Daily Diary: July 2006
1st July 2006
At Framingham Earl, a Horse Chestnut was absolutely infested with mines of Cameraria ohridella, an incredible number considering the species first appeared in Norfolk in August 2004.
2nd July 2006
A few hours around Shotesham, in the vicinity of our new house to be, produced Whitethroat, Linnet, Green Woodpecker, Moorhen, Emperor Dragonfly, Large Red Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral and Speckled Wood.
A warm night so I put the trap out again. An excellent night with 103 species recorded. Highlights were Beautiful Hook-tip, Small Dotted Buff, Green Silver-lines, Leopard, Small Elephant Hawk, Bordered White, Lilac Beauty and Platyptilia ochrodactyla.
Beautiful Hook-tip, Stoke Holy Cross, 2/7/06
Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Stoke Holy Cross, 2/7/06
Platyptilia ochrodactyla (note banded hindlegs), Stoke Holy Cross, 2/7/06
3rd July 2006
Large Skipper, Ringlet and Meadow Brown seen by the river in Thetford at lunchtime. Also, the Horse-chestnut tree where I found the first west Norfolk mines of Cameraria ohridella in late summer 2004 is now infested. At home, Tom found a moth on the stairs which turned out to be Aglossa pinguinalis (Large Tabby).
Aglossa pinguinalis, Stoke Holy Cross, 3/7/06
4th July 2006
Walked around Whitlingham Great Broad in the morning but little of note, apart from Black-tailed Skimmer, a singing Garden Warbler and a brood of four Mute Swan cygnets. Put the trap out again in the evening and caught 86 species, highlights being Scarce Silver-lines, Small Fan-foot and Shark.
5th July 2006
Nothing of note
6th July 2006
A pair of Stone-curlews (one colour-ringed) at the usual site this morning. No sign of any juvs, or the second pair, but the vegetation has deepened considerably since I last came. Also a Woodlark calling and several Ringlets. At lunchtime, a walk on Barnhamcross produced the first Roesel's Bush-crickets, Small Skippers and Essex Skipper of the year, along with Small Heath and Small Copper.
7th July 2006
Ran the MV in the garden for the weekly count. A total of 431 moths of 77 species was a little lower than might have been expected, but the night was quite cool. Highlights were Small Emerald, Small Fan-foot, Rosy Footman, Lilac Beauty, Golden Plusia, Ypsolopha sequella, Calamatropha paludella and Pempelia formosa. The most numerous species were 57 Uncertain, 45 Common Footman, 31 Crambus perlella and 27 Dark Arches.
8th July 2006
Saturday - nothing of note.
9th July 2006
Went to Minsmere with the boys in the morning. Not spectacular, with a cold strong wind blowing, but good views of at least 21 Spotted Redshanks, 10 Little Gulls, Ruff, six Barnacle Geese, an eclipse male Wigeon, Marsh Harrier, Bearded Tit, Little Tern but no sign of the recent Roseate Terns. In the evening put the trap out hoping the southerly wind might blow in some migrants but it didn't, apart from three Silver Ys. A total of 66 species, with Double Lobed, Green Arches and Ebulea crocealis the highlights.
10th July 2006
A Common Tern flew over the garden calling first thing in the morning. At lunchtime, a short walk on Barhamcross Common produced the first Brown Hawkers of the year.
11th July 2006
Nothing of note.
12th July 2006
At work, lots of Roesel's in the usual meadow by the river, plus Red Admiral, Ringlet, Brown Hawker and the first Gatekeeper of the year. In the evening, trapping in the garden produced 75 species, highlights being two Drinkers, two White Plumes, three White Satin, Small Dotted Buff, Rush Veneer and six Silver Y.
13th July 2006
Nothing of note
14th July 2006
A Buzzard over the Kilverstone roundabout in the afternoon. In the evening, ran the trap for the Garden Moth Survey. Rather cool weather and only caught a measly 177 moths of 49 species, those of most interest being White-line Dart, Rosy Rustic, Iron Prominent, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing and five Silver Y.
15th July 2006
Went to Buckenham Marshes in the morning where seven Ruff on the first pool, three Little Egrets in flight over the marshes and a Yellow Wagtail. In the afternoon, walked around Whitlingham and took the opportunity to fill in the WeBS count for the month - two Great Crested Grebe, three Cormorants, 37 Mute Swan (+1 brood), 35 Greylag Goose (juvs now well grown), 26 Canada Goose, 24 Egyptian Goose (+ 1 juv), 105 Mallard (+ 2 broods), 31 Coot, five Black-headed Gull, five Lesser Black-backed Gull.
16th July 2006
A couple of short walks at Poringland Woods were quiet but I did pick out about five Purple Hairstreaks there in the afternoon. During the middle of the day, attended the village fair where a bonus was a Hummingbird Hawk-moth that seemed to be attracted by the colourful bouncy castle!
17th July 2006
80 species trapped in the garden, highlights being Catoptria pinella, Pine Hawk, Olive, Knot-grass and Nephopterix angustella.
18th July 2006
Nothing of note.
19th July 2006
93 species trapped in the garden, highlights being Dark Sword-grass, Round-winged Muslin, Donacaula forficella, Golden Plusia, Lunar-spotted Pinion, three Small Emerald, Magpie, two Double-lobed and two Knot-grass.
Lunar-spotted Pinion, Stoke Holy Cross, 19/7/06
20th July 2006
Nothing of note.
