Northwest Norfolk Naturalists

Saturday, 26 July 2014

Saturday's haul - well some of it !

A dawn 'til dusk day, starting with a White Satin in my garden moth trap and ending with an adult Long-tailed Skua in the harbour. In between was a sizeable haul of new species as Steve Lane, Steve Falk, Robert and I searched the dunes and Ragged Marsh for invertebrates. Other birds included seven Arctic Skuas high above the harbour, 2 Greenshank and 2 Whimbrel west and 2 Yellow Wagtails east. Robert found us a smart Clouded Yellow in the dunes, a Dark Green Fritillary zipped past and our first Grayling of the year was at Gore Point.

White Satin, Hunstanton, 26th July 2014

Dead hoverflies, apparently infected with a fungus which has altered their behaviour, Holme Dunes 26th July 2014

Motherwort, Holme Dunes 26th July 2014

Southern Wainscot, Holme Dunes 26th July 2014

Swallow Prominent, Holme Dunes 26th July 2014

Water Mint, Holme Dunes 26th July 2014

Tree Lichen Beauty, Holme NOA, 26th July 2014

Pine cone flat bug, Holme Dunes 26th July 2014

Stripe-winged Grasshopper, Holme Dunes 26th July 2014

Tachina grossa, Holme Dunes 26th July 2014

Kirby's Sand Wasp, Podalonia affinis Holme Dunes 26th July 2014

Erisatlinus aeneus, Holme Dunes 26th July 2014

Volucella inanis, Holme Dunes 26th July 2014 (photo Gary Hibberd)

Taster...

A taster of today...Dune Tiger Beetle & habitat shot plus male Saltmarsh Horsefly.

Recently from Holme (part 2)....

Recently from Holme....

Grey Dagger

Orange Ladybird

Marbled Clover

Wasphenge Mk. 1

Monday, 21 July 2014

Two jumpers at Holme Dunes

I managed to photograph a cricket and a grasshopper at Holme Dunes today to add to my Meadow Grasshopper at Ringstead Downs yesterday.
While checking for birds from the first hide a Roesel's Bush-cricket jumped in and obligingly stayed motionless on the concrete floor while I took its photo. Later, in the dunes, a Mottled Grasshopper landed near me and once again remained still for long enough to be photographed.

Roesel's Bush-cricket Metrioptera roeselii

Mottled Grasshopper Myrmeleotettix maculatus

Sunday, 20 July 2014

More from Ringstead Downs

There are hundreds of plants of Eyebright in flower at Ringstead Downs. There are old records for three species - Euphrasia officinalis, Euphrasia nemorosa and Euphrasia pseudokerneri. However, identification is extremely difficult, especially as hybridisation is very prevalent.

Eyebright sp.

There are numerous plants of Carline Thistle which are just coming into flower.

Carline Thistle

There are many plants of Field Pansy Viola arvensis in the fallow field by the reserve, but I managed to find this one plant of Wild Pansy Viola tricolor.

There is a lot of Wild Parsnip growing on the valley floor. The flowers attract a lot of insects including hoverflies.

Two hoverflies?? on Wild Parsnip

Lots of grasshoppers are jumping all over the place among the grass. I managed to find one which stayed still long enough for me to take its photograph.

Meadow Grasshopper

White-flowered plants

While walking at Ringstead Downs I came across these white-flowered plants of species which are normally shades of purple. I am not sure what causes this to happen but it is quite common in some species such as Common Stork's-bill and Marsh Thistle.

White-flowered Selfheal