Wednesday 27 April 2016

Rewell Wood moths and other insects

Diamond-back Moth, Plutella xylostella
On Sunday morning I assisted with SusSAR's marshalling of the Bluebell Trail run at Angmering Park. 
 The past few days I have been visiting Rewell Wood where the insect life has been waking up. I found a Caddisfly (Limnephilus auricula) in two different parts of the wood. It breeds in marshes and temporary pools and ditches which explains its presence in this dry area. Grey Gorse Piercers were  flying near their namesake. Common Nettle-tap larva was found in a nettle leaf and a Fire Bug was in the same area of a nettle bed on consecutive days. Green Longhorn moths are a common sight beside the paths. I found 3 new moths: Twilight Neb, which was last reported in this location in 2008, the tiny (5mm) Red-barred Gold and Diamond-back Moth.  Yesterday I spotted a Small Tortoiseshell and today a Peacock nectared on a bluebell, but no other butterflies were seen.
Bluebell Trail Run
Bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta
Broom, Cytisus scoparius
Caddisfly, Limnephilus auricula
Common Drone Fly, Eristalis tenax
Common Flower Bug, Anthocoris nemorum
Common Lizard, Zootoca vivipara
Common Nettle-tap larva, Anthophila fabriciana
Crab Spider, Misumena vatia
Cranefly, Tipula oleracea
Cricket Bat Orb-weaver, Mangora acalypha
Cuckoo-pint, Arum maculatum
Dock Bugs, Coreus marginatus
Fire bug, Corizus hyoscyami

Flesh fly, Sarcophaga species
Gooden's Nomad Bee, Nomada goodeniana
Green Longhorn ♂, Adela reaumurella
Green Longhorn ♂
Green Longhorn ♀
Green Longhorn ♂
Green Longhorn ♀
Green Longhorn ♂
Green Longhorn ♀
Green Longhorn ♂
Hairy Bittercress, Cardamine hirsuta
Muscid fly, Phaonia subventa
Nursery Web Spider, Pisaura mirabilis
Orange Ladybird, Halyzia sedecimguttata
Red-barred Gold, Micropterix tunbergella
Small Tortoiseshell, Aglais urticae
St. Mark's Fly, Bibio marci
 These flies appear every year around St Mark's Day - April 25th.
St. Mark's Fly
Twilight Neb, Eulamprotes immaculatella
Variegated Yellow Archangel, Lamiastrum galeobdolon argentatum
White Bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta
Wood Spurge, Euphorbia amygdaloides
Yellow Dung Fly, Scatophaga stercoraria

Monday 25 April 2016

The birds of Arundel WWT

Blue Tit, Cyanistes caeruleus
This is a record of a trip to Arundel WWT on April 11.
Canada Goose, Branta canadensis
Canada Goose

Canada Goose
Cape Shelduck, Tadorna cana
Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs
Common Carp, Cyprinus carpio
Gadwall, Anas strepera
Great Tit, Parus major
Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea
Greylag Goose, Anser anser
Harlequin Duck ♀, Histrionicus histrionicus
Harlequin Duck ♂
Jackdaw, Corvus monedula
Jackdaw

Mallard duckling, Anas platyrhynchos


Mum with ducklings
Mallard
Mandarin Duck ♀, Aix galericulata

Mandarin Duck 


Mr & Mrs Mandarin on their feeder
Marsh Tit, Poecile palustris
Nuthatch, Sitta europaea

Pheasant, Phasianus colchicus

Red-breasted Goose, Branta Ruficollis

Reed Bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus
Shelduck, Tadorna tadorna
slime mould?
Willow Warbler, Phylloscopus trochilus
Woodpigeon, Columba palumbus