Norfolk Butterflies and Moths (6 Viewers)

[davebuggin]

3 Silver washed fritillarys on the wing this morning at holt country park around 10am.2 spotted near the pond which later went off in cop,and one near entrance walk.

 

[ChrisBish]

Ringlet, Large Skipper and Red Admiral(!) were all new for the year in the garden yesterday, with Meadow Brown putting in a first appearance earlier in the week.

Having taken up moth-trapping this year, my first Hawk-moth in the garden last night (a Poplar) was very pleasing, although I found it in the greenhouse rather than my makeshift trap (a temporarily converted incinerator bin!!!). 5 night's of trapping has now added 34 species of positively identified macros.

 

[firstreesjohn]

“Last night, I thought, ‘Oh golly gosh !’
Coz someone saw Holt Silver-wash.
But the news was too late
(I suppose that is fate);
I’ll go today- those butts are so posh.”

Well, I was briefly lucky, as I saw one in flight, zooming away. I was informed (by one of the Rangers) that they've appeared a fortnight earlier than last year.

More impressive was the number of White Admirals: at least 10 scattered about the Country Park. Some were coming down to 'salt', on the track from the car park down to the pond.

 

[Davebutterflyman]

Three White Admirals nectaring on bramble from the bird hide on Kelling Heath this afternoon. Also stacks of Silver-studded Blue on the heath.

 

[Lightthiscandle]

Four Silver-washed Frits and a White Admiral at Holt Lowes today (down the right-hand path over the stream!)

 

[HarassedDad]

2 white admirals at strumpshaw yesterday, along with Brimstone GV white, Large skipper, Meadow Brown, small torts, red admiral, ringlet and a lot of peacock caterpillars close to pupation. Also one nest of 2nd instar small tort cats.

 

[Tideliner]

I do not know why but yesterdays post seems to have gone , I suspect I forgot to press the post button so here goes again. Silverwasher fritillaries and white admirals out Sunday at Swanton Novers and a very , very early gatekeeper. Small skippers apearing today.

That almost the full set of butterflies we can expect ,except for brown argus and any migrants . Yesterday the butterfly survey produced record numbers for June, mainly ringlets, meadow browns , speckled woods and large skippers. Numbers more that double I would expect for late June.

 

[firstreesjohn]

There have been many, many Ringlets out since the end of last week.

In Holt CP today, I was at last able to take a half-decent shot of a (male) Silver-washed. It took some time, as they were mostly zipping around and only pitching down very briefly.

 

[Lightthiscandle]

Brown Argus

Huh????
Brown Argus were all over 'The Dr's Lawn' weeks ago!

 

[Davebutterflyman]

Two Swallowtails along the Fen trail at Strumpshaw this afternoon.

 

[HarassedDad]

Typically I forgot to mention 2 swallowtails in the meadow in my last post.

Just had a report of a Marbled White on pedder's way at Ringstead on June 15th. Blown over from Lincs I wonder, or do we have our own little colony somewhere?

 

[Robert S J Smith]

Typically I forgot to mention 2 swallowtails in the meadow in my last post.

Just had a report of a Marbled White on pedder's way at Ringstead on June 15th. Blown over from Lincs I wonder, or do we have our own little colony somewhere?

Any more detail on where the Marbled White was reported?

 

[HarassedDad]

Near as I can tell from the description (it was phoned in) around TF713391

 

[Lightthiscandle]

Strumpshaw

Several White Admirals along the Woodland Trail on Wednesday....

 

[firstreesjohn]

Galathea ? (not a lobster)

“around TF713391” is in the middle of a field, Andy ! I know it’s not your ‘fault’, but I would have thought that the thistles that used to be (are they still?) between TF 70466 39938 & TF 69954 40063 (in the middle of the main path, with the trees on both sides) were a much more likely venue (as in the photo below).

Having to go to North Walsham on business, a short diversion to Bacton Woods, yesterday, allowed me to take some White Admirable shots of our only zebra-like butterfly.

 

[Robert S J Smith]

Near as I can tell from the description (it was phoned in) around TF713391

Thanks! If it's not too wet this weekend I'll take a look - need to go to the Downs anyway.

 

[HarassedDad]

“around TF713391” is in the middle of a field, Andy ! I know it’s not your ‘fault’, but I would have thought that the thistles that used to be (are they still?) between TF 70466 39938 & TF 69954 40063 (in the middle of the main path, with the trees on both sides) were a much more likely venue (as in the photo below)

Good catch. I was using http://www.gridreferencefinder.com/ to browse around following their directions, and I was positive I got that reference. But when I go back and click on the spot today I get TF 71167 39816 - I can;t see how I got it wrong.


(My fault incidently - I should have specified pedders way south - their actual directions were "enter by Docking Rd then just past the houses"

 

[ChrisBish]

A quiet weekend for moths in my makeshift trap but the garden macro list now stand at 48 species. Nothing out of the ordinary but, given most species are new to me, Large Emerald, Herald and Small Blood-vein were the highlights, although getting my tentative identification of Small Dusty Wave confirmed was probably my biggest achievement!

 

[firstreesjohn]

Valesina at Holt CP

There was one I heard about last year- too late.

However, a welcome text today sent me to the pond area, where one (there may be two) soon appeared, flaunting its greeny-bronzeness. I have just read that only females exhibit this variation.

“Nothing like ‘rod wax’ (or Vaseline):
It’s an unusual butt, name of valesine !
Instead of orange,
It’s taken the plunge,
And gone for the bronzed look- with subtle green sheen.”

A rather threadbare Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoth did what it does.

 

[ChrisBish]

Reached 50 macro moths this evening for the garden with a real butterfly-like feel to the two new species - Swallow-tailed and Brimstone Moths!