Liquorice

On Friday we headed down to that there London, not just any old bit of London either - the swanky expensive more money than sense bit. We travelled down in bright sunshine, parked up at Stanmore and jumped on a tube straight to Sloane Square station, and then tootled into the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. We had a great day; I've fancied going there for some time and we absolutely struck lucky with it being such a glorious day too. I could share loads of photos, but really it's kind of 'you had to be there' to properly appreciate it. And anyway, if you're interested you'll seen Monty present it all last week.

I'd already planned to head to Ketton Quarry on Saturday to look for a load of Wild Liquorice and check it out for Grapholita pallifrontana - no previous VC55 records. It's one that I'd looked for before about a decade ago on a small plant at Croft Hill, but I'd not realised the plant was now well established at Ketton until last week. Sadly I was beaten to it, albeit the recorder on Friday failed to get any photos or a specimen so I still needed to head over and have a look anyway. I got details for the area and soon realised that I must have walked past his substantial clump on many occasions previously and not noticed - it's not the most attractive plant when not in flower.

It was a bit overcast with brief sunny spells, and luckily just as I got there the sun was out and I saw a couple of the moths immediately. As soon as the sun went in, the moths disappeared under leaves and over an hour or so I only saw one more and managed to net one with a bit of very light sweeping (the plant is not substantial enough to take a proper sweep!). This really seems to be an easy moth to overlook, as they were completely inactive and hidden away with no sunshine. 

Whilst mooching about and around the Liquorice, I pointed the camera at a few bits - by far the best of the bunch being this ....

The is the second time I've recorded Cryptocephalus bipunctatus at Ketton Quarry, and this is the sixth VC55 record. The fifth was also from Ketton Quarry a little earlier this May. Aside from this, the flowering plants and foliage around the area were busy with the usual suspects for the site - all metallic green ....

Cryptocephalus aureolus

Swollen-thighed Beetle

Ischnomera cyanea

Also flitting about the Liquorice was a trio of beefy-looking hoverflies that I recognised having seen them here before. I netted one for an in-hand shot for the record ....

Crysotoxum cautum

A small moth that I netted in flight turned out to be a male Psyche casta, and to be fair the twig-cloaked larval case is perhaps more visually appealing ....

Amongst the other day-flying moths seen was Burnet Companion, but the lack of sunshine and warmth made it feel generally quiet and there were very few butterflies knocking about.

Keith Tailby rocked up after I'd been there a while, and after a natter and such like I left him to it, and as I headed home the sun came out ....

I felt sure there would be some obscure but listenable track with Liquorice in the title, not that one sprung to mind at all. A quick internet search brought up a few tracks, and I found them all to be a bit shite. And then I found this quirky and pleasant acoustic tune on Youtube which somehow sounds like a perfect accompaniment for searching for inverts in the field in spring ....

Larval Life

A bit of a catch up from the last week or so. No garden trapping as the weather has been absolute pants, and I had a long weekend away with family to celebrate my wife's big birthday. Around that, and in lieu of any trap action, I've been looking for larval life.

After the long weekend, I had the Monday off with Nichola and we headed out to Swithland Res and Bradgate Park for some fresh air in relatively decent spring weather. Whilst walking about, I had a quick look at the dry-stone walls and found plenty of psychidae and a couple of larvae ...

Luffia ferchaultella, Bradgate Park 26/03/2018

Narycia duplicella, Bradgate Park 26/03/2018

Dahlica lichenella, Swithland Res 26/03/2018

Taleporia tubulosa (with Bristly Millipede getting in on the action)

Swithland Res 26/03/2018

Psyche casta, Bradgate Park 26/03/2018

Common Footman, Bradgate Park 26/03/2018

Believe this is a Large White chrysalis, Swithland Res 26/03/2018

Believe this is a Green-veined White chrysalis, Swithland Res 26/03/2018

Back on 15/03/2018 I found a few noctuid larvae in the garden. Amongst them was an early-instar that I didn't recognise at all with obvious setae that seemed odd for a noctuid. Anyway I've been feeding it up on dandelion etc and it is growing, but it is the most docile larvae I've ever reared. I've not seen it crawl about at all, and it just curls up into a tight coil if disturbed. I think I've sussed what it may be but I'm going to have to try and rear to adult to confirm.

