First moth trapping of 2016

Ben and Roger set themselves the ambitious task of trapping at 3 Box Moor Trust sites simultaneously on 12/4/2016 (Gadespring, Roughdown and Westbrook Hay). In spite of torrential rain, dodgy electrics and spluttering motors, they had the skill, patience and dogged determination to stick with it. Between them, they trapped and netted some exciting specimens: for the full account, including some superb photographs, head on over to Ben's blog, HERE.

Willow Warbler arrives

Not the best photograph but the first Willow Warbler of the year to arrive from sub-Saharan Africa to the dell at Roughdown Common. Wonderful to hear him singing in the sunshine today.

Colourful gathering

Before stepping out on to Further Roughdown from the cover of the trees in Lower Roughdown, I always pause and scan for birds. Often, there's a lovely mix of species feeding on the ground, out in the open. Today, I was treated to 8 species, all commuting back and forth from the sun drenched, south-facing hedge, to the worms, seeds and insects on the soft ground.

2 Green Woodpeckers
2 Mistle Thrushes
3 Blackbirds
14 Redwing
11 Greenfinch
4 Goldfinch
5 Blue Tit
4 Great Tit

Further east, there were also 3 Magpies foraging on the ground.

Autumn blooms!

The 1985 SSSI listing for Roughdown Common includes the jewel that is Autumn Gentian (Gentianella amarella). At that time, it seems to have been limited to the steep slopes of the chalk pit in Lower Roughdown. Since then, it has clearly spread and there are a good number of specimens out on Further Roughdown. These are a lot more accessible even if they do take some spotting. If you’ve never seen these flowers before, they are tiny, but well worth the effort required in searching them out.

As its name suggests, it is late flowering, continuing right through October. It’s a flower of chalk grasslands and sand dunes, and if you’d like to find out more, there’s a very detailed article here.

Next generation of moths

Whilst out looking for Purple Hairstreaks and Purple Emperors this week at Roughdown, I spotted a couple of moths in their pre-adult stages of development. A Burnet moth species had formed a chrysalis on a stem of Agrimony…

Burnet sp (likely 6-Spot) chrysalis on Agrimony

And, a fabulous Small Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila porcellus) larva was feeding on Hedge Bedstraw. The head of the mature larva has incredible eye-like markings on the top. When alarmed, the larva retracts its long nose/mouth parts or trunk (from which its name is derived) and rears up like a snake. Very convincing it is too.

On the 11th June, the Trust mothing team trapped a Small Elephant Hawk-moth adult at Roughdown and it could well be the parent of this larva!

Left: larva/caterpillar; Right: adult/moth. Both photographed at Roughdown

Purple Hairstreaks!

Fellow Trust volunteer and experienced butterfly recorder, Brendan Sheridan, sent the following news:

"Carried out my [butterfly] transect walk on Saturday morning [18/07/2015]. Nothing particularly unusual until I had almost finished when I caught sight of a Jay watching me from a tree close to the access track to Lower Roughdown. Whilst keeping an eye on it to get a photo my attention was taken by three butterflies moving in an upward spiral above the tree canopy. I watched two of them eventually settle and flit intermittently around the upper branches of the canopy for the next 10 minutes.

This was my first sighting of Purple Hairstreaks (Favonius quercus) since 2013 (also at the exact same location). Pleased to see that they are still on Roughdown!"

This is really fantastic news and they should be around until early August.

Track to Further Roughdown from locked gate. Purple Hairstreaks seen in tree tops, right hand side.

Mid June Butterflies & Moths

This morning, I had a gentle wander around Roughdown Common in the warm, calm, sunny conditions. A Chiffchaff was still singing and the butterflies and moths of note were:

1 Small Purple and Gold
1 Yellow Shell
1 Large Skipper
3 Common Blues
1 Green Hairstreak
3 Brimstone

Small Purple and Gold (Pyrausta aurata) (a rather worn specimen), chalk dell at Roughdown

Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus)

After Roughdown, I headed over to Westbrook Hay to photograph the Bee Orchids. Once again, there are good numbers around, at least 50+. Butterflies and moths of note in the NE region of Bovindgon Reach:

8 Meadow Brown
12 Common Blue
3 Yellow Shell
2 Burnet Companion
1 Large White