The Natural History Of Staffordshire: Fauna and Flora (1 Viewer)

[Upland Birder]

Ah the Mammal Detective book. A great little book that's been sitting on my shelf for a few years:t:

Dean

 

[Neil-T]

Mystery web

Over on the Chase the other day we saw this strange web like substance at the bottom of a birch tree. There was also a fine dust coming from the hole above (not sure if the dust had anything to do with the web substance) as to indicate some sort of gnawing insect/spider of some sort. Anyone got any ideas what it could be. Thanks. Neil.

 

[Adam M]

Went to take some photos of the flowers in the garden, all came out awful to be honest. But the photos of this fella aint too bad. Must have disturbed him when I filled the pond up, he hopped right out into full view.

Adam

 

[minkstone]

Parkhall Golfcourse,
Despite the cold wind there were plenty of butterflies about in sheltered areas,lots of orange tips also peacocks,small and large whites, speckled woods and a single brimstone.

 

[Adam M]

Moth trap got a run out last night. I knew it wasn't the best of nights to start using it, with the rain and all, but figured it would at least tell me if it was working. It produced.......one moth, see below, which is a powdered Quaker. I had ID'd it as such but thought I would just ask on the moth ID forum before I made myself look silly. Hoping to run it once a week, just depends when I am free the following day to do some IDing, might take a while longer if I catch more than one :-O

Adam

 

[Rob1991S-O-T]

Moth trap got a run out last night. I knew it wasn't the best of nights to start using it, with the rain and all, but figured it would at least tell me if it was working. It produced.......one moth, see below, which is a powdered Quaker. I had ID'd it as such but thought I would just ask on the moth ID forum before I made myself look silly. Hoping to run it once a week, just depends when I am free the following day to do some IDing, might take a while longer if I catch more than one :-O

Adam

sometimes rain isnt bad for moths aslong as it isnt thunder strom or just blowing a gale wind and the cold are what keep the moths away and clear nights
im hoping to start in july when back shud be some intresting summer nights ahead:t: and mornings

 

[Adam M]

sometimes rain isnt bad for moths aslong as it isnt thunder strom or just blowing a gale wind and the cold are what keep the moths away and clear nights
im hoping to start in july when back shud be some intresting summer nights ahead:t: and mornings

I posted my moth on the moths of may thread, seems last couple of nights no one has had any great number. Hope to get more soon, although not sure what to do with 100+ moths once I have ID'd them, the local great tits would have a feast if I just let them go. Might be a trip down the local fields and let them go over a larger area.

Had a large white butterfly laying eggs today in the garden. Looks like my wildlife garden is doing the trick.

Adam

 

[Adam M]

Moth trap produced another powdered quaker and a spectacle last night. Both photos are of the spectacle, the second one showing where it gets its name from.

Adam

 

[carlj]

Wander around Sideway/Radial Park today, in search of odonates. Couple of blue damsels, but quickly out of sight. Alder fly and Donacia vulgaris in great number over the iris leaves. Path from Sainsburys distribution to Britannia stadium bridge had first common blue butterfly of the year and a lively Cinnabar moth.

 

[Neil-T]

A few butterflies out on the Chase today. Brimstone, Orange tip, Small and Large whites, Speckled wood and another larger brown butterfly which I couldn't identify as it was too flighty. Forgot to mention we saw a Common Lizard as well.

 

[sylvia staffs]

Had Adder & Grass Snake on the Chase yesterday both were seen in the hand
after being caught by a Herpe expert from Kent who has a Permit to do this.

Both were ticks for me. All the usual specility bird species bar one were also seen.

Sylvia

 

[Adam M]

Went the uni reserve today hoping for butterflies and odonates, was not disappointed.
Orange tip
small white
green veined white
large white
peacock
comma
small tortoise shell

Also two species or odonates I need to look up, but think they were common blue damselfly and large red damselfly as well. If the photos turn out ok i'll post them on here.

Moth trap going on again tonight, hopefully this nice weather will see my catches improve (probably cursed it now).

Adam

 

[carlj]

Adam, didn't see any large reds last Sunday, but there are a few Azures on show, mainly around the gate.
Carl

 

[Adam M]

Adam, didn't see any large reds last Sunday, but there are a few Azures on show, mainly around the gate.
Carl

You're right, azure it is. This is the problem with making (very poor) mental field notes and using them instead of the photo to look things up, especially a few hours later. Rather stupidly I have also taken photos of some grasses, which means a few hours trying to figure out which species they are.

Alot of the butterflies seen today were very tatty. Would these be individuals that have over wintered? Thought I would put the duckling photo on purely for the awwww affect.

Hoping to do a little more photography tomorrow at Coombes.

Adam

 

[Adam M]

Just been to turn y moth trap off, with every intention of going back bed afterwards. However, I could see I have caught my first hawk moth and now am far too excited to go back sleep. Looks like an elephant hawk moth to me.

Will update this post in an hour or so with a full list and hopefully some photos once the sun is up properly. Just had to get it off my chest that I have caught a hawk moth!!!

So far the list is

Elephant hawk moth (photo)
Peppered moth
Yellow legged clearwing
Hebrew character
Iron prominent (Photo)
Scalloped hazel
Brimstone moth

Still working through some and have some on the ID forum as well. Some cracking moths last night, with 26 specimens and roughly the same amount of species, I had 4 of one species, all the rest were just one specimen of each. Amazing to think that on one night, in a small garden next to a mcdonalds drive through you would get 23 species of moth, and that is just those that came to and stayed in the trap!!

Adam

 

[carlj]

Some of the butterflies will be old (in lepidoptera terms) within the month - think most of the overwinterers would have given way to the new generations by now.

We're off to South Stack tomorrow, and am intending to chase down the silver studded blue! Wish me luck

 

[terryeyre]

dragonfly?

dragonfly or damsellfly?saw this near dimmingsdale today

 

[carlj]

Dragonfly Terry - looks to be rather freshly emerged, either broad-bodied or four-spot chaser

 

[terryeyre]

thanks carl

 

[Neil-T]

Aqualate this morning.

Saw one large dragonfly but it eluded me and was moving fast.
I managed to get this picture of a Caterpillar, any ideas what it is?
I have wrote the names of the Damsel species on the photograph (correct me if I am wrong) I think they are correct.