Believe this is a Hoplodrina spp, either an Uncertain or a Rustic.

I've also made an earlier start than last year on looking for leaf-miners. I checked out a known Holm Oak just a few miles down the road at Sapcote on 30/03/2018 hoping to fine a few mines. Hadn't realised how easy it would be - the whole tree was heavily infested and it was obvious as I passed the tree before parking up.

Pretty much every leaf had numerous mines with at least two species involved

Ectoedemia heringella, vacated mines

Ectoedemia heringella, tenanted mines

Ectoedemia heringella tenanted and vacated mines, and Phyllonorycter messaniella vacated mine

Phyllonorycter messaniella vacated mine, upperside

Phyllonorycter messaniella vacated mine, underside

My head hurts ....

Inside and out for two reasons - both related to a couple of brilliant days out in the field down in West Sussex on a Pan-species get togther with some fine naturalists and very knowledgeable and helpful people. The first reason is that both days were gloriously sunny and warm - I didn't bother with a hat and the top of my head could probably do a good barbeque right now. The other reason is that my head is full of images and my dictaphone is full of scientific names - matching them up in any sort of logical manner is going to take time and patience, and my brain hurts. Both days were superb, with a big variety of fascinating stuff and really good to see first hand how various people use various techniques for finding stuff. We've done a fair bit of sweeping, beating, scrutinising with lenses and some noisy suction sampling. A bit of light trapping on Friday night as well, though somehow that wasn't half as exciting as I'd hoped.

I guess the best things new to me that are most likely to be of interest most readers here would be Duke of Burgundy (lots, brilliant), Fly Orchid (including a single green form which I think is var. ochroleuca), White Helleborine and Field Cricket. But there were loads of other smart beetles, bugs, flies, mosses and plants. I took a fair few photos, some of which I'll post here now and others will follow over the coming days - probably. I've got some garden moth records to catch up on as well which I'll sort out after tonights catch.

Fly Orchid

Duke of Burgundy

A really smart snail hunting fly, Trypetoptera punctulata

Psyche casta - loads of these, couldn't resist a shot of this feeding larva

Narycia duplicella

Swithland Gold

Yesterday morning, a Golden Oriole was heard singing from Buddon Wood next to Swithland Reservoir and seen briefly by the (presumably well chuffed) finder. The news came out a bit later in the day and, predictably, there was no further sign or sound in the afternoon. I had given up any hope of this one sticking and bucking the trend for the most of the previous VC55 records. I was therefore surprised to get a text early this morning that it was singing again, and quickly got myself sorted and doen Kinchley Lane to join the throng of usual suspects. Within a couple of minutes, I was listening to the evocative fluty song coming from the canopy - superb. It's literally years (c15) since I last saw or heard Golden Oriole, but it's one of the most memorable bird songs you'll ever hear on these shores. Over the next hour or so it sang intermittantly and also gave plenty of calls. Whilst the song is beautifully melodic, the call is a raucous screech - I imagine a squirrel having it nuts squeezed would sound similar. No-one actually saw this bird today - but like me, everyone will be adding to their county lists. Splendid. Masses of Swifts were over the water early on, but as the morning wore on and the Oriole became a bit more quiet I switched my attention away from birds and started looking at the walls and for opportunities to play with the new macro lens converter.

I found lots, but rather than post them all here in one go I'll drip-feed them over the next few posts. And for a change I'll start with moths!

Carpatolechia proximella

Common Footman

Dahlica triquetrella - these will probably be full of eggs / tiny larvae by now

Taleporia tubulosa

Psyche casta - loads of these around

This will now be known as Oriole Clearing

Adela reaumurella - loads along the lane

Bagworms & Bagworth

Yesterday morning was very cold again with a crisp frost, but the skies were slightly clouded over and the light was a bit crappy until later in the day. I headed over to Swithland Res for a quick scout around, mainly so that I could get the 2012 moth yearlist off of zero.

