Moths and Butterflies

Tuesday August 16

Natural Surroundings Moth day. Always enjoyable when we can add to the occasion. We got up extra early to process our own overnight trap, potting four to take in with us. A Pale Prominent because we're catching at least one regularly and they don't appear at either Cley or here. 

A Magpie has turned up but this was our first for the year, far too flighty to risk anything other than an 'in the pot' shot.

 One of the others caused much debate, Greg's original prognosis later changed to a Lesser-spotted Pinion by Andrew, Richard and Greg - after much book comparison. Great, new for our garden and a lifer for us and several others.

The others were: a Maiden's Blush, which looked very unlike the Lewington drawing (the dark rear wing splodges ) 

and a Mottled Beauty, small enough to be a Micro but it's a Macro.

Greg brought in a lovely Bordered Pug.

 After the usual drink and chat, Pam and I drove to Warham Camp. A muggy and rather windy day which needed patience to see anything perched or flying. The sheltered, hedge-lined track on the way in had Small Copper and Meadow Brown. I photographed a female of the latter species.

The end gate was padlocked, I had to heave myself over a stile, my knees do not like the high steps required.

When we reached what I call the inner moat, I sat to survey the scene whilst Pam climbed down into the moat. Someone waved at me... it was Judy D and four others doing their annual butterfly survey of the site for the Butterfly Association. They'd only found 200 Chalkhill Blues compared with 2,000 in 2015 and 7,000 in 2014. A big crash. It is an introduced and isolated species at its most northerly range with no prospect of fresh genes.

I joined Pam in the moat, walking a narrow path through a beautiful array of wild flowers.

We probably saw eight males and a female Chalkhill Blue, which led me a merry dance, as I was armed with my bridge camera only. A long lens where one can spy from a distance is better. It's a very small butterfly and all the species we saw were heavily worn and damaged this late in the season.

One Common Blue, even smaller and much brighter, allowed me one shot before it did its butterfly dance, an apparently aimless, wafting and rapid direction- changing wind assisted swoop and glide across the moat's walls before finding the 'right' flower. A tremendous waste of energy but mesmerising to witness.

A most enjoyable day.

 

UK Tick No. ?

Wednesday August 3

My birthday. Coffee morning at Joan's first, then, the first outing for my new butterfly net at East Ruston Common. Very windy indeed, gusts of up to 40mph, not conducive for flying butterflies. We glimpsed Small Skipper, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown - I netted two Grasshoppers !

Thursday August 4

Jem turned up at Cley for this morning's session with a Wormwood in a pot, new moth for us. Excellent. 

After a pretty awful, chaotic and disorganised moth session with few moths of any note - it was an open morning - we drove to Minsmere. There has been a potential 'first for Britain' bird here since last Sunday and this was our first opportunity. The bird was on South Girder Pool behind South Hide. The path was chokka with 40 + birders when we got there. We 'excuse me'd ' very firmly, as advised by Ann D  and got through to a clear area from which we both saw the WESTERN PURPLE SWAMPHEN before it disappeared into the reeds. As suggested by Sue B, we then entered the hide, and climbed to the upper floor. Ten minutes later, the occupants of the seat facing the pool left and we took their place. Great, an uninterrupted view of the pool. It did get rather cold with a fierce wind blowing straight into our faces. I closed the glass hatch at one point for a brief respite and the amusement of the two sitting behind us when Pam used her bins to look through the gap between the glass and the hide. We counted 14 Little Egrets on the pool at one time.

A couple of older male birders amused and irritated by pontificating about this bird's origin, totally confusing it with the grey-headed Asian species often found in captivity and seen as escapes in the UK. This bird is from the southern France population originating in Spain, which has dispersed northwards this year. There's another in Brittany at the moment.

An hour after it had disappeared the Swamphen appeared. It preened extensively, walked about a bit, flew a short way, preened again and melted into the reeds. Very distant with poor light, some rain at times, for photographs - apart from record shots.

