Lightthiscandle
David Bryant
Garden tick on the Heath today!
A Large Skipper this am: lots of Large Whites and Red Admirals, too!
A Large Skipper this am: lots of Large Whites and Red Admirals, too!
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Norfolk Butterflies and Moths (7 Viewers)
- Thread starter Birding Bob
- Start date
HarassedDad
Norfolk County Butterfly Recorder
I'm fairly convinced they are immigrants - one of the first sightings was of two at sheringham seen flying together with a large number of large whites that were coming in off the sea. Although they weren't actually seen flying in off, the location and proximity to other migrants is pretty convincing. I don't think we've had any emerging this year from last year's influx, but it's not impossible - they have been seen at both Holt CP and Foxley Wood, both of which had both males and females seen last year. But given that a female lays around 40 eggs, and mortality is typically around 50% - 75%, if we had a breeding site I'd be expecting a report of 10-15 individuals in the wood; so far we've not had more than three seen in any one location. (it's not impossible to have an emergence at very low survival rates, or for them to have dispersed as soon as they emerged - but in either case we don't have a viable breeding population. ) So they are migrants for now - but I'm very hopeful for next year seeing them become a full breeding population.
Conventional wisdom is that the frits died out in east anglia because of changes in woodland management, but I'm not convinced - mainly because the same changes were happening in the western parts of britain, where they survived. I suspect that the real cause was agricultural pesticides - more prevalent in the arable east than the sheep farming west - and in particular ddt. So there's no reason that they shouldn't recolonise the woods of east anglia, as long as there are enough violets for their caterpillars to feed on.
With new breeding sites in suffolk and cambridge, even if our migrants don't settle, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before we get some suffolk colonisers in the south of the county - I've got a couple of woods marked out that would be perfect if they can get that far.
PS Chalkhill blues now flying at warham camp - 10+ seen todqay
Paul Woolnough
Well-known member
Lack of Norfolk fritillaries
Fair comment.
I saw my first small pearl bordered fritillary in Surrey many years ago and before I saw all the other fritillary species (other than dark green which occurs in Norfolk).
Had not seen a small pearl b for years until a two week July holiday in Scotland up to last weekend. The similar pearl bordered species had gone over but I had sightings of small pearl bordered fritillary at various locations. None were on or near arable or 'farmed' land.
Anyone interested in British butterflies,will be interested in the Butterflies of Britain and Ireland published in 2010 (Thomas and Lewington). The small pearl b chapter describes the serious decline of that species in lowland Britain.
Distribution map on page 202 of that book - none anywhere close to Norfolk
Fair comment.
I saw my first small pearl bordered fritillary in Surrey many years ago and before I saw all the other fritillary species (other than dark green which occurs in Norfolk).
Had not seen a small pearl b for years until a two week July holiday in Scotland up to last weekend. The similar pearl bordered species had gone over but I had sightings of small pearl bordered fritillary at various locations. None were on or near arable or 'farmed' land.
Anyone interested in British butterflies,will be interested in the Butterflies of Britain and Ireland published in 2010 (Thomas and Lewington). The small pearl b chapter describes the serious decline of that species in lowland Britain.
Distribution map on page 202 of that book - none anywhere close to Norfolk
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Lightthiscandle
David Bryant
Definite large Frit through the garden yesterday! Didn't settle, but I saw enough to know it was a frit sp.
James Emerson
Norwich Birder
I saw three Brown Argus butterflies around Norwich today, one on Earlham Road near the cemetery and another two near Three Score. Also quite a few Red Admirals and Speckled Woods about.
firstreesjohn
Well-known member
Two silver washed fritillaries today at Swanton Novers NNR feeding on bramble along the track that runs throught he woodland. Remember there is no access to the woodland , but the track running down from the Church is a public footpath. Also plenty of red admirals and commas.
Lightthiscandle
David Bryant
At Strumpshaw today there were scores of Gatekeepers, Red Admirals, Peacocks and Meadow Browns as well as countless whites of all three common species.
On the back road to Buckenham the same again, plus a Purple Hairstreak.
On the back road to Buckenham the same again, plus a Purple Hairstreak.
NoSpringChicken
Well-known member
Yes, I saw lots of above there yesterday, with the exception of the Purple Hairstreak. There were also several Commas and Speckled Woods, one rather tired looking Small Tortoiseshell and a few Blues which wouldn't settle and which I couldn't identify. There was also a report of a Swallowtail on the board but I didn't see that!
Ron
firstreesjohn
Well-known member
Ladies
I have it on good authority that there were several Painted Ladies on the saltmarsh at Warham Greens yesterday.
