Sunday, 29 May 2016
Hoverfly at Firs
The first decent warm day for a while (24th May) produced the chance to photograph this hoverfly Leucozona lucorum at The Firs.
Car Park Clovers et al.
The car park is often the first place a botanist looks at when arriving at a site. This is not without good reason as there is usually a good selection of plants, some possibly brought in by car tyres.
The centre of the car park of the Visitor Centre at Holme Dunes initially looks to be just sandy gravel. However, get on your knees to take a closer look and you will find a good number of small plants of several species. Among these are two small clovers. Bird's-foot Clover (Fenugreek) Trifolium ornithopodioides was recorded on site as early as 1969 by E.L.Swann. It has dark green leaves and pale pink flowers. The other small clover is Suffocated Clover Trifolium suffocatum and this was first spotted and recorded by Philip Amies in 2015, although from the number of plants present (200+) it must have been around for a few years. The Suffocated Clover has white petals but these are tiny and are hidden in the longer calyx tubes.
Suffocated Clover Trifolium suffocatum
Bird's-foot Clover Trifoilium ornithopodioides
Among other plants to be found in the car park at the VC are Mossy Stonecrop Crassula tillaea, Buck's-horn Plantain Plantago coronopus and Flattened Meadow-grass Poa compressa.
(If you go searching for these plants please be careful of moving cars!)
The centre of the car park of the Visitor Centre at Holme Dunes initially looks to be just sandy gravel. However, get on your knees to take a closer look and you will find a good number of small plants of several species. Among these are two small clovers. Bird's-foot Clover (Fenugreek) Trifolium ornithopodioides was recorded on site as early as 1969 by E.L.Swann. It has dark green leaves and pale pink flowers. The other small clover is Suffocated Clover Trifolium suffocatum and this was first spotted and recorded by Philip Amies in 2015, although from the number of plants present (200+) it must have been around for a few years. The Suffocated Clover has white petals but these are tiny and are hidden in the longer calyx tubes.
Suffocated Clover and Bird's-foot Clover
Suffocated Clover Trifolium suffocatum
Bird's-foot Clover Trifoilium ornithopodioides
Among other plants to be found in the car park at the VC are Mossy Stonecrop Crassula tillaea, Buck's-horn Plantain Plantago coronopus and Flattened Meadow-grass Poa compressa.
(If you go searching for these plants please be careful of moving cars!)
Wednesday, 25 May 2016
Tuesday, 24 May 2016
Monday, 23 May 2016
Coastal Silver Stiletto
Coastal Silver Stiletto, Acrosathe annulata, Holme NWT, 23rd May 2016
Common in the dunes, this female was amongst several on the wing today, though our first was on 14th May 2016.
Common in the dunes, this female was amongst several on the wing today, though our first was on 14th May 2016.
Two huge weevils
Platyrhynus resinosus, Ringstead Downs, 23rd May 2016
Platystomos albinus, Ringstead Downs, 23rd May 2016
Monday Moths
Pine-cone Piercer, Cydia conicolana, Holme NWT, 23rd May 2016
Green Carpet, Holme NOA, 23rd May 2016
Flame Wainscot, Holme NOA, 23rd May 2016
Bird's-nest Moth, Tinea tinerrella, Holme NOA, 23rd May 2016
Garden Midget, Phyllonorycter messaniella, Holme NOA, 23rd May 2016
Thrift Neb, Aristotelia brizella, Holme NOA, 23rd May 2016
Gorse Case-bearer, Coeleophora albicosta, Holme NOA, 23rd May 2016
Grey Pine Carpet, Hunstanton, 23rd May 2016
Scalloped Hazel, Hunstanton, 23rd May 2016
Sunday, 22 May 2016
Hairy Dragonfly
Hairy Dragonfly, female, Holme NWT, 22nd May 2016
Not the first to be seen this year, but the most obliging ! The first was on the wing on 14th May.
Not the first to be seen this year, but the most obliging ! The first was on the wing on 14th May.
Four Sunday Moths
Green Longhorn, Adela rufimitrella, Holme NWT, 22nd May 2016
Yellow-triangle/New Oak Slender Caloptilia alchimiella/robustella, Holme NOA, 22nd May 2016
Vetch Piercer, Grapholita jungiella, Holme NWT, 22nd May 2016
Cocksfoot Moth, Glyphipterix simpliciella, Baker's Carr, 22nd May 2016
Tuesday, 17 May 2016
Cliffs, Wednesday 18th May 2016
Wednesday 18 May 2016
| Counting period: 05:05 - 07:05 Weather: wind South2, cloud-cover 8/8, temperature 10 ℃ Observers: Andy Brown
|
Some May butterflies (plus a spider and a fly)
Brown Argus at Holme Dunes
Small Copper at Holme Dunes
Common Blue at Holme Dunes
Holly Blue in Hunstanton Community Orchard
Green-veined White in Hunstanton Community Orchard
A Wolf Spider (Pardosa amentata?) Male on female? Hunstanton Community Orchard
A Bee-fly (Bombylius major?) Ringstead Downs
May flowers selection
Photos of a few of the plants in flower on our patch (and one off patch).
There are over 1200 flower-heads of Horseshoe Vetch at Ringstead Downs.
Good news for the Chalkhill Blue butterflies?
The earliest flowers of Long-stalked Crane's-bill at Ringstead Downs
The Mouse-ear-hawkweeds have suddenly flowered en masse on the dunes
There are over 1200 flower-heads of Horseshoe Vetch at Ringstead Downs.
Good news for the Chalkhill Blue butterflies?
The earliest flowers of Long-stalked Crane's-bill at Ringstead Downs
A flower-head of Hound's-tongue at Ringstead Downs
One of a few Sea Campion plants in flower at Holme Dunes
The Mouse-ear-hawkweeds have suddenly flowered en masse on the dunes
And one plant off patch at Burnham Norton. Mousetail, a member of the Buttercup family, is flowering well in the corral and field gateway. It likes bare earth where its hard fruits can be trampled by the feet of cattle. It is a vulnerable and nationally declining species. It also used to grow in arable where its fruits were probably trampled by the heavy working horses.
Sunday, 15 May 2016
Leucozona lucorum - a smart new hoverfly for the patch
Leucozona lucorum, Ringstead Downs, 15th May 2016
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