More butterflies around the Buddleias near the Centre than we've seen all year, I wish we'd spent time studying them.

We left, happy and tired. 

Saturday August 5 

No sign of the Swamphen to-day. What a shame for the weekend crowds - and Minsmere's coffers. 

REALLY The First of the Month

Monday August 1

A pleasure to be setting off at 6.15 a.m. on such a beautiful morning. Cloudless sky and warm sun - it never got too hot to-day.  Shame about the birds, still hadn't hit double figures of species by the time we got to Valley Farm Lane. This visit was notable for seeing 30+ Tree Sparrows in the hedge and lane, they must have had a good breeding season. 

We met our gamekeeper friend near the barns, accompanied by his new dog which is a supposed Jack Russell with overtones of Dachsund ! He told us of finding many dead 'King Harry' - what he calls Goldfinches. Do they suffer from the same virus as Greenfinches?

Abbey Farm Hide added a moth to the list. Pam had her camera but is not happy with the result, the moth group think it's some form of Rustic........

Pam found a Sparrowhawk on its prey, roadside, immediately before Flitcham Village. She took a few shots through the windscreen. It was obscured for me, she was good enough to inch across the road so that I could manage a few before it took off. 

Snettisham looked glorious. A real edge to the wind under clear skies. We trawled the footpath dividing the RSPB pits from the chalet pit, looking for insects. We found one Small/Essex Skipper

a few bees and nothing else. Such a lovely selection of wild flowers in wide swathes too, what's happened to everything. No inter-connecting habitat could be the reason.

View north over the Chalet Pit from the footpath

West to the Wash from the footpath

Some of the vegetation

Despite the low tide-line, there was an excellent selection of both number and species of the 'usual' birds, on view. 
Curlew, Bar and Black-tailed Godwit, Great Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, 1 Turnstone, hundreds of Dunlin, Common and Sandwich Terns, Shelduck, Avocets, Knot,  Oystercatcher, Redshank and Lesser Black-backed Gull. All was good in our world.
Nothing flying at Holme either, apart from a single Red Darter patrolling  the boardwalk to The NOA Broadwater Hide . In total, we saw, 1 Small Skipper, 1 Comma, 1 Red Admiral and a few Large and Small Whites.
Two Tufted Duck, a few Avocets and some Mallard on and from the Broadwater. Why do I disregard the dozens of Greylag we have seen to-day?
Usually only open at weekends, we saw that the Hunstanton Ice-cream kiosk at Drove Orchards was open .......school holidays. One Lemon Meringue cone later, I saw these well grown young Swallows above the shop entrance, looking longingly at every passing adult.

 
Added

 I forgot to add 5 young Red-crested Pochard to our Titchwell day - previous entry

Long Time No Action

Saturday July 30

Well, no Blog action.  We've been very busy moth-ing. As well as the regular twice weekly sessions, we have attended several extra sessions. At Holme and Strumpshaw (second time for both) arranged by David N and, at Middle Harling, Catfield Fen and Cley arranged by the Butterfly Conservation Norfolk group. All very successful, apart from Middle Harling, where only one trap out of six had actually worked after heavy overnight stormy rain.

Strumpshaw was notable for the heat (!!),  a rare micro and two new moths brought in by John G - Festoon - and a Golden Plusia  brought in by James Lowen.

James also especially lured and brought in for us a Yellow-legged Clearwing to last Monday's Yarmouth Bird Club meeting where he gave a very professional presentation promoting his latest book. The photo I took is quite embarrassingly bad, even for a record shot. The point and shoot camera I carry in my handbag, poor indoor light, an active little beast and a dirty pot. And the photographer........

At least, the yellow legs are visible.

Moths at home have increased in both species and number, still well down on previous years.  A few of the more attractive ones.

Marsh Carpet, very rare, brought to Greg's by David N.