There can't be too many sights and sounds more evocative than whistling Wigeon and Teal on a still early morning reservoir with a chuffing steam train running in the background - click for big and imagine it ...

Other than the usual wildfowl, there was nothing too exciting bird-wise though a Peregrine in the usual tree and a Grey Wagtail along the usual stretch of the dam made it on to the yearlist.

A good search along the Kinchley Lane, dam and causeway walls produced six moths - all in the larval stage safely tucked up inside their cases. Aside from a handful of Coleophora serratella, they were all member of the Psychidae (or bagworms as they are sometimes called).

Taleporia tubulosa

Dahlica triquetrella - slightly bigger and 'grainier' than lichenella

Dahlica lichenella - slightly smaller and more 'licheny' than triquetrella

Psyche casta

Luffia ferchaultella (or lapidella f. ferchaultella depending on which Taxonomist you talk to)

The Dahlica spp. are not generally separable on the cases alone, however I've seen so many of them and reared a few through successfully over the years so I think I have my eye in for them. Sadly I couldn't find a Narycia duplicella otherwise it would have been an (almost) clean sweep on the VC55 Psychidae.

Next I decided to nip over to Bagworth Heath for a very quick look around. I had Siskin and Redpoll in mind but in fact it was very quiet. A crusty lichen on the fisherman's platform triggered a memory of a recent photo on the Leicestershire NatureSpot, which when I later checked was undoubtedly exactly the same patch.

Lecanora muralis

A bit further round the site I found a couple of long-dead logs in damp shade covered in moss and lichen, which on closer inspection were one of the 'pixie-cup' types which I think is Cladonia chlorophaea.

Should be called Shrek's Ear Lichen

Also on the same logs was this fungi, which I think is Hairy Curtain Crust (Stereum hirsutum).

Heading out for a whistle stop business trip tomorrow, though not sure how the travel was planned! It's two flights (Birmingham - Amsterdam - Budapest) followed by a 2-3hr taxi ride to Kosice tomorrow, all day meeting in our plant on Wednesday before heading back to Budapest, and then the return flights very early on Thursday morning. I doubt there will by any time to actually see and enjoy any of the places ........

Scarlet / Stuff

Back to nice sunny weather today, and I tried to make the most of it around domestics like a good old clipper cut at the barbers for me and the boys, and clearing masses of stuff out of the loft and bedrooms. It's amazing how much stuff you generate over the years when kids are involved. Nichola is car booting in the morning to shift some of it, the rest can go to charity shops or the local play groups - it's not going back in the loft or bedrooms!

Our cherry blossom tree is in full bloom at the moment - it looks great for a few days and then is a complete pain the arse when the blossom falls en masse clogging every orifice in the cars.

Whilst pottering about the garden I noticed these small red beetles - there were at least 8 and all were on the Snake's-head Fritilaries. I think they are Scarlet Lily Beetles (Lilioceris lilii).

Also in the garden were this Hawthorn Shieldbug, some small toadstools (no idea what sort) that I now think are Fairy Inkcap (Coprinellus disseminatus) and I couldn't resist an arty pansy shot ..

Later this afternoon, I headed over to Ketton Quarry to have another attempt at assembling Emperors. Absolutely zero success again, and also no joy at Luffenham Heath. I am sure that Emperors do not exist in VC55! I did manage some proper mothing joy at Ketton though when I checked the White Comfrey that grows around the back of the farm ..

White Comfrey

Scarlet Tiger - excellent

Also noted were a Psyche casta larva feeding from its twiggy case, a few Common Lizards, loads of Common Heaths and the commoner butterlifes, and loads of Bee Flies ..

Psyche casta

Common Lizard

Bee Fly

I'll finish the post with a few flowers from Ketton - though apart from the Primroses I'm not confident about the ID ..

Primrose

(Presumably Field) Forget-me-Not

Is this Herb Robert? Quite small flowers - Shining Cranesbill I now think.

Wild Strawberry - or at least I think one of the above or below is, not sure which or what the other one is ...