Smelly moths & a Woodchat Shrike

Painted Lady, Bovingdon Brickworks

Bovingdon Brickworks (BMT): If the weather thinks that by throwing in a reasonable day of sunshine yesterday, I’ll forget the preceding week of grey skies, showers and low temperatures, it’s sadly mistaken. Last week was one of those unremarkable, uninspiring, plodding sort of weeks. Even netting a Vapourer moth (Orgyia antiqua) near a Brickworks Buddleja didn’t return the spring to my step although reading about this day-flying species afterwards was fascinating. Antennae so sensitive that they can sniff out a female more than a mile away! And, whilst the males are blessed with these extraordinary scent detectors, the females are flightless and basically live to “stink” and reproduce. I’m glad I’m not a Vapourer moth!

A very worn and slightly disabled male Vapourer moth (Orgyia antiqua). 

The moth requires both antennae to be in tact in order to determine the direction of scent and to navigate accurately. 

The close up shows the antennae are covered with thousands of tiny hairlike olfactory receptors

I had hoped the Painted Lady passage would continue this week but, if there were any around, they weren’t flying or visible: both are possibilities due to the weather and the inaccessibility of the scrub in their favoured area. In spite of that, most visits have included c5 of each fresh Red Admirals, Peacocks and Speckled Woods, 2-3 fresh Brimstones, 2-3 Small Tortoiseshells & Commas, a fresh Small Copper, a few Common Blues, Whites sp, worn Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers and, on Friday, a very tatty Ringlet.

Still plenty of noisy Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and Blackcaps around or passing through, and there are large family parties of Goldfinches throughout the site and smaller groups of Linnets.

On Friday, during a spell of sunshine, one of the Southern Hawker females perched up for a moment.

Yesterday, I escaped the local and got to see a new bird: a Woodchat Shrike. A juvenile turned up on Friday at Blakehill NR, near Cricklade in Wiltshire, and, much to everyone’s relief, had stayed put overnight. The species’ nearest breeding territory is southern Europe, whilst winters are spent in open bush country in Africa, south of the Sahara. This youngster had obviously found itself blown in the wrong direction and will hopefully get back on a northerly, heading south, in good time. Although not quite where it’s supposed to be, it was feeding very well, flying to the ground, catching grasshoppers and other large insects and returning to a perch to devour them. It remained pretty distant (100+ metres away) but that’s what telescopes are for, I guess.

Blakehill NR, location of Woodchat Shrike plus the worst digiscoped photos ever! Heat haze + distance = cr*p photos.
Still, you can just make out the pale rump, pale scapular patch and pale primary panel on the bird.

A Hummer in the Sun

Bovingdon (BMT): Almost 30°C yesterday with blazing sunshine. I got lucky with the/a Hummingbird Hawk-moth briefly coming to the Buddleja at the Brickworks again. Managed to get 6x the shutter speed possible last Thursday, which still isn’t fast enough but about as good as I can get with my equipment. Decided the image worked better with the Hawk-moth “colour popped”. In the afternoon, another (or the same) Hawk-moth was feeding on Buddleja elsewhere on site.

6 Painted Ladies yesterday, all around the same Buddleja and all new except one which had lingered from the previous day.

A Hummer & the Ladies

Disappointment awaits those looking for hulking great SUVs draped with scantily clad dames (fortunately...or unfortunately, depending on your perspective). This is strictly Lepidoptera content, starting with the fab little Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) that swooped in only seconds after I rocked up at the Buddleja.

Bovingdon (BMT): Thursday was dark and damp and I really didn’t think much would be flying at the Brickworks. But, it never ceases to amaze me just how critical, and yet how seemingly random, timing can be. At the entrance to the site, there’s a large Buddleja bush, and it’s always my first stop. Yesterday, I arrived and almost simultaneously, in came a Hummingbird Hawk-moth, totally transforming the stagnant gloom into vivid, buoyant, frenzied action. Darting, hovering and feeding before finally being chased off by a teeny, weeny fly; I enjoyed every second it was in sight. Had I arrived a minute later, I would have missed it. A few minutes earlier and I might have carried on, ignorant of its approach. I really did feel extremely fortunate to have seen it and although the photographs don’t do it justice (no chance of a fast shutter speed unfortunately), I was chuffed to get them. For more on Hummingbird Hawk-moths, this RSPB article is short but packed with great info.

