Week 26: Purple & Gold Celebration

I am slightly distracted this week by the prospect of being one of a handful of “unofficial photographers” at my friend’s wedding this weekend. I did tell her that I hadn’t done any indoor photography (unless you count Swallows in a barn?!) and that if you haven’t got feathers or antennae, I’ve little idea as to how to go about capturing your best side. Bizarrely this didn’t put her off!

With a busy week ahead, Monday was the only day I was going to be able to get out around Box Moor. At Dellfield, I could hear the family of Kestrels were still around and, up at the Old Barn, the young Swallows were still squirming in their nest*. Making my way into Hay Wood, I could hear a Green Woodpecker, likely a fledgling, constantly calling to a parent. The highlights at the revitalised bird feeders were a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay and plenty of Coal Tits, with Nuthatches calling close by.  Emerging from the cool, shady woods I caught sight of a Buzzard circling overhead and then walked back down towards the Oak. I guess this week’s photograph is all about the rare expanse of blue sky.

Late afternoon, on the back of a warm, sunny day, I thought the Brickworks might be a good place to explore. I was hoping for a new moth or butterfly to mark the six month point of this project. In fact, the first “new find” was a Cinnabar moth caterpillar, followed closely by what I later learned was the remains of a Burnet moth chrysalis. There were a couple of fresh-looking 6-spot Burnets in the area so it had perhaps been home to one of those. The scrub really was alive with butterflies but two finds in particular made my heart skip a beat.

Cinnabar moth caterpillar

Marbled White

Burnet moth chrysalis remains

Firstly, this week’s new moth and my “celebration” for reaching the 6 month mark in Project 2014 was a tiny but beautiful Common Purple and Gold moth (Pyrausta purpuralis). It’s not fussy as to when it flies, day or night, and prefers dry grassland and chalky downland habitats. The larval foodplants are corn mint (Mentha arvensis) and thyme (Thymus). Most importantly, it was new to me and a real joy to discover. My photograph doesn't do it justice.

Unfortunately, my new friend was rather flighty and didn’t settle for long before I lost it. However, whilst I was trying to relocate it, I came across my second exciting find of the day. It seemed strangely fitting that after the last 2 weeks of developing affection for the little orange Skipper species, that this week I should run into a mating pair of Small Skippers. Unlike some species, which are easily disturbed, this pair were apparently welded to the flower head! Strong gusts of wind didn’t shift them nor did my carefully and strategically manoeuvring the stem slightly so as to be set against a predominantly dark backdrop. Sitting on the ground, photographing a pair of relaxed, mating butterflies; warmed by the sunshine and, behind me in the bushes, the sighing of Bullfinches. The picture of contentment.

More than satisfied with the day's exploring, I headed home for a cuppa.

Ben and the moth trapping team have continued their nighttime endeavours. Last week's reward at the Brickworks was a superb Scarlet Tiger moth. This is an extremely rare moth in Hertfordshire and therefore a highly significant find for the site. Take a look at Ben’s great blog for a photograph and a more detailed report of the evening.

Finally, I’ve added a new tab at the top entitled “The Oak: Week by Week”. This is the series of 26 photographs charting the Oak over the last 6 months. It’s a visual summary and, if you click on a photograph, it’ll take you to that week’s blog post.

Right, pre-wedding photography angst is kicking back in. I’m not sure who is going to be more nervous on Saturday. The bride or those of us who have the responsibility to record the day for posterity! Wish me luck!

* a quick visit to check on the Swallows this afternoon revealed an empty nest and a quiet barn.

Week 25: Hello Essex & Kestrels Fledge

My life is complete! Well, it is in terms of finding all 3 species of little orange Skipper butterflies on Box Moor Trust land. More than that, I can’t say.

My wanderings this week started with a quick visit on Monday morning to Dellfield. As soon as I opened the car door, I could hear young falcons calling. The first creature to come swooping past me as I entered the meadow was an adult Kestrel. I didn’t catch whether it was the male or female but it was heading for a noisy youngster located high up in the trees in Ryders (the field west of Dellfield). This is exactly the same area I’d seen a pair of Kestrels mating in early May so I guess springtime shenanigans were successful. Anyway, once food had been delivered, the fledgling took a short flight to a more exposed perch, giving me the chance to get a photograph, albeit a rather distant one. It and its fellow offspring (3 in total, I think) were constantly calling for food and attention. The universal plight of new parents!

The view across Dellfield towards Ryders. The line of trees, from left to right, runs along Ryders' border with Dellfield. The Kestrels were initially in the right corner: the trees you can see, if you look between the Oak and its neighbouring Scots Pine.

