Abbey Farm Moth-ing

Saturday July 27

6.15 a.m. is a little early for a Saturday rise but we had to be at Abbey Farm for 9.00, filling up with fuel on the way. Pam needs an hour to get the chores done before we leave. 

Just as well that we'd left enough time. A queue of us trundled along behind  a very sedately driven white car from North Walsham to Holt,  with no opportunity to pass.

This meet was a privately arranged one by Butterfly Conservation for our group only. The aim was to find out how things are doing on the chalk uplands here. Mike Gasson had put six traps out last night, all but one of them on the chalk.

We sat in the dark entry to a barn where tractors etc were stored, benches having been set up for us plus a light on a stand.It was a very dingy day and we all found it difficult to see the moths in the egg boxes as they were passed round. Greg, who was opening the traps with David scribing, had his back to the light  so had better conditions, thank goodness. 

The traps were all chokka. Nothing really outstanding and not many large nor colourful ones for the farmer and members of his family to see.

There were  seven of us, Ian and Sue, Kath and Mick, Tony, Pam and I, a woman from Norwich and the family plus a man who spent all his time = and ours - taking photographs. I'm amazed that Greg didn't remind him of the 'wait at the end' rule.

Scrutinising some of the potted Micros at the end, a small dark Plume moth was of interest. It may be a  scarce Wood Sage Plume, its caterpillar's food plant is present here.

 Many micros were taken away to be worked on by either Steve or Andrew. 

Best moth was one David brought along, trapped by Dave Appleton in Norwich. A Rush Wainscot, a Red Data Book (RDB) moth. Excellent. By now, the pot was dirty, full of scales etc so it's a pretty poor photograph.

 When we got home, we had our own trap to empty. Best was this Kent Black Arches, in fresher condition than any we've previously seen.

We also worked on a few of the micros. This is a Catoptria pinella

 

Unusual Day

Friday July 26

It all started rather normally. Very hot indeed, in the 30sC  Pam had put two traps out last night and we were inundated with both Micros and Macros. They are so active at the moment, every time I lift the lid, a cloud of moths escape. Oh the what ifs. What if one of them was a really good moth !

This Scallop Shell is a favourite, so delicately and intricately patterned.

Moth trap invaders are an entry in themselves. This is the first Lesser Stag Beetle we have found, trundling around, blundering into and through anything in its way..They feed on rotting wood. 

On entering the utility room, in response to the washing machine's final tuneful melody, Pam glimpsed a lizard or newt scuttling away. With Adrian's help, she trapped it in a butterfly net and he knelt to slide a piece of card underneath. It was a Common Lizard, it's tail rings bearing evidence of the tail having been broken off and re-grown at least once.

At the bottom of the trap we found a fully winged Roesel's Bush-cricket. We'd never seen one before.

Until the early 20th century, Roesel's Bush-cricket was only found on the south-east coast. Recent years have seen a rapid expansion in its range, particularly helped by roadside rough grassland and scrub providing a 'corridor' for it to travel along. It favours damp meadows and grassland, but can be found elsewhere. It is usually wingless, but a rare winged form does exist and fly, and may be more numerous during hot summers.

In the afternoon, the smoke alarm at the top of the stairs started bleeping. It drives me mad. Neither of us is capable - nor should we - climb steps to replace the battery in such a precarious place. Rai will help when he returns from North Walsham. 

Then.......in all the heat, the fan only whirred very slowly, the grill would only get warm and then stop heating, the trip switch went off and nothing but the lights would work when we sorted the trip switch. 

Barbara arrived. Their power was so low that nothing would work. So it wasn't just us. Rai rang the electricity people who said that there was a fault in our sub station '' due to the heat''. I'm surprised that it wasn't leaves on the line.

The promised 5 p.m. switch on did not materialise until 9 p.m. by which time we'd bought supper from Walcott and eaten it on the patio, enjoying the evening in the garden.

Sara theorised that the low power we were getting was from our solar panels, Rai and Barbara have them too. Must ask Rai, he was an electrical engineer by trade.

Multi Moth-ing

Wednesday July 4

Waw, a moth free day - apart from the two traps we put out in the garden last night. We are part of an actively led and participated in,  moth-ing group. We meet twice weekly from March to November. Tuesdays at Natural Surroundings, Glandford for members of NS or a weekly charge. Thursdays at Cley NWT Centre, charge free. All the regulars are NWT members. 

Then there's all the 'extras', often on a Wednesday, some on Friday, others on Saturday. Some are privately organised for the group, others part of the Butterfly Conservation organisation, others by Reserves such as Holme NOA.

Yesterday, we left at 7.15 a.m. for Blo Norton and Thelnetham Mill.  Sharon (BC eastern area co-ordinator), had put four traps out overnight at a Norfolk Fen site, hoping to check the presence - or not -  of Marsh Carpet. This a countrywide BC activity checking for the status of scarce and or declining spoecies.

There were six of us present, plus the County Moth Officer, his incumbent and Sharon. We were joined by a local lady for the first hour or so. 

No Marsh Carpet. I know that negative results are also important and I wasn't disappointed  by not seeing one to-day.  Three different Thorns, Fen Wainscot, Hemp Agrimony Plume and two new micros for me were the highlights plus the first Copper Underwing of the year. Stewart is very good on micros so the identification was slick.

A small group went on to walk the Fen with Sharon, looking for day-flying moths. Several of us had other commitments and left late morning. A very enjoyable, pleasant and relaxed moth-ing session with useful discussion re ID features.

Best of all for me was the small Macro brought in by Tony, trapped at Snettisham caravan park overnight. A Four-spotted. Here's the best photo I could manage through the usual scratched pot.