Earlier in the week, there had been a big influx of passage Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs and, in the sunshine, Red Admirals, Peacocks, Small Tortoiseshells, Commas, Common Blues, Small and Large Whites, Speckled Woods, a Holly Blue, a Small Copper and a few worn Meadow Browns and Gate Keepers kept me busy. There’s also been a steady passage of the migrant Painted Lady butterflies. Ostensibly, they seem to stay less than 24 hours. The one I found on Monday had gone when I next visited on Wednesday but another was in its place. That too had moved on and was replaced by a further 2 on Thursday. Today, another had arrived but Wednesday’s specimen had returned and one from the previous day had lingered but incurred some damage to the rear of its hindwings. All of this week’s Painted Ladies have turned up in the same small area, rich in flowering Buddleja. This species’ obvious tendency to wander does make me wonder just how many are actually passing through at the times I’m not on site?!

The best way I’ve found of keeping track of butterflies is using photography. No two Painted Ladies are the same, as far as I can work out. Variations in their mottled patterning and/or the presence of wear or damage makes it possible to recognise individuals. I’ve definitely seen at least 9 specimens so far this year at the Brickworks with a 10th likely (on 18th June) and an 11th on another visit when I was looking for something else and didn’t take much notice or photograph it. Below are the 9 certainties and their date stamps (including the 2 repeats from today). Collated like that, they look rather beautiful and I'm glad I've kept a record, although, how long I keep it up remains to be seen!

Butterflies that flutter by

Bovingdon (BMT): It’s always easy, and mildly reassuring, to fall back into old routines after a good break. Having been away in Warwick for a few days, yesterday morning’s sunshine and warmth was perfect for catching up with the local wildlife. At the Brickworks, I came across 3 species of dragonfly, which is pretty good going there (female Southern Hawker, male and female Brown Hawkers and an Emperor). The second generation of Common Blue butterflies have been emerging, all looking pristine and perfect. There were a fair few mating pairs around the site too, making preparations for next season.

The best welcome home present, though, was to find a splendid male Silver-washed Fritillary. It’s only the second one I’ve found at the site (the first was last year, also a male, but he looked more dead than alive, with a greater resemblance to a waffle than a butterfly! Take a look if you don’t believe me, HERE).

There’s an underlying sense of awe whenever I see this species. It’s our largest fritillary and in spite of being Tango orange, it’s the silver streaks and shimmer on the underwing that inspired its name. Its flight appears effortless and buoyant. It looks to be floating on air and, weirdly perhaps, it makes me think of long, luscious eyelashes moving slowly and gracefully. Perhaps it’s the black markings on the upper wing or that we talk about "fluttering eyelashes"... Anyway, it’s not a species you can miss, even across shoulder-high Teasel and Thistle heads.

I had to wait quite some time for him to land within photographic range and fully open his wings. It’s only then that you get a really good look at the 4 distinctive black veins on the forewings, known as “sex brands” (now there’s a blog post title that would generate hits!). These veins contain special “androconial” scales (i.e. sexual scent scales, to those of us who don't speak butterfly) which the males use during courtship.

I’ve had very little experience of this species so I’ve never seen the sex brands and scent scales put into action! However, having read the UK Butterflies description of courtship, I hope very much that one day I will:

“The courtship flight of this butterfly is one of the most spectacular of all the British species. The female flies in a straight line while the male continuously loops under, in front and then over the top of the female. With the courtship flight over, the pair lands on a convenient platform where the male showers the female in scent scales. The male then draws the female's antennae over the sex brand and mating subsequently takes place.”

The morning didn’t end with the Fritillary. There were also a couple of Painted Ladies on site. One, with a malformed or missing right antenna, was nectaring on Thistle and dancing around a pair of mating Common Blues on the open ground; the other, which was looking a little frayed around the edges, was nectaring on Bramble in dense scrub. I think that makes a total of at least 5 possibly 6 Painted Ladies at the site this year, which definitely beats the 1 from last year.