Kent Black Arches - twitched at Steve's in Cantley. Caught our own very tatty one the same night.

Peach Blossom

Ruby Tiger

The 5-6 mm Micro Argyresthia Brockeelia

Rhyaconia Pinicolana - 6-11 mm

We made it to Titchwell yesterday (Friday the 29th) at long last. Not until mid-day as we had the moth trap to see to first. It was also a record slow journey in a quarter of a mile queue behind an enormous harvester. We turned off with relief only to find the harvester in front of us. Fortunately, it took a right turn soon afterwards.

Titchwell freshmarsh was heaving with birds, most of then waders, the most we've seen for a long time. Water levels looked good too. We ended up in Island hide as all the benches were occupied by families - school holidays. Handsome Black-tailed Godwits were in the majority - after more Avocets than I can remember seeing in one place. Good breeding season? I expect that the dastardly and unsightly fenced off enclosure will be given credit for that. Maybe with reason? A small flock of Knot amongst the Godwit, Dunlin, most with vestiges of breeding black belly, two adult Curlew Sandpipers moulting into winter plumage, 4 Spotted Redshanks, Teal. Shelduck, Lapwing, Redshank, a small flock of Ruff and 7 Spoonbills.  There were 15 of the latter reported later, we only saw 7, the others must have been behind the island.

The pathside vegetation was devoid of insect life apart from 1 small Blue Damselfly, a Gatekeeper and a Meadow Brown. Not even any Bloody-nose Beetles trundling along the path.

After a chat with a very sad and upset Sue B in the car park (wish I'd won that huge Euromillions pay out) I photographed a baby Robin near our car. Pam is convinced it was unwell......

I hope to do some butterfly searching this weekend, so few about. Several in our garden to-day gives hope, mostly Large White and 1 Red Admiral. The garden is full of flowers planted to attract insects, the Buddleias look great as does the Nicotiana and Borage. Where are the butterflies to enjoy them ? Will they recover and if so, in what numbers?

Last Weekend, First in July

Sunday July 3

Nowhere near our best first of the month day, early July is in the doldrums, to-day was no exception. The birds are not singing much, Spring migration is over and Autumn migration is yet to begin, waders will soon start appearing. Add dismal weather........all day. Still enjoyable, despite Pam not feeling too good.

We struggled to see 60 species with no real highlights. It stopped raining for Snettisham, where we spent time trying to photograph the bees on the colourful bank at the end of the first pit on the reserve. Despite the wind waving the plants about, I took a few, less than wonderful, shots with my bridge camera set on C2 for close-ups.

A better photo of the Viper's Bugloss than of the bee

Acres of mud again at low tide, a few Avocets the closest birds.

There was also a flock of 30+ Black-tailed Godwits, all in breeding plumage, always good to see. Non-breeders returning or Summer stayers ?
A bedraggled Oystercatcher sat tight, keeping a wary eye on our passing car.

 

I was hoping to visit Titchwell to see the summer plumaged Great Knot . Pam was feeling pretty rough by then, so we went home. No wonder, she had developed Shingles by Wednesday, saw a pharmacist on Thursday - who diagnosed the suspected insect bites around her waist - and the doctor on Friday, after meeting PW for coffee at Cley. By Saturday the blisters looked like this, stretching from navel to spine on her left, making wearing waist bands very painful. 
By Saturday July 9 the vesicles looked like this. Hence to-day's flowing caftan !!
Stop reading now if of a squeamish disposition.

side view

 

close-up of a patch

back view

Mothing Rules

June 29/30

Wednesday the 29th was one of the group's 'extra' days, organised By David N. Unlike us - and distressing for me - we were a little late getting there. A tractor and trailer, followed by a fuel stop, the main causes. Barry and Ian, Scilly friends of Steve's, followed us through the gate where they'd been waiting, unaware that they could have opened it themselves ! They've been at all our sessions this week, staying at Wiveton. Barry actually shared the lft with us on the boat coming back from North Uist this year, Pam tells me......I'm hopeless, I just don't see people.
Sophie was there this time and led the opening of all three traps - chaotically. She had her back to us, writing the names down, muttering the names and passing the egg boxes in both directions. In addition, Steve and Andy were potting all the Micros so no-one saw them. A very strong, gusting wind did not help. The only new moth, in a poor overnight catch owing to the cold and wind, was a Fern. David was a happy man, it was new for him too. Very flighty, I only managed one poor photo of it on Mick's arm.