Antlions have been seen in nearby areas, too.
Despite walking out to the metal bridge and 'duning' at Holkham, I was unfortunately unable to replicate the sightings. It was cool and somewhat windy.
I have it on good authority that there were several Painted Ladies on the saltmarsh at Warham Greens yesterday.
Antlions have been seen in nearby areas, too.
Despite walking out to the metal bridge and 'duning' at Holkham, I was unfortunately unable to replicate the sightings. It was cool and somewhat windy.
firstreesjohn
Well-known member
Nice Lady- Hmm!
Gramboro’s lone buddleia turned up trumps in yesterday’s hot sun, with a fresh Painted Lady and a patch tick: a Hummingbird Hawkmoth.
The butterfly would not play ball and resolutely refused to be in a suitable position for a good shot. The bank is a problem here, too, and I could easily have fallen. It hasn’t rained recently, so it would’ve been a tumble dry.
The Wall was another patch tick- this time for Pat at the Cley NWT VC.
A foray to Wiveton Downs and Blakeney Esker gave a few Purple Hairstreaks (their imperial glory much faded) and the gatekeeper depicted (RH photo).
Gramboro’s lone buddleia turned up trumps in yesterday’s hot sun, with a fresh Painted Lady and a patch tick: a Hummingbird Hawkmoth.
The butterfly would not play ball and resolutely refused to be in a suitable position for a good shot. The bank is a problem here, too, and I could easily have fallen. It hasn’t rained recently, so it would’ve been a tumble dry.
The Wall was another patch tick- this time for Pat at the Cley NWT VC.
A foray to Wiveton Downs and Blakeney Esker gave a few Purple Hairstreaks (their imperial glory much faded) and the gatekeeper depicted (RH photo).
Attachments
O.Reville1989
I started off with nothing and I've still got some
Ah now that has brightened up my day!
Tractorboy69
Well-known member
Lots of Chalkhill Blues out at Warham yesterday.
John
I think you meant to say Grayling!
Simon
John
I think you meant to say Grayling!
Simon
firstreesjohn
Well-known member
Gatekeeper
No, I didn’t, Simon- but well spotted. (I wondered who’d be quick on the ball.) Or, should I say, well marked ?
The Grayling was on the gate as I arrived, constantly returning to various parts of it, as I disturbed it photographically.
I was, thus, employing ‘gatekeeper’ (note unemboldened font and lack of capital letter) in the literary sense.
Walsey Hills NOA had this Painted Lady, 8 Peacocks, 2 Walls and a Red Admiral on the one buddleia today.
No, I didn’t, Simon- but well spotted. (I wondered who’d be quick on the ball.) Or, should I say, well marked ?
The Grayling was on the gate as I arrived, constantly returning to various parts of it, as I disturbed it photographically.
I was, thus, employing ‘gatekeeper’ (note unemboldened font and lack of capital letter) in the literary sense.
Walsey Hills NOA had this Painted Lady, 8 Peacocks, 2 Walls and a Red Admiral on the one buddleia today.
Attachments
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O.Reville1989
I started off with nothing and I've still got some
Kieren Allinson
Well-known member
Picathartes
Active member
Warham Camp
Visited the camp yesterday afternoon for my first views of Chalkhill Blue, a really striking butterfly. Without doing a formal count, I would estimate over 100 males on the wing and that was just from doing a half circuit of the camp. Only one female seen. The hedgerows along the footpath also had a lot of Gatekeepers, Holly Blue, Meadow Brown and a few roving Whites.
Visited the camp yesterday afternoon for my first views of Chalkhill Blue, a really striking butterfly. Without doing a formal count, I would estimate over 100 males on the wing and that was just from doing a half circuit of the camp. Only one female seen. The hedgerows along the footpath also had a lot of Gatekeepers, Holly Blue, Meadow Brown and a few roving Whites.
Attachments
HarassedDad
Norfolk County Butterfly Recorder
Yep - it's a male. (females have three spots on the forewings rather than two)
A walk behind the heliport at Yarmouth this afternoon produced 2 Wall and 4 Peacocks, along with the usual stuff. They were the first Peacocks I've seen this summer - hopefully a sign that they are starting to bounce back. A marshie started up and drifted over the helicopters towards caistor - should have been a nice garden tick for anyone looking up at the right moment.
A walk behind the heliport at Yarmouth this afternoon produced 2 Wall and 4 Peacocks, along with the usual stuff. They were the first Peacocks I've seen this summer - hopefully a sign that they are starting to bounce back. A marshie started up and drifted over the helicopters towards caistor - should have been a nice garden tick for anyone looking up at the right moment.
