Sunday, 31 August 2014
Patch miscellany, 25th-31st August 2014
Robin's Pin-cushion, Holme NWT, 25th August 2014
Collared Earthstar, Holme NWT, 31st August 2014
Small Nettle, Holme NWT, 31st August 2014
Black Bindweed, Holme NWT, 31st August 2014
Dwarf Mallow, Holme NWT, 31st August 2014
Wrinkled Peach, Ringstead Downs, 31st August 2014
More autumn fruits
Bramble, Holme NWT, 17th August 2014
Old Man's Beard, Holme NWT, 17th August 2014
Privet, Holme NWT, 17th August 2014
Privet, Holme NWT, 31st Aug 2014
Asparagus, Holme NWT, 31st Aug 2014
Elder, Holme NWT, 31st Aug 2014
Sunday, 24 August 2014
Ringstead butterflies and gall
Still quite a variety of butterflies at Ringstead Downs today although some of them are beginning to look a bit old and worn. Brown Argus and Common Blue were quite prevalent but no sign of Chalk-hill Blue now. Two Clouded Yellows and a Painted Lady were active along with Whites - Green-veined, Small and Large. Speckled Woods were flying near East and West ends. A few Meadow Browns were lingering on together with one old Small Copper.
There were a couple of Sweet-briars with the Robin's pin-cushion gall on them. This is caused by the larvae of a small wasp Diplolepsis rosae.
Autumn is definitely upon us as many fruits are ripening and there are numerous fungi appearing (I didn't try to identify any today!)
Large White
Robin's Pin-cushion gall caused by larvae of Diplolepsis rosae wasp
There were a couple of Sweet-briars with the Robin's pin-cushion gall on them. This is caused by the larvae of a small wasp Diplolepsis rosae.
Autumn is definitely upon us as many fruits are ripening and there are numerous fungi appearing (I didn't try to identify any today!)
Large White
Robin's Pin-cushion gall caused by larvae of Diplolepsis rosae wasp
Friday, 22 August 2014
Holme butterflies and galls
It was warm and sunny at Holme Dunes on Wednesday and so there were quite a few butterflies around. It was pleasing to see good numbers of fresh Small Heath along with Common Blue and Brown Argus. Wall are still present as are Speckled Wood and a few tatty Gatekeeper. A Clouded Yellow flew past the VC. As well as the good numbers of Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral on the Buddleja by the VC there was one Grayling there for most of the day, alternating between the flowers and the VC windowsill.
The Narrow-leaved Hawkweeds were flowering well in the dunes - some of the stems with swollen stem galls caused by the wasp Aulacidea hieracii. One plant of Carline Thistle had a very distorted flower, possibly caused by an insect (unknown).
Grayling
Gall on Narrow-leaved Hawkweed caused by the wasp Aulacidea hieracii
Gall? on Carline Thistle
The Narrow-leaved Hawkweeds were flowering well in the dunes - some of the stems with swollen stem galls caused by the wasp Aulacidea hieracii. One plant of Carline Thistle had a very distorted flower, possibly caused by an insect (unknown).
Grayling
Gall on Narrow-leaved Hawkweed caused by the wasp Aulacidea hieracii
Saturday, 16 August 2014
LRP
The pools are in top form at the moment ! A pre-work check yesterday morning revealed a juvenile Little Ringed Plover as well as 3 Greenshanks, 2 Dunlin, 5 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, Common Sandpiper and 2 Egyptian Geese.
This evening the LRP was still present but with 3 Ruff,28 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Snipe, 2-3 Green Sandpipers, Common Sandpiper and a single Greenshank.
Both really good hauls for the pools these days - oh for the days of 130 odd Spotted Redshanks, 150 Dunlin and multiple rares.
Autumn fruits
Rowan, Holme Marsh, 23rd July 2014
Lords and Ladies, Ringstead Downs, 27th July 2014
Crab Apple, Ringstead Downs, 27th July 2014
Snowberry bush, Ringstead Downs, 10th Aug 2014
Sea Buckthorn, Holme NWT, 16th August 2014
Bittersweet, Holme NWT, 16th Aug 2014
Barberry, Ringstead Downs, 31st July 2014
Blackthorn, Ringstead Downs, 27th July 2014
Buckthorn, Redwell Marsh, 16th August 2014
Saturday's Winged Beasties
Eristalinus sepulchralis, Holme NWT, 16th August 2014
Eristalis horticola, Holme NOA, 16th August 2014
Eristalis horticola, Holme NOA, 16th August 2014
Syritta pipiens, Holme NOA, 16th August 2014
Tachina grossa, Holme NOA, 16th August 2014
Volucella zonaria, Holme NOA, 16th August 2014
Helophilus trivittatus, Holme NOA, 16th August 2014
Sphaerophoria rueppellii/loewi, Holme NWT, 16th August 2014
Figwort Sawfly Tenthredo scrophularae, Holme NOA, 16th August 201
Eupeolus cruciger/variegatus. Holme NOA, 16th August 2014
Plastic fantastic!
Eclipsed drake Mandarin on show from the first NWT hide this morning. No sign of LRP.
Thursday, 14 August 2014
48 fat Fulmar chicks, a handful of moths, two bugs and a hover
I carried out the annual (August) Seabird Monitoring Programme count of Fulmar chicks along Hunstanton Cliffs today. I found 48 chicks. The June SMP census of Apparently Occupied Nests revealed 95 AONs, so that's a productivity of 0.505 chick per AON - pretty much on a par with the last four years. I started the counts in 2007: here's the data.....
Year AON Productivity
2007 131 0.19
2008 110 0.12
2009 137 0.42
2010 137 0.33
2011 115 0.54
2012 91 0.57
2013 95 0.43
2014 95 0.51
If you like these sorts of data, you can access count and productivity data for all species at seabird colonies throughout Britain and Ireland at www.jncc.gov.uk/seabirds, where you can also read and download a report (updated annually) on national trends in seabird numbers.
Platycheirus granditarsus, Redwell Marsh, 12th August 2014
Phytocoris tiliae, Old Hunstanton, 12th August 2014
Liocoris tripustulatus, Old Hunstanton, 12th August 2014
Marbled Beauty, Hunstanton, 14th August 2014
Orange Swift, Hunstanton, 14th August 2014
Saltmarsh Bell, Hunstanton, 14th August 2014
Agriphila geniculea, Hunstanton, 14th August 2014
Common Flat-body, Hunstanton, 14th August 2014
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)