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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Norfolk Butterflies and Moths (1 Viewer)

There's usually purples on the oak in the middle of the carpark at zaks as well.

In other news, I've just had to evict two old ladies from the kitchen (the moth that is, not oap's)

I suspect the first chalkhill's will be out by next weekend (if they're not out already)
After sightings at other sites than Warham last year it might be worth looking hard at any blue you see in the next few weeks wherever you are.
 
Painted Lady

If you were to have asked me what I expected to see at Gramboro' this afters, in strong NWlies, it would definitely not have been one of these.

I was, therefore, blown away, when I flushed one from some tall grass- and it was blown away, into the meadow and too shy for a photo.
 
Despite the rain and wind, my Buddleia held a nice selection of moths around 10pm this eve, with Old Lady, Bright-line Brown-eye, Herald, Dark Arches, Large Yellow Underwing and Yellow Shell either on or around it (plus a few others that avoided identification). Yesterday evening, in very windy conditions, it held Early Thorn, a Common Rustic agg., Gothic, Heart and Club, Lesser Yellow Underwing and a Dot Moth.
 
Bedstraw Hawk Moth Holme

Quiet on the bird front at Holme today, but a Bedstraw Hawk moth was a nice surprise out of the trap. Also putting on a good show were a number of Oak Egger moths, with at least 4 flying around the path and the hides late afternoon. 2 settled inside one of the hides turned into 3 together after the battery on the camera died ! Also shown Pretty Chalk Carpet , Shore Wainscott anmd lyme Grass from previous visits. Ray Roche
 

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Mega at Gramboro’ – Graylings at Walsey Hills

It felt like a migrant butterfly day, from the start. Approaching the main Buddleia, I glimpsed a Painted Lady. Then, as I drew nearer, a smallish orange fritillary flitted around . . . and vanished. I put down my walking pole and slowly scanned the bush: no sign. Carefully and slowly, I approached closer- only for it fly from the other side of a panicle and go over the top of The Hill into the wind and away. Curses ! I presume it was a Dark Green; but my views were execrable and I’m (almost) furious that I was unable to ‘nail down’ my first frit in the 16 years I’ve been covering The Hill.

A long search in every likely spot was fruitless. Another Painted Lady and a Small Copper were to the E of The Hill. A friend has proposed Antler Moth for the RH shot.

Walsey Hills NOA was productive, too: 6 or 7 Graylings, c10 Peacocks, 3 Red Admirals, c20 Small Tortoiseshell and 6 Painted Ladies.
 

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"smallish" isn't what springs to mind when talking about Dark Green - and there were a lot of migratory Diamond-backs in moth traps on the coast Friday...

In other news, at least 4 Camberwell's were released at a funeral at Colney on Wednesday, together with quantities of more exotic foreign species. So it will be interesting to see if I get any reports of any of them.
 
Dark Green fritillary today at Stiffkey. Like John I have been seeing a lot of SWF in the past few weeks (at swanton novers 9 last monday alone ) and the DG does seem a little smaller and I think a touch darker. My first DGF record for Stiffkey. Also large ,small and GV white , sm skipper , speck wood , ringlet , gatekeeper , meadow brown , red admiral , sm tort and my first peacock of the second flight period.
 
I agree that DGF is most probable - I was just alert to the possibility of migratory frits on the coast.

There was a Large Tortoiseshell at Queen's Hills, Costessey on Sunday - which might be a result of the release at Colney or might be a migrant. There has certainly been a large influx of migrants over the weekend: I have reports of Silver Y, Humming bird Hawk moths and painted ladies from sunday. And even more diamondbacks reported from coastal traps.

Sunday also produced reports of an unusual hairstreak seen at Ranworth which the observer thought might have been an Ilex Hairstreak (which would be a UK first), and a large insect at North Creake which that observer said reminded him of Freyer's Purple Emperor (again no UK records). Unfortunately both Ilex and the Freyer's are both species available from UK breeders, and could have been part of wednesday's batch - but both are also flying on the continent at the moment. On the third hand, no one has seen any of the obviously exotic butterflies that were released, and North Creake and Ranworth are a long way from Norwich. Unfortunately the release has fatally compromised any records, even if the sightings had been good enough to accept. (which they weren't).

