Wurzel

[Paul Harfield]

Hi Wurzel

That 20 Plume Moth is an unusual one. I do not think I have ever seen one of those before

[Wurzel]

Cheers Jack I saw my first one last year and it was such a weird looking thing that I've kept my eye open for another one since.

Out and About in Aber 16-04-2014

After the delights of yesterday we had a visit to Aberystwyth planned and so having gotten to the town before my in-laws we parked and waited. While waiting I had a quick check out of the nearby drainage field – there are several of these all along the new town path ready to hold the waters should the Ystwyth swell during the winter. It was sunny but as it was early the temperature hadn’t risen I didn’t expect much so three Small Tortoiseshells was a nice bonus.

Once my in-laws arrived we headed straight into town and I saw at least 3 Speckled Wood on the inward journey and managed only a single grab shot as they were either flying low and not stopping or were up high amongst the branches beyond the range of my lens. Still those were my first for the year!
After we’d visited the usual shops, had lunch on the seafront and I’d paid my respects to Duncan I walked back to the car on my own while everyone else wandered over to the swimming pool. I managed to make the majority of the journey in 20 minutes so I had about a quarter of an hour to spare before driving over to the pool to meet them. It didn’t take me long to catch up with some Specklies. In total I saw about 5 all told as well as an unidentified White and another Small Tortoiseshell (they really are everywhere this year).

I got to the swimming pool a few minutes early so a quick walk around threw up a Peacock and a few more Specklies – had they been here all along or was this the day of mass emergence? Looking at the tears and damage to the wings of some I reckon it could be a bit of both as the few here were very fresh.

On the journey back there were numerous Orange-tips and Brimstones flying along the verges so I headed out up the Lane almost as soon as we’d gotten back. The first thing I saw was beautifully patterned moth which was fluttering along the banks and every now and again it would tunnel its way into the grass only to emerge a minute later and flutter weakly some more. Looking at it now I think it is a Water Carpet?

Leaving it tucked up I carried on up the hill to the farm drive where once again there was the/a Peacock and also a Green Veined White which was unusually relaxed. Another one appeared and after a brief squabble they both headed off in separate directions – one down the farm drive and the other further up the Lane. I followed this one as it ascended the hill hoping that it would stop and take nectar. It would fly in its fluttery fashion (almost as if it would stall and drop at any moment) along the bank, nip into investigate a flower and then carry on, nip in and investigate and then carry one. After 50 or 60 metres it would turn around and work its way back along the route it had already taken for about 20 metres and then it would turn again and fly in the same fashion for 50 or 60 metres. It had stopped once very briefly during this whole sequence and I was about to give up when it dropped down into the drainage ditch and stayed there wings wide open for a full two minutes. I couldn’t believe my luck and so getting wet knees I crawled along the ditch until I was almost on top of it.

Very brief stop...

A car went by and the spell was broken, the Greeny flipped its wings and disappeared over the hedge – gone! On the way back the Water Carpet was out in the open (possibly sunning itself) for some reason on a manhole cover so I was able to get a close up shot of one of its wings showing off the markings to good effect and a Small White flew by with a much more purposeful, less faffy flight.

Home tomorrow, Wales did me right with three firsts – Green Veined, Holly Blue and Specklies, I just hope the weather holds as I‘d like to try and find the other Greeny...
Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Neil Freeman]

...I hear that Whiskey is indeed a preventative of colds and flu - so drink a dram or two for your health ...

The Whisky(Scotch) seemed to do the trick, the sniffles lasted a day and then fizzled out Not sure if Whiskey(Irish) works the same. I'll have to conduct a bit of a practical experiment some time

Great reports on the Welsh Trip.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Butterflysaurus rex]

Wales turned out to be pretty good then Wurzel I've been to south Wales, there's some beautiful countryside there. I visited in late September many moons ago. I don't remember seeing many butterflies. I did see a few Welsh Dragons of course, a few Commons and a Migrant Hawker or two.

Best Wishes

B'saurus

[Goldie M]

Has I said in my diary Wurzal great photo's Goldie

[David M]

Do you know, Wurzel, I don't think I've ever seen a Speckled Wood nectaring on dandelion before?

[Wurzel]

Cheers Neil Glad to hear the remedy worked - your practical experiment sounds like one I'd like check myself - don't forget though that in order to ensure reproducibility you need repeat readings
Cheers Rex I think it was because I lowered my expectations to practically nil and as often happens when you give up something turns up
Cheers Goldie My camera seems to work better on brighter days - I think it suffers from SAD
Cheers David I seem to be having the luck with species on the wrong species at the moment - if only I could get a Swallowtail on a pine cone

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[MikeOxon]

Just been doing some catching up! In your post of 17th April, the first orchid is indeed an Early-Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula).

The pink plant towards the end of your post is, however, that rather strange and uncommon plant, the Toothwort (Lathraea squamaria). It's a parasite on the roots of Hazel and Elm, and gets everything it needs from the host plant. It has no chlorophyll and is below ground for most of the year, except when it pushes up the 'ghostly' flower spike in the Spring. I've a photo on my website at http://home.btconnect.com/mike.flemming ... ml#picttop of one I found in a local BBOWT reserve.

Mike

[Philzoid]

Hi Wurzel
Just got back from Easter oop North with some visits to Durham Whitby and the Yorkshire Dales. Some lovely weather and lots of Small Tortoiseshell (‘Scarce Tortoiseshell’ in Surrey ) Not much else apart from the odd fly by Small White.

Glad you got a ‘topside’ shot of the Water Carpet as the head-on underside was not diagnostic. It’s a species I’ve not seen before .