When it comes to photographing the Oak, I sometimes have an idea of what I’m after. Other times, it’s a case of responding to what’s in front of me. On Monday, it was the latter. Early on, I’d taken a few shots but none that satisfied. As I walked back down from visiting the pond on Preston Hill, the Oak was drenched in shadow and set against the wisps and puffs of a striking cloud formation. I quickly got into place and timed the shot to coincide with the Oak remaining in silhouette whilst the meadow in the background was released into the light. I love how clouds passing over the sun can create such fleeting drama on an otherwise static scene. Blink and you'll miss it.

Now to this week’s life completing experience (compensation perhaps for watching Federer nearly, nearly win...but actually lose in the final on Sunday). Tuesday, I plumped for Bovingdon Brickworks. Butterflies galore! And, within about 10 minutes of arriving, there in front of me, settled on a delicate pink flower, was an Essex Skipper butterfly (Thymelicus lineal) (ref last week's post). They emerge slightly later than Small Skippers (the end of June rather than mid June). Their inky black-tipped antennae being the clinching ID feature. You do have to be a little careful (apparently) as Small Skipper’s antennae can “show very dark brown undertips, whilst others have confusing amounts of black on top of their antennae”. The other quite noticeable feature, especially when comparing the photographs, is the shape of the forewing. The Essex Skipper’s appears to be squarer. The colour also seems to be brighter: a feature noted by Charles Smith but qualified later as perhaps being a result of the later emergence and therefore fresher state of specimens. However, my photographs were taken 9 days apart so perhaps the Essex Skipper truly is a brighter butterfly than the Small Skipper. For a more detailed comparison of Hertfordshire’s Skippers see this excellent webpage.

All 3 orange Skipper species, photographed on Box Moor Trust land

Finally, a few metres beyond the Skipper, I found a Creeping Thistle hosting 5 Common Red Soldier Beetles (Rhagonycha fulva). “Adults feed on aphids, and also eat pollen and nectar. Larvae prey on ground-dwelling invertebrates, such as slugs and snails, and live at the base of long grasses. The adults spend much of their short, summer lives mating and can often be seen in pairs.” The literature doesn’t lie!

POST SCRIPT August 2016 

With time and experience, I am no longer convinced the Skipper photographed above and labelled as Essex Skipper is indeed an Essex Skipper. It could be but a view of the underside of the antenna would be conclusive and I didn't manage that, unfortunately.

Week 17, Extra: Flying Tiger & A Poll

I reckon my mothing initiation is complete. There I was, listening attentively to the sound of a Whitethroat, hoping against hope it might actually emerge from the brambles, when out of the corner of my eye, a red flicker. Without a thought for the consequences, I abandoned the Whitethroat and went after the Flying Red Thing. “Birder!?”, I hear you cry, “call yourself a birder?!”. Happily, many of my birding friends are interested in other areas of natural history, so, a burgeoning affection for moths is, it seems, entirely acceptable and, perhaps, par for the course, as the wonders of nature take hold.

Anyway, back to the Flying Red Thing. It descended down into the long grass and I had to carefully lift away individual strands in order to uncover it. Of course, I hadn’t got a clue what it was, but I could at least see that it was a moth. I wished I had a specimen pot (essential mothing tool) but I only had binoculars (useless mothing tool). I photographed it as best I could, and left it to it.

A little while later, walking through a particularly large expanse of nettles, I came upon a number of tiny, day flying moths. Again, not a clue what they were called, but photographed one and came home to discover more.

It transpires that the Flying Red Thing was a Ruby Tiger moth. What a great name! The colour of a precious gemstone combined with a majestic, wild cat. I won’t forget that one in a hurry. The other little moths were Nettle-taps, which makes sense since they were all on Common Nettles (the laval food plant).

I returned to Bovingdon Brickworks the following day (Friday) and had a further 3 species of moth (Silver-ground Carpet, Common Carpet and an Epiblema species). Plus, a couple of lovely Dingy Skipper butterflies.

         Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa)

Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)

Epiblema species

Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages)

Finally, a poll. I started this blog for a number of reasons. One was to see whether there was an interest in hearing about the wildlife on the Box Moor Trust sites. I’d be grateful if you could register your vote in the poll below just to give me (and the Trust) an idea of readership (it is anonymous). I suspect the numbers are very low and it may be a case of needing to publicise the blog and the Trust more widely. Thank you.

Who reads this stuff anyway?! Which one best describes how often you read this blog?
	Regularly
	Every now and then
	First time & I will return
	First time & I won't return
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