So it's possible that there are some unusual migrants arriving on the coast. Certainly worth keeping your eyes peeled.
 
HarassedDad said:
I was just alert to the possibility of migratory frits on the coast.
Click to expand...

As was I- and as I said:
firstreesjohn said:
It felt like a migrant butterfly day, from the start.
Click to expand...

But, I think members would have baulked at my IDing in flight a Balkan Frit- and would have taken high dudgeon at a High Brown, or some other !

It is, however, deplorable that people are releasing these nominal rarities, for whatever reason. Is there a list of species to watch out for- and discard ? I suppose it’s akin to the fashion for loosing Chinese lanterns, which can (and do) do even more damage to nature and the environment.

Perusing a(nother) national butterfly forum, I could not find any migrants reported from the south coast (not of Norfolk!). But, wait: Large Tortoiseshell at Minsmere- an RSPB reserve in Suffolk.
 
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Yesterday I had 4 painted ladies and 2 GRAYLINGS on NWT grimston warren. Believe these to be first grayling records for roydon / grimston complex in about 50 years.
 
HarassedDad said:
There was a Large Tortoiseshell at Queen's Hills, Costessey on Sunday - which might be a result of the release at Colney or might be a migrant. There has certainly been a large influx of migrants over the weekend: I have reports of Silver Y, Humming bird Hawk moths and painted ladies from sunday. And even more diamondbacks reported from coastal traps.
Click to expand...

Either way it would have been nice to know about, living so close!

Have had good numbers of Diamond-backs and Silver Ys in my moth trap in Dereham, so penetrating inland!
 
Sorry Lizzie, I have one report 3rd august 2002 from grimstone and two reports 27 july 2003 and 24 aug 2003 from roydon. But you are the first to see two at once - all the other records are of singletons. (And those are the only records of greyling from the whole of tf62.

I don't have a list of what was released - enquiries are ongoing - but sadly it's probably tainted anything seen for the next few days. The "large tort " was seen again today and examing photos I suspect it's actually a yellow-legged tortoiseshell (very commonly bred and thus with no authenticated uk records as any sighting is automatically suspect)

It's frustrating because we know from dragonflies (where there are no releases) that european species are moving into the uk frequently - but we'll never get any data on migrations in butterflies until they actually breed here - single sightings are automatically regarded as suspect.

David - the yellow-legged/large tort was there again today and doesn't show any intention of moving. I'll try and get directions
 
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Not to worry, wasn't sure if it was true or not about 50 year gap. Will pass that info onto Bill.
There was another butterfly yesterday that we couldn't pin down an ID on but probably an odd looking painted lady
 
I've just seen on Twitter that the Netherlands are currently having an influx of Yellow-legged Tortoiseshells, which is interesting.

No exotics at Whitlingham this eve, but Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, GV White, Small Tortoiseshell (plus thousands of caterpillars), Red Admirals, Meadow Browns and a Gatekeeper.

HarassedDad said:
I don't have a list of what was released - enquiries are ongoing - but sadly it's probably tainted anything seen for the next few days. The "large tort " was seen again today and examing photos I suspect it's actually a yellow-legged tortoiseshell (very commonly bred and thus with no authenticated uk records as any sighting is automatically suspect)

It's frustrating because we know from dragonflies (where there are no releases) that european species are moving into the uk frequently - but we'll never get any data on migrations in butterflies until they actually breed here - single sightings are automatically regarded as suspect.

David - the yellow-legged/large tort was there again today and doesn't show any intention of moving. I'll try and get directions
Click to expand...
 

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Brown Argus

Lots of stuff flying at Strumpshaw yesterday, including several smart newly-emerged BAs (in the willow scrub near the Dr's Cottage) and Brimstones. Loads of Gatekeepers suddenly!
Also Swallowtail caterpillars in the usual places ;)
 

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Just to echo Mark's comments, any directions please?? People crying out for them! I'll head that way after work if so, looking like a MEGA record
 

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