The Natural History Of Staffordshire: Fauna and Flora (1 Viewer)

[minkstone]

Nice patch of orchids Park Hall G.C today.STU

 

[Adam M]

Butterfly transect on a farm in the Churnet today produced double figures of meadow browns, a couple of large skippers, small copper and common blue, plus loads of whites.

Also found a common spotted orchid in flower; the second ever record for the farm and not in the same place as the previous record.

Adam

 

[minkstone]

Four spot chaser and male emperor over on Park Hall wetland walk. Stu

 

[minkstone]

Female emperor ovipositing over on P.H.W.W...Stu

 

[minkstone]

First Brown Hawker of the year, plus there are now two male Emperor over on P.H.W.W. Stu

 

[NickPomiankowski]

Ian, the 3rd one is a pug and yes the last is a micro. Can't be sure which species either is though - pugs are a minefield and I'm not up on micros.

My moth skills are a bit poor these days but I'm still pretty sure on the first two - Angle Shades and Brimstone Moth? No idea on the second two - a carpet or large pug? and some kind of micro? - any suggestions would be appreciated...:t:

 

[The Moore-hen]

Ian, the 3rd one is a pug and yes the last is a micro. Can't be sure which species either is though - pugs are a minefield and I'm not up on micros.

Thanks Nick - should have posted that I'd had feedback on both from the Moth ID forum (it has been a great help for me the last few weeks with my 'bathroom light moths'!!) they were Common Pug and Eudonia lacustrata.

 

[dwe]

My moth skills are a bit poor these days but I'm still pretty sure on the first two - Angle Shades and Brimstone Moth? No idea on the second two - a carpet or large pug? and some kind of micro? - any suggestions would be appreciated...:t:

The micro is a pyralid - Dipleurina lacustrata. Pugs are difficult when you can see them well

Dave

 

[dwe]

Thanks Nick - should have posted that I'd had feedback on both from the Moth ID forum (it has been a great help for me the last few weeks with my 'bathroom light moths'!!) they were Common Pug and Eudonia lacustrata.

Would appreciate any records with date/location:

[email protected]

Also happy to ID anything you can't sort out

Dave

 

[The Moore-hen]

Would appreciate any records with date/location:

[email protected]

Also happy to ID anything you can't sort out

Dave

Thanks Dave, I've got the info of all the records on my mac, so I'll email them when got a few more - up to about 20 each of Macro and Micro since the 11th June and the vast majority of these just coming into the bathroom during the night by leaving the light. Might have to dig my old MV lamp out of the loft at my parents house! I'll post a selection of some of my favourite photos soon.

Cheers, Ian.

 

[NickPomiankowski]

Essex Skipper

Had one, possibly two Essex Skippers on The Void, Silverdale CP yesterday. Recent sightings here include: Ringlet, Large Skipper, Small Skipper, Small Heath, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Common Blue, Dingy Skipper, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood, Burnet Companion, Mother Shipton, Yellow Shell, Narrow Broad-bordered 5-spot Burnet, Latticed Heath: most in good numbers this year.

Cheers, Nick

 

[Adam M]

Butterfly transect in the Churnet yesterday produced 203 meadow browns. 203!! Stopped tallying in the end as I ran out of room on my piece of paper.

Red admirals and small tortoise-shells seem to have started emerging again too, with several fresh looking individuals around.

Couple of dragonflies at Coombes as well. I think they were common darter, but they weren't into their full colour, and my ID skills aren't good enough to confirm ID at that stage (yet).

Butterfly orchids and common spotted still going strong in the top meadows at Coombes. A count of 60 in the top meadow alone is a massive increase from previous years.

Adam

 

[NickPomiankowski]

Hanchurch Woods

Butterflies and moths seen today: 1 Hummingbird Hawk-moth, 3 Purple Hairstreaks, 26 Ringlet, 52 Meadow Brown, 12 Small Skipper, 17 Speckled Wood, 3 Red Admiral, 3 Small Tortoiseshell, 2 Narrow-bordered 5-spot Burnet, 30 Bordered White, 3 Common White Wave, 1 Large Yellow Underwing

 

[minkstone]

Black tailed skimmer, brown hawkers, emperor hawkers, Park Hall wetland walk. Stu

 

[NickPomiankowski]

Essex Skipper

One at Keele University last Friday, so it looks like it's made its way up to North Staffs now.

 

[minkstone]

2 banded demoiselle's and a humming bird hawk-moth, over on Park Hall wetland walk. Stu

 

[NickPomiankowski]

Hummingbird hawk-moth at Keele University today - looks like there's been an influx recently

 

[Phil Andrews]

A Camberwell Beauty reported in a Stafford churchyard yesterday? :news:

 

[The Moore-hen]

A Camberwell Beauty reported in a Stafford churchyard yesterday? :news:

With the recent trend of butterfly releases at weddings / funerals (and the location!!) I'd expect that it may well of come from one of the latter...although the winds are from the east and continental butterflies are definitely about...

 

[Adam M]

Several reports of golden-ringed dragonfly at Coombes Valley recently was certainly unexpected. One reported it as "A large black dragonfly with yellow bands across it." So sounds legit.

Also, purple hairstreaks present around the bottom of Buzzard Bank.

The Bat and Moth guided walk turned up the goods, with pipistrelles around the visitor center, as well as elephant hawk-moth, antlers, orange swifts, lesser swallow prominent and pheonix (plus many others) in the trap. We might be running another one of these events in the coming weeks if anyone is interested in attending.

Talking of moths, I've now set up camp in SK14, so hopefully that total of 66 moth species recorded here should be a little higher by the end of the year :t:

Adam