are not enough flower heads......It's Black Medick

 

Deathshead Caterpillar update

Growing by the day and eating voraciously. The largest is 7+ cms long.

Country Lanes

Saturday June 15

After a week of rain and a full day of gardening yesterday, it was lovely to be out looking at what the countryside had to offer. All the rain did mean that the ground was perfect for planting leek seedlings. Hessayon says that the plants should be pencil sized, mine were biro refills. Adrian did all the hard work, aided by Pam. My contribution was preparing the 70+ leek plants and sowing the peas in the usual guttering. That means that the mice and Pheasants don't eat the seed and I can plant out a ready made double row of peas. The Runner Bean, Sweetcorn and French Bean plants are also ready to go out in the ground.......

Meanwhile, we went out for the day. Two more Painted Ladies nectaring on the front border gladioli did not hang around whilst I located my camera. We had two specimens yesterday, There has been a general influx along the east coast. 

Remarkably little traffic considering that it was a June weekend. Our first stop was Sculthorpe Mill car park in the hope of seeing Spotted Flycatcher. No luck, neither were the Grey Wagtails present. Here has always been a gimme for that species. The Ebridge Wagtails have been frightened away by the continuing work on the lock gates so that's two of our sites gone.

We always explore a country lane in the Harpley area. It entails a sharp turn right over a double yellow line in the hope that oncoming traffic allows it. The lane is as I remember from my youth. Traffic free, hedges and verges untended. The verges do not contain as much plant variety - yet anyway - but froth with wild carrot, Cow Parsley, Hogweed, Veronica, White Bladder Campion, Mullein, vermilion Poppies and Dog Roses.

Two more Painted Ladies nectared busily, plus a good number of bees and hoverflies. 

 
I was photographing through the driver's window from the passenger seat throughout the day. Everything seemed to appear on that side. 

At the road junction near the cottages, whilst watching the House Martins zooming about, I noticed a movement near a muddy deposit on the road. There has always been a House Martin settlement in these cottages and this year is no different. Pam rolled quietly forward and parked opposite the mud. We spent the next ten minutes trying to photograph these hyperactive little fluffy-thighed twitterers, collecting mud for their nests. Most enjoyable, if not totally successful.

Still high on this experience, we drove across the road and Pam saw two Turtle Doves on a roadside wire. They flew as soon as we stopped but a short reverse brought them into view again, they hadn't gone far. So few around this year, I'd almost given up hope of seeing one.

We'd intended driving to Snettisham where Ian saw Turtle Doves and then, trying Titchwell again if we failed. As that was unnecessary, we took the Abbey Farm back lane, where we saw Bullfinch and Red Kite, before driving north to the sea. 

We lunched in Holme NOA car park before driving back to try and photograph the Common Spotted Orchids. I have some shots but they are all partly obscured by tall grasses and not completely sharp.

 We'd heard a tremendous frog chorus coming from the pools on the way out but couldn't see any.  I'd suspected the identity of the perpetrators. Listening to an online recording of Natterjack Toads in full chorus confirmed it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT8srHReGGo 

Brilliant. A new experience.

Ramdomly parked, and too many, cars at Brancaster Staithe saw a quick turn-round and on to Wells pools.

Not excellent viewing from the car park but better than not at all. Eight Spoonbills fed distantly. Most unusual to see them doing anything other than sleep.

We couldn't see the reported Wood Sandpiper. Not surprising as the pool edges are well vegetated and almost impossible to see any from that distance.

Full of flowers, birds, butterflies and contentment, we drove home to watch the highlights of England thrashing the Windies in the cricket World Cup.

Moth Cats

Sunday June 9

Arriving home from Uist with a moth pot containing hatching Puss Moth eggs, we found that a neighbour had taken into her care my Deathshead Hawkmoth caterpillars. These should not have arrived until after we'd got home.  To her great credit, she'd opened the package and fed the cats on hibiscus leaves as she '' thought they'd be exotic and that was the only exotic plant she had''. B has always been interested in our catch and always appears to watch Pam empty the moth trap egg boxes in their garden. 

Since then, Pam has been caring for minute caterpillars, the Puss in one container, the Deathshead in another, one on Buddleia, the others on Sallow. 

May 29

 

Deathshead Hawkmoth

Puss Moth

Although Deathsheads are said to feed on Potato and Tomato leaves, ours prefer Buddleia. We're going to try Privet next, next door has some.

In addition to this, I also have a large Hawkmoth chrysalis resting on some soil in a net  breeding cage. This also has some dead twigs so that the emerging moth (fingers crossed) can climb up to dry its wings. 

 Exciting times. And sad. Half the the Puss cats  have died. Reputed to be notoriously diffiucult to breed helps a bit. The remaining cats, of both species, are growing well.

June 9

Puss Moth

Both the above are Deathshead Hawkmoth cats, colours are variable

A potted Sallow and a Pink flowered Buddleia are waiting for their larger, and very hungry, guests to arrive. Should be another week or two.

Grimes Graves

Wednesday June 5

A new moth-ing site for a Butterfly Conservation  organised morning. Sharon put out three small actinic Heath type traps last night - we wished it had included at least one MV Robinson. They were put out during heavy rain, the eggboxes were very wet and droopy.

Our early start was worth it. As soon as we parked, David N brought a pot containing a superb Speckled Yellow for us to admire. It's a day flyer which we are unlikely to see as it needs walking in the Brecks to do so. He'd potted it especially for us, people are very kind. Thank you David.