21st July 2006
Ran the trap for the Garden Moth Survey, recording 494 moths of 95 species. The undoubted highlight was my first record of the distinctive pyralid Oncocera semirubella, which may have been the first recent record for Norfolk. Other species of note were two Scarce Silver-lines, two Calamatropha paludella, Epiblema foenella, Gothic, Plain Pug and Svensson's Copper Underwing (identified from the dark palps with small pale areas on tips).
Oncocera semirubella, Stoke Holy Cross, 21/7/06
22nd July 2006
Still Red-eyed Damselflies and Emperor Dragonfly around the lily pool in Eaton Park. At Stoke Holy Cross in the evenings, the first calling Dark Bush-crickets of the year. In the evening, ran the trap and recorded 101 species with highlights being Sitochroa palealis, Round-winged Muslin, Small Rivulet, Cydia splendana, Tinea trinotella, Leopard Moth, two Buff Footman, two Dark Sword-grass, two Helcystogramma rufescens, Lilac Beauty, Least Yellow Underwing and Svensson's Copper Underwing.
Sitochroa palealis
23rd July 2006
Walked around Marsham Heath in the morning, finding little of interest, except for a Black Arches on an oak trunk, a late Buff Ermine and Argyresthia goedartella. In the evening, Little Owl calling behind the garden.
24th July 2006
First Alucita hexadactyla of the year in the house. In the garden trap, the night was a bit cooler than of late with just 65 species recorded. However, these included two new ones for the garden, Clouded Magpie and Aspilapteryx tringipennella. Other species of note were five Knot-grass, Nomophila noctuella, two Silver Y, Pine Hawk, Small Wainscot, Campion, Small Mottled Willow, Brown-tail and Ear Moth (sp.)
Clouded Magpie and The Magpie Aspilapteryx tringipennella
Small Mottled Willow Small Wainscot
The Campion
25th July 2006
Went to Great Yarmouth this morning with the family. Loads of Little Terns along the seafront and the colony seemed to have lots swarming around it off to the north. A surprise was two Arctic Skua (one light, one dark), flying north quite close in shore - my first this year. At least three Mediterranean Gulls around the beach also (adult, first summer and a juvenile). One tatty Painted Lady too. On the way home, a Swallowtail flew over the A47 about a mile west of Acle. Oak Bush-cricket was found in the garden at lunchtime. In the afternoon, went to Shotesham ford where I realised that one of the trees there is a small plane tree, complete with occupied mines of Phyllonorycter platani. No trap tonight, although did find the Phoenix inside.
26th July 2006
At work, at least five Painted Lady and lots of Red Admirals on buddleia. In the evening, a major thunderstorm but I still put the trap out. Rather soggy in the morning and with a cracked bulb but still 70 species, the highlights being the first garden records of Synaphe punctalis and Argyrotaenia ljungiana (although I suspect I'd been throwing away the latter species for several days this week as unidentified). Also nine Silver Y, seven Plutella xylostella, two Knot-grass and a Round-winged Muslin.
Synaphe punctalis Argyrotaenia ljungiana
27th July 2006
A Meal Moth was found in the kitchen by day. Trapped again in the evening, with 76 species this time. Most notable was a mass emergence of at least 60 Acentria ephemerella, along with Fen Wainscot, Round-winged Muslin, Agonopterix alstromeriana, 14 Silver Y, two Nomophila noctuella, seven Plutella xylostella, Double Lobed and Agapeta zoegana.
Agapeta zoegana
28th July 2006
Lots of Painted Lady, Red Admiral and Silver Y again at work around the buddleia. Speckled Bush-cricket in the house after dark. Ran the trap in the evening at home for the Garden Moth Survey with a total of 357 moths of 80 species recorded. The highlight was the first garden record of the newly colonising leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella (no. 668 for the garden), but also Marbled Beauty, August Thorn, Ypsolopha dentella, two Small Mottled Willow and two Bulrush Wainscot. Most numerous species were 84 Agriphila straminella, 24 Common Rustic spp, 21 Flame Shoulder, 16 Blastobasis lignea, 16 Setaceous Hebrew Character, 15 Riband Wave, 13 Silver Y and 10 Plutella xylostella. Only two Acentria ephemerella tonight, along with a Great Diving Beetle.
Ypsolopha dentella
29th July 2006
Walked along Rockland Broad in the afternoon. One Common Tern was the only bird of interest. Butterflies included Painted Lady, Small Skipper and Comma, whilst dragonflies were Blue-tailed Damselfly, Brown Hawker, Norfolk Hawker (a rather late one? along the ditches, cf. the high-flying Browns) and a Ruddy Darter. A Horse-chestnut by the staithe was seen to have no mines on it yet.
Trapped in the evening in the garden and recorded 85 species. A good night for migrants, with my second ever Ni Moth, a Bordered Straw, ten Silver Y and five Plutella xylostella. Also the rare crambid Platytes alpinella, an unidentified tortrix (probably Cochylidia sp.), Argyresthia albistria, Small Scallop and two Dusky Thorn.
Ni Moth Platytes alpinella
Cochylidia sp.
30th July 2006
Walked around Trowse Woods in the morning where little of note except that every single Horse Chestnut was completely infested with Cameraria ohridella. Down at Trowse Meadows, Common Blue and Small Copper were seen along with a Kingfisher.
In the evening trapped 67 species in the garden, including White-point, Small Scallop and Knot-grass, along with Great Diving Beetle and Dark Bush-cricket.
31st July 2006
Nothing of note.