Barry and Ian are both avid photographers, Canon EOS with 100 mm macro lenses, ring flash and extenders. They posed the Pine Hawk-moth on the trunk of a pine.

A fairly quick drink for us at the cafe - we were meeting the Bridges and Neil Lawton at the White Horse in Brancaster to discuss next February's Thailand trip. Neil had brought his boat over from Scolt Head where he spends the summer working for Natural England. He seems to be very personable, knowledgeable and straight, I look forward to birding with him.
On the way home, in the rain, we diverted to Holt Country Park, where, we had been told by JB, we could find roosting Brown Long-eared bats. We found two little hunchy bodies which I attempted to photograph. The views were better after I'd edited the pics !

 

Thursday

Our usual weekly meeting at Cley turned out to be an open to the public one, much to everyone's surprise. About fifteen 'others' had turned up to witness the opening of a low catch. Poor overnight conditions again, Cley is usually good at this time of year, with several specialities in the reedbed trap.  The highlight of the morning was a Hornet Moth, a Clearwing species, brought in by David N who had pheromone lured it, near Holt, on his way this morning. What a stunning moth, one I'd long wanted to see. I managed a few adequate photos of it in the pot. 

One of the visitors was especially pushy with his small camera,  he actually moved the pot with the lens and hogged the space, until Anne D intervened.
David later posted some lovely photographs on Facebook. He'd taken the Hornet back to its habitat and was able to photograph it when released. 

Not the Right Weather

Saturday June 25

The day started with our best overnight moth catch of the year. 83 macros of 35 species - and many - as yet unidentified - Micros. 

For me, the best was this breathtaking Gold Spot in pristine condition, photographs don't do it justice.

Amongst the others were:

Pale Prominent 

Privet Hawk-moth

Small Blood-vein

Silver Y - another pristine example amd a migrant too.

The hot sunshine encouraged us to visit Hickling NWT reserve - the dark clouds appeared as we drove !

This reserve seems to have a rota of officious volunteer helpers. Our permits were closely scrutinised, then questioned as there was only one (they  were back to back in the case), npot having a year date, just April - our fault? I don't think so. I was not happy when I departed - most ungracious reception and typical of this reserve. A young warden stood beside her, gave us permission to drive to Whiteslea Lodge and tried to gently point her in the polite direction. She needed a bulldozer. 

The rain started, not heavy but persistent, with large drops. We sat in the car listening to Garden Warbler, Blackcap and  Willow Warbler, seeing the most Swallows of the year skimming the car park and reeds. 

The drops lessened and we walked directly to the aptly named Bittern Hide, Pam swishing her butterfly net in the verge-side vegetation. Only catching flies and one Damselfly. The Bittern boomed as we approached the hide and did so several times during the hour we spent in the hide. We did have a flight view after half an hour. Sharp-eyed Pam spotted these caterpillars on the way in. Peacock Butterflies in waiting I believe.

We saw at least six different Marsh Harriers, none close enough to photograph,  a female Black-tailed Skimmer, a Blue-tailed Damselfly and two pairs of Bearded Reedlings. Enough to keep us going but very slow under a black sky.

On the return journey, Pam saw this hairy beast, a Garden Tiger caterpillar, very shy, it kept curling up and dropping to the bottom of the vegetation. 

 

Yes !! Wales beat Northern Ireland and are through to the last eight of the European Championships.Not a good football match, too cagy but, a win.