I called in at the Brickworks this morning but no sign of the Fritillary and only one Painted Lady remained. Two Small Copper were a cheery sight even if one of them looked half eaten!



Finally, I checked on the Small Blue colony yesterday, on the A41 Bourne End/Hemel slip road. Still just 3 second generation butterflies....but fab to see!

Brassy longhorns raid the Scabious!

Over the last 10 days or so, my regular rambles over Trust land have been fairly uneventful. Certainly, I’ve not felt compelled to blog about anything. Although, the Large Skipper, sitting on a Bramble leaf, delicately dripping urine onto dry bird’s poo in order to then slurp it up with its proboscis was quite entertaining! I even videoed that....I know, I need help. Then, there was the Red-tailed Bumblebees mating on the path at the Brickworks which was an unusual sight. The queen was enormous compared to the lowly little male. It seemed like a very precarious business. Anyway, what has finally motivated a blog post, I hear you ask? Well, let me share yesterday's excitement...

Bovingdon (BMT): In spite of the wind, I thought I’d do a little Hairstreak hunting. Purple Hairstreaks to be precise. To my mind, this basically involves hanging around Oak trees, staring up into the canopy for as long as my neck will tolerate it.

I got to the Brickworks mid-morning and headed to the Oaks east of Baker’s Wood. I love this area. It’s wild and warm and sheltered, and full of all sorts of interesting creepy crawlies and plants. The Oaks were devoid of speedy ‘streaks but I carried on along the path, to where the Field Scabious (Knautia arvensis) grows. Suddenly, there, fluttering above the plants, not a Purple Hairstreak, but a small group of Longhorn moths. My pulse quickened. I immediately thought Horehound Longhorn (the fact that there isn’t any Horehound growing in this area was neither here nor there). I waited for one of them to settle, which seemed to take an absolute age. Finally, one came to rest, and was obviously not a Horehound (sense returned). In fact, I wasn’t quite sure what they were so decided I’d better take some decent record shots and look them up once home. By the time I’d finished, I’d convinced myself they were nothing to get excited about although their identity was still a mystery.

Longhorn on Field Scabious

I carried on around the rest of the site, spending a good 20 minutes under a large Oak, watching two tiny, speedy, dark butterflies occasionally flit between branches, high up. Purple Hairstreaks? Who knows, I never got a good look at them, unfortunately. Finally, on my return route, a ragged Painted Lady was sunning herself by some brambles.

Back home, with a bit of research, I got to the Brassy Longhorn (Nemophora Metallica) ID and looked up its status in Hertfordshire. I couldn’t quite believe my eyes when the website said just 5 records between 1933 and 2004! Needless to say, I returned in the afternoon and did a proper count, 14 moths in total. UK Moths states that “the male has antennae three times the length of the forewings, the female around half this length...Like other members of the genus, the larvae feed at first on seeds and later on leaves or leaf-litter, mainly of Field Scabious (Knautia arvensis). Occurring in the south of England and East Anglia, the moths fly in June and July during the day.” I have since learned that there were a couple of Herts sightings last year.

So, there it is, another rare/scarce moth turns up on Box Moor Trust land. Brassy and beautiful, and it’s got me thinking more about the place of Field Scabious in the landscape. The flower heads were teeming with life: hoverflies, bees, beetles and moths, to name but a few. Definitely a plant that needs greater consideration.

So, to a few photos of the bobby-dazzlers...

Brassy Longhorn (Nemophora metallica), female. Her scales dull to the light

Brassy Longhorn (Nemophora metallica), female. Her scales glistening in the light

Of course, the male is the one with the long horns…THREE times the length of the forewing

Brassy Longhorn (Nemophora metallica), male. In dull light

Brassy Longhorn (Nemophora metallica), male, looking very brassy and longhorny!

The last few photographs show the head-on view; a size comparison with a hoverfly; a close up of the light-catching scales, and the predominant colouring.