Sunday, June 2, 2013

Shotesham - gonna need a bigger fridge

Sunday night update time. Plenty more progress this week, but I seem to be acquiring "things to check" faster than I can process them. I keep them all logged in a spreadsheet so I don't lose track, and this shows me there are still 103 pots and photos to check. Gulp, I need a few days off when it rains and I can't go out. Anyway, below are the latest confirmed species (including my elm and strawberry related woes - advice welcome!)

Late additions

612 Pammene argyrana - tortrix moth netted on 18/5, distinctive hindwing once had narrowed it down to this.
613 Eriophyes padi - gall mites in blackthorn on 25/5 - mites seen
614 Scathophaga stercoraria - Yellow Dung Flies finally confirmed on 25/5, thanks to tips from Seth
615 Platycheirus peltatus - female netted on common on 25/5, note orange on antennae
616 Myathropa florea - distinctive hoverfly on 26/5
617 Eristalis interruptus (was nemorum) - hoverfly on 26/5
618 Cantharis livida - soldier beetle keyed from 26/5
619 Panorpa germanica - scorpion-fly in garden on 26/5, finally found a (do-able) male after seeing several females.
620 Treble Lines; 621 Buff-tip; 622 Ruby Tiger - all moth-trap 26/5

Monday 27th May

623 Spotted Flycatcher - at least two returned to village near church.
{Not a new species, but bird highlight of the day though was three Red Kites together over the village, unprecedented here!}

Tuesday 28th May
624 Beaked Hawksbeard - confirmed after glimpsing from car yesterday
625 Cat's-ear - along roadside
626 Ivy-leaved Toadflax - in churchyard
627 Maidenhair Spleenwort - on church wall
628 Common Bird's-foot trefoil - in churchyard
629 Hemlock - single plant (so far) in ditch
630 Tinea trinotella; 631 Common Swift; 632 Poplar Grey; 633 Scoparia ambigualis; 634 Scalloped Hazel; 635 Yellow-barred Brindle; 636 Green Carpet - all moth-trap

Wednesday 29th May
637 Rough Chervil - on the drive, been walking past it for a while clearly
638 Pineappleweed - field margins
639 Small Square-spot; 640 Chinese Character - moth-trap

Thursday 30th May

Nothing

Friday 31st May
641 Mole - dead one found by my wife whilst I was at work, but still present when I returned thankfully. Not very satisfying ticking dead-stuff, but in the rules. And I have seen a million mole-hills since 1st Jan...
642 Nicrophorus vespilloides - burying beetle under the dead mole! All-black antennae
643 The Herald; 644 The Lychnis - moth-trap

Saturday 1st June
645 Garden Strawberry - bit of a surprise to find one along side of the path up to the church. Bit confused that it is listed as a hybrid in several books, but as a species Fragaria ananassa in the NHM Species Inventory, which is what I've been using as my standard. So I'll have it for the time being, but could be argued out of it! Oh, and I realise that the real botanists tend to count hybrids anyway. I don't currently, but perhaps I should. Those Russian Comfreys are rather tempting...
646 Small Phoenix - moth-trap

Sunday 2nd June
647 Episyrphus balteatus - at last, this is normally by far the commonest hoverfly and I've been amazed at its absence, until today! Just the one though.
648 Hedge Mustard - taken a while, I was expecting this earlier (but perhaps remembering wrongly)
649 Hornet - huge queen buzzing around top of an oak
650 Pyrhochroa serraticornis - the Red-headed Cardinal Beetle, several seen today
651 English Elm - aargh, I hate elms. I've been looking at them for MONTHS now and every now and then trying to key them, and coming a cropper. However, I've plumped for Ulmus procera for the time being - and advice welcome. Broadly, there's loads of elms with small leaves which are rough on the upper surface, which seems to rules out glabra and minor on my naive understanding. The particular shrub I'm named as procera today keyed fine using Poland & Clement, which helpfully says this is the commonest hedgerow elm. My main problem is that the Norfolk Flora, published in 1999, says that there is no more procera in Norfolk. But perhaps thoughts have changed since?
652 Celypha lacunana - first of this very common tortrix moth by the pond today
653 Common Spike-rush - lots on the common, once I'd noticed it
654 Sand Martin - 2 flew over the common, always half-expected but very welcome at last
655 Ragged-Robin - in flower on the common
656 Jaapiella veronicae - gall midge on germander speedwell, orange larvae seen inside
657 Early Marsh-orchid - one in flower on the common, checked carefully and seems spot on except that sides of lips not really folding back; perhaps cos its just appeared? Pale pink flowers, double loop, lip 7mm, unspotted, keeled, hooded leaves.
658 Salticus scenicus - the Zebra Spider finally located on a brick wall
659 Slender Speedwell - on playing field
660 Puccinia malvacearum - rust/gall on Common Mallow leaves
661 Wall Barley - hairy leaves
662 Lime Hawk-moth; 663 Common Carpet - moth-trap

One of the three on Bank Holiday Monday - almost as good as a new species...

Mole, deceased. Not the most satisfying tick.

Small Phoenix - the moth-trap still limping along, way behind what one might hope for

Early Marsh-orchid (plus several probably new species of grasses and sedges!)

Woolly aphids under alder leaf - one of the next jobs to work out what these are - tips welcome!


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