Potteric Carr Wildlife News July to September 2009

September 2009

Sunday 27th

Derek Bateson: "Although the sun shone fitfully, not much in the way of invertebrates seemed to be moving, until I spotted this male