Norfolk Butterflies and Moths (1 Viewer)

[HarassedDad]

Just had a broad-bordered bee hawk moth reported from east runton today.

There really doesn't seem to be a lot of dingies being seen, although grizzled seem to be doing better than last year. Lots of holly blues about the last two days, and orangetips everywhere. A report of hundreds of common blue at laziate cp (near kings lynn) bodes well - not out at yarmouth yet!

 

[ChrisBish]

A trip to Foulden Common Saturday afternoon produced 2 new butterfly species for me, with Grizzled Skipper into double figures but only 2 Dingy Skippers.
A few "year ticks" too - Common Blue, Green Hairstreak and a solitary Brown Argus "battling" with one of the Dingies! My first Small Heaths of the year were just across the border in Suffolk.

Seen most of the species I would have expected to see this year now with the notable exception of Red Admiral!

HD - do Small Blue occur in Norfolk?

Chris

 

[HarassedDad]

Small Blue used to occur on the chalk in North-west norfolk, but died out around the first world war. (As did marbled white - but I'm hopeful that might make it back from cambridgeshire, where it's spreading westwards)

Next up should be large skipper in about a week/10days.

 

[Paul Woolnough]

A trip to Foulden Common Saturday afternoon produced 2 new butterfly species for me, with Grizzled Skipper into double figures but only 2 Dingy Skippers.
A few "year ticks" too - Common Blue, Green Hairstreak and a solitary Brown Argus "battling" with one of the Dingies! My first Small Heaths of the year were just across the border in Suffolk.

Seen most of the species I would have expected to see this year now with the notable exception of Red Admiral!

HD - do Small Blue occur in Norfolk?

Chris

I had my only two dingy skippers at Foulden a week ago.
Saw my only red admiral, thanks to a peacock chasing after it, at Little Plumstead on Saturday.
This (Monday) lunchtime a small copper south of Hainford.

 

[Paul Woolnough]

Green hairstreaks Mousehold

I should point out that dingy are always a week or so behind grizzled, and no-one's seen one yet - bit there's every chance they'll be out for this weekend. Green hairstreak was seen on the newly cleared track on St James Hill - the bit in front of the prison - which is the furthest from the core colony site ever. Bodes well for the season.

Norwich today produced speckled wood, holly blue, orange tip, all 3 whites, small tort, and peacock.

Two green hairstreaks at the cavalry track this lunchtime.

 

[tootsietim]

six spotted burnet in old catton this morning.

 

[Tideliner]

Plenty of common blues and walls at stiffkey yesterday and the Broad boardered bee hawks have been out st swanton Novers for a week or so.

On Sunday large numbers of Green V whites at Swanton Novers along with a few large whites , migrants perhaps ?

 

[HarassedDad]

Green veined would be an unusual migrant. I think there just having a good year - certainly they and orange tip have been reported from every tetrad surveyed last weekend even when nothing else was seen.

 

[Irene Boston]

Cranwich Heath

I've never been to Cranwich Heath before, so I'd be grateful if anyone could help with best places to try there and any parking advice.

Many thanks,
Irene

 

[HarassedDad]

I've never been myself, so all I know is that the entrance/ meeting point is given as TL772934, and a grizzled skipper was seen at TL784931 on friday.

 

[Birding Bob]

3 moths 3 species in the moth trap last night in my garden in Kings Lynn. They were:

2087 Turnip moth
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart
2380 Treble Lines

Pictures can be seen on my Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/robertsjwilliamson/

 

[RonMac]

Swallowtail at How Hill 25th May,at Hickling on path to bittern hide 26th May and also pair along Hickling wall same day, swallowtails at Sutton Fen 27th May also brimstone there.See photo of one Swallowtail at Hickling at www.pbase.com/ronm

 

[Irene Boston]

I've never been myself, so all I know is that the entrance/ meeting point is given as TL772934, and a grizzled skipper was seen at TL784931 on friday.

Thanks very much - I'll let you know how we get on tomorrow.

Irene

 

[James Emerson]

Foulden Common (31/05/10)

Lots of Common Blue butterflies
Mother Shipton moth x 2
Burnet Companion moth

Cley (02/06/10)
Common Blue x 3
Wall Butterfly - 1 on the path south of Bishop Hide.

 

[Birding Bob]

Recent catches

29 May

Treble Lines - 3
Hart and Dart - 1
Shuttle Shaped Dart - 1
Common Swift - 1
Large Yellow Underwing - 1
Pug sp. - 1

1 June

4 Common Swifts
1 Treble Lines
4 Hearth and Dart
1 Garden Carpet
1 Lesser Swallow Prominent
1 Bufftip
1 Brimstone

2 June

1 Turnip moth
1 Common Swift
1 Treble Line
2 Heart & Dart

 

[Lawts]

Quick visit today from west Yorkshire. I had a finch to see to start with, but then went on to Holme. A good selection on the beach at Pedders Way with many Common Blue, several Wall, a few Small Heath, Small Copper. At Holme itself, there were more Common Blue and Wall, several Brown Argus, a single Green Hairstreak, Red Admiral.

Then on to Narborough, more Common Blue, several Brimstone, Small Heath, Green Hairstreak, Orange Tip.

 

[Birding Bob]

Quick visit today from west Yorkshire. I had a finch to see to start with, but then went on to Holme. A good selection on the beach at Pedders Way with many Common Blue, several Wall, a few Small Heath, Small Copper. At Holme itself, there were more Common Blue and Wall, several Brown Argus, a single Green Hairstreak, Red Admiral.

Where did you get the Hairstreak? in the carpark? I was working in the shop all day and did go looking for them when I was able to get away but didn't see any.

 

[firstreesjohn]

Mystery moth- well, most of them are to me, anyway

Had this on 1st inst. in the pines at East Hills.

Upper forewing seemed chocolate brown in flight, with quite a broad lemon-yellow transverse band mid way. (Please excuse lamentable terminology.)

Always perched with closed wings, the little blighter.

ID, anyone, pleez ?

 

[HarassedDad]

Common heath I think, a male by the antennae.

 

[firstreesjohn]

Not foul, at all

Several enjoyable hours were spent at Foulden, in the successful quest for Grizzlies (no, not the bear, silly !) and Dingies- LH photo. As luck would have it, Tractorboy arrived soon after me, so we were able to search in tandem. We saw around 5 of the former, 1+ the latter.

One of the pools held 2 annoying blue dragons (which must have been male Hairies, as I've just seen my first Emperor of the year and they weren't that!) which would not settle, in addition to Broad-bodied and Four-spot Chasers.

A Cuckoo was singing much of the time and the sun was hot, hot, hot. (When is it not?)