The little micro (Garston Wood 11/04/14) is (Dys)eriocrania subpurpurella I think. Excellent photos and reports as ever plus you’re two up on me now (Red Admiral and Large White)

Is Mikes' Toothwort similar to the Broomrape I found on Stockbridge Down

[MikeOxon]

Is Mikes' Toothwort similar to the Broomrape I found on Stockbridge Down

Similar, in that it is also a parasite with no chlorophyll in the family Orobanchaceae. There are many different species, which parasitize different plants.

Mike

[Wurzel]

Cheers Mike Thanks for the ID's I seem to recall seeing those plants before and someone saying something about teeth but now I know
Cheers Philzoid and welcome back Thanks for the ID, the micro was spot on, though I think I may now be 2 more ahead ...

Duke Site 18-04-2014

Part 1...

I’d watched with growing envy as report after report came flooding in featuring Green Hairstreaks and so having got everything sorted out after our return from Wales the day before I headed out and used up one of my Brownie point days. There were two places I thought about visiting and after much internal debate I decided to leave off on a visit to my Marshie site until they start emerging and so it was off to my Duke site. The journey there was a sombre one as I didn’t see a single butterfly the whole way and once on site despite the sun shining strongly the temperature was still low and being kept down by a cutting, gusty wind.

There were no Dukes on the path which last year had held 15 or more so it’s still too early possibly – this area seems to be anything up to 2 weeks later than the eastern counties in terms of emergences. There was my first butterfly of the day though can you guess what it was? Yep as usual it was a Small Tort – so my unofficial target of seeing a Small Tort at every site I visit is still within my grasp.

I took to wandering about and something very small and grey shot away – possibly my first Grizzlie – but it was too quick and despite heading to where it had appeared to land I couldn’t relocate it. Then a brownish thing bombed away which I did manage to follow. I had high hopes but it was a Burnet Companion Moth...

Finally my wandering paid off as just under a Spruce I found one of my target species- Greenstreaks! I managed to get right up close to one of them observing it cleaning its antenna by dragging/combing its leg along it.

cleaning antennae

Then I sat back and had a bite to eat while they bustled around me. I was surprised that they all stayed pretty low to the ground which I thought was a trait of the females but every now and again one would land low down in the spruce right at the end of the branch and would then fly out and intercept another passing ‘male’. There was a constant soap opera going on in front of me; one would settle and then another would turn up and off they would go, upsetting another one or two along the way. I also observed them angling their body to the sun and I couldn’t work out whether this was to warm up or blend in more with the vegetation?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Philzoid]

Excellent shots of the greenstreak I see i'm going to have to play my joker and get off to Denbies this weekend

[Neil Freeman]

Glad to see you have got your Greenstreak Wurzel none for me yet. Plenty of time yet though, its still early days in the midlands, we are well behind the South-East.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Butterflysaurus rex]

Nemesis totally tamed now Wurzel Some great photos as usual. I hope you locate some Dukes soon, they are next on my wish list.

B'saurus

[David M]

To think that this species once threatened to push you over the edge!!

Looks like redemption to me, Wurzel!

[PhilBJohnson]

I like the Green Hairstreak shots, Wurzel. I don't think I have ever seen one!
I must stop walking around with my head in the clouds and eyes closed
Best Wishes,
Philip

[Wurzel]

Cheers Philzoid Good luck at Denbies, don't see anything I wouldn't see
Cheers Neil As I'm on such good terms with the Greenstreaks now I had a word and a few set off - they should be there any day now
Cheers Rex I expect the Dukes will be added to your tally very soon now
Cheers David It came down to finding a good site, and they were like buses as last year I found 3 reliable sites - now I have the Greenstreak on the tally anything is possible
Cheers Phil I'm sure you'll have more luck with finding them than I did at first

Duke Site Part 2...

...Eventually I had to leave this fantastic little spot and went off in search of some other species further up the hill. I was unaware how strongly the sun had come on and it seems that the optimum flight temperature had been reached as all of a sudden the once barren vegetation was throwing up butterflies. A male OT led me up the hill where it was replaced by a Small White and whilst trying to follow this something tiny and grey shot off in veering flight; “a definite Grizzlie” I thought. Somehow I managed to follow it with my eyes and then as the sun went in so it went down and I was able to get close enough for some shots.

It took off as the sun came out and then when the sun went in again it dropped, literally, ending up in a small tree where it looked like it was trying to be a Greenstreak.

I hung around this little valley which was crawling with Greensteaks – again all on the deck and another male OT arrived, there was a Peacock, another Grizzlie as well as two Green Veined Whites. It was great seeing all of these butterflies but as the temp rose slightly further they got too active and they weren’t making any stops so I was able to make just the merest of snap and grabs.

Slightly lower down the hill back towards the Greenstreak area the vegetation was very springy and another Grizzlie stopped briefly. There was also a fly-by Small Tort but the real reason for staying here was the micro Mint moths.

After this I spent a good hour or so just walking the dusty paths around the area where the Dukes had been last year but all I got for my efforts was a female Green Veined and another Peacock.

So I headed off home, planning anther visit here in a week or two when hopefully the Dukes will have arrived. I took the back way home so I could make a brief stop off at the Woodfords to see how the Cuckoo Flowers were doing...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Maximus]

Nice shots Wurzel, glad you got to see your Grizzlie

[Paul Harfield]

Hi Wurzel

Well done on the Green Hairstreaks I am still looking for mine

[millerd]

A great selection there, Wurzel. Still to see my first Green ones and Grizzlies... The weather has been a pig when I've been free!

Dave