The traps were lacking in quantity but there was enough quality for all. Rosy Marbled was the absolute top moth, even new for Greg. Such a fresh well-coloured specimen too. 

Small enough to be a MIcro but the distinctions between Micro and Macro are rather arbitrary - thought to be a means of dividing the moths into reasonable numbers for field guides !

Our third new moth was the breath-takingly beautiful Cream-spotted Tiger. Reasonably common in the Brecks, several were trapped. The hind wings are a bright orange.

 

Pam took this for me

Tony brought a Four-spotted Footman, Sand Dart and a Marbled Clover.

I thought that Reddish Light Arches was new but we'd seen one at St Helens last year. 

Pam took this for me

 A trap had been set for us at Weeting NWT too but there was nothing new, A few more Cream-spotted Tigers and lovely Clouded Buffs.

Most of the group then went on to Cranwich where  Small Blue butterflies had been found this week. They found two, plus eggs on a foodplant. This species has not been recorded in Norfolk since the last century.

 

This is our smallest resident butterfly with a wing span that can be a little as 16mm. The sexes are similar in appearance, although the male upperside is almost black with a dusting of blue scales, whereas the female is more dark brown in colour. Both sexes have an underside that is silvery-grey in colour, and not unlike that of the Holly Blue.(UK Butterflies)

 

Phew ! What a Scorcher

Sunday June 2

Knowing that we were forecast heat to-day, we set off soon after 7.30 a.m. Up much earlier but chores such as the moth trap, cleaning out and supplying fresh food to two sets of caterpillars plus refreshments for the day takes time. Especially when all of it is done by one person, Pam. 
The highest temperature the car external thermometer recorded during the day was 25C. That plus humidity as there was a cloud cover build-up, made for some discomfort. Thank goodness for temperature control other than open windows. Birding was steady if unspectacular. Definitely short of waders, one of our favourite groups, due to low tide at Snettisham and too many paddling,  picnicing, boating and sunbathing public.
Brancaster Staithe, Burnham Ovary and Blakeney were swarming. Good to see so many families enjoying the seaside and the weather but not conducive to birds.
It was dog walkers ay Sculthorpe Mill. Two run-ragged Pied Wagtail parents braved the close intruders to return to their broods with insect crammed beaks. A Mistle Thrush made journeys to feed on ivy berries in the car park, a Song Thrush sang distantly, no sign of any Spotted Flycatchers nor Grey Wagtails. Such a lovely location.
One Tree Sparrow amongst the House Sparrows in our usual spot.

We were delighted by minute Red-legged Partridge chicks chasing their parent through the - must have looked massive - roadside grasses. I wasn't quick enough to capture the moment, only the fast departing adult.

We did end up adding three year ticks. A Lesser Whitethroat was busy feeding its newly fledged young at Holme. Whilst stopped to view what's left of the Marsh Orchids in the horse field, a single Hobby whizzed through.

Stock Doves are really handsome little doves, often wrongly identified as feral pigeons. They are easily spooked too.

 
Two Spoonbills and a handsome male Marsh Harrier at Holkham with more Greylag than I wanted to see. 

We had to wait until Blakeney for the third. To our surprise, there were no cars parked at the Friary Hills entrance gate, despite the hordes in the harbour. Pam was able to park so that we could scope the distant cattle with the caramel coloured, heavily muscled, bull. At first there was no sign of any white egrets. Disappointing. Suddenly, seven Cattle Egrets took flight from behind the bushes before settling amongst the cattle - many out of sight again. Eleven birds, Norfolk's record flock, have been reported.

Top left..... Marsh Harrier and a Red Kite. Accidental !

We ended a lovely day out with a visit to the Wells pools which a friend described as 'secret'. Laughable - widely reported on both pager and popular Blogs, the pools have been both  productive and popular this spring.  We drove the track, again finding ourselves alone in the parking area.
Two other birders arrived and strode off towards the sea before we left.
Seven Black-tailed Godwits were startled into flight by something unknown, Avocets and a couple of young kleeped the shore, two Redshanks at last, Shoveler, Shelduck, Gadwall, a few Canada Geese  and many Greylag were widely scattered in a fairly extensive area. Two Marsh Harriers and two Red Kites patrolled the sky. 
To-day was enjoyable for the flower filled hedgerows and verges.We drive several secluded lanes, rich with frothing Cow Parsley, Coltsfoot, Birds Foot Trefoil and, in the field verges, Phacelia and the red vetch, trifolium incarnetum. Phacelia is not native but often planted in setaside field edges as green manure. It's a deep blue and popular in the Harpley area. 

Very few butterflies, two Brimstone and a couple of Large Whites, a few Orangetips and little else.

New Moth

Saturday June 1

Pam had already decided that a day's birding on Sunday the 2nd would be better than the last Saturday of a Bank Holiday and Half Term week, when the Silvery Gem whatsapp informed us of a very desirable Hawkmoth which had been trapped overnight  in the Cley area.  The finder joins the group at Cley on Thursdays and had generously allowed his find to be both publicised by another member and, visitors allowed. Pam and I were unable to go on Friday as the car was in the garage having a new battery fitted ( a result of spending 5 hours in Cley Centre car park on Thursday afternoon, waiting for the AA, when our car wouldn't start). 

This is what we found.

A long 'wanted' moth, the result of an overnight wind from North Africa. Holme NOA trapped two of them the same night. A lovely moth.