The moth cannot be kept for the others as Tony is away until Friday and needs to release this scarce moth in the trapping area. 

Death's Head update

Five of the caterpillars have pupated. 

From the left, in order of pupating:

Goliath, Samson(top), Duff (bottom, the last to pupate), Castor and Pollux.

Sitting in state, having a warm water shower every few days.

BC at Foxley

Wednesday July 17

Hickling PM

Sunday July 7

That's all for now..... PC in hospital until Monday 15 at least. 
5 caterpillars have pupated and buried themselves, sounds like a good idea. 
Partly pupated

 

Thursday July 16

PC is home - and I can't remember what I was due to write about. Here goes.

 Hickling is a mere 7 miles away which makes it convenient for a spare couple of hours. We drove very slowly to Whiteslea Lodge - allowed if you are a blue badge holder -parked for about an hour watching the surrounding area and then slowly back again. 

A family of Sedge Warblers kept us entertained, a Reed Bunting swayed from a reed-top perilous perch and a Hobby sped across the path before disappearing.

A Stoat running full speed down the track towards us before diving off intio the redbed gave no opportunities for photographing.

 Pam stopped at one of the mown paths leading up to the walkway, spotting a dragonfly at rest.

Another dragonfly was nearer, but, a challenge.

Two Swallowtail Butterflies sped past hotly pursued by a camera-wielding man. To no avail. He returned disconsolately.
We were lucky that the sun came out before we left encouraging the butterflies and dragonflies to become active.

Car Park Birding

Thursday July 4

Much of Cley Centre car park is fenced off, with many customers and birders having to use the overflow car park below. The recent heavy rain probably flooded out  nests and a pair of Little Ringed Plover decided that the car park surface was a good replacement for  shingle. 

To-day, we got round to walking to the picnic table mound in order to take some distant photographs. The distance is such that the birds appear to be completely unperturbed. I can't tell them apart but as soon as we arrived, one bird flew into the centre of the area and then, after checking all around, changed places with the sitting bird.

The photographs are of the relieved of duty, sitting bird, who then perched on a nearby log. 

A Morning at Weeting

Wednesday July 3

This was a Butterfly Conservation County moth-ing event with trap opening at Weeting Heath NWT Reserve. James, the warden, had put out his usual one trap at the reserve and four traps, produced by Regional Organised Sharon Hearle, were scattered in the nearby area. 

It was well attended - apart from the moths. Last night was cold in the Brecks so very few insects were on the wing. Apart from the disappointment of sparsely occupied traps, sad for both the organisers and the attendee s, it was worth going. A young man produced a Map-winged Swift which he had caught in Abertillery, South Wales, the centre fridge had a Plain Wave and a Royal Mantle in pots and I had three Micro ticks.Stewart was naming the micros before potting them and I had Andy, seated next door to me, resting his broken bone foot,  helping with the ID. 

The best moth for me was a Shaded Broad-bar. Unfortunately, as is so often the case at these events, it was in a dirty pot.

As everyone gradually drifted away, David N told us that a small group was about to go looking for a Horehound Plume, a real Brecks speciality. 

Wheeleria spilodactylus

(Curtis, 1827)

---

Wingspan 20-25 mm.

This rather attractive plume moth is a local species, found chiefly on the Isle of Wight and a few scattered localities in Wales and in southern England.

It inhabits mainly chalky soils, and is found on the wing from July to September.

The larvae feed on white horehound (Marrubium vulgare) and are well-camouflaged and difficult to see.

They'd be about an hour. I mentioned Forester.........We said we'd wait and spent a pleasant hour chatting to Val (me), Giles and Judy (Pam).

The men returned triumphant. Stewart knew the foodplant and they'd eventually found three Horehound Plumes and a worn Forester Moth. I was delighted.

A really enjoyable session when a few men put themselves out to please the attendees. Thank you.

Cats, Tiger and Very Little

Sunday July 31

We'd planned a barbecue so I spent much of the afternoon making marinades, rice salad and bean salad. At 2.30 a phone call from Sue asking ' why aren't you here' sent us hurrying to Cley Centre. I'd missed the What's App group messages re David N bringing a Scarlet Tiger to the centre as from 2.00. He kindly said that he'd wait for us and was in the car park as soon as we arrived, carrying a a beautiful Scarlet Tiger he'd trapped in the Brecks at the weekend. A special event had been arranged at a previously untrapped wood.

In the pot, closed

On the gravel, wings open showing scarlet underwing

Thank you thoughtful Sue.

Cat Update

We think that they are growing a bit every time we look at them ! To-day, they had to be fed three times. Here is a very short movie of one munching.

I hope it works......IT DIDN'T so I removed it.

By the evening, two of the biggest were rampaging about, throwing the earth tray contents around and burrowing under the lining paper. Time to pupate ?

 Monday July 1

Despite an early start and a warm and mostly sunny day, birding was very slow indeed. The worst this year. The highloghts were a Turtle Dove at Snettisham chalet park, Great White Egret and Spoonbills at Holkham and at North Pools Wells and so many handsome Black-tailed Godwits. A hundred of the latter at Snettisham, almost as many scattered at Holkham and about fifty at North Pools, Wells.
A female Stonechat at Holme was a surprise. The Natterjack Pool was invisible, just a carpet of green vegetation where the horses were feeding. A few Pyramidal Orchids amongst the Spotted. On the flower front, the Phaselia rich field edges are now a mass of blue Chicory  with a few yellow Rattle.
Raptors were missing too. Three Kestrels, one Red Kite, two Marsh Harriers - no Buzzards, usually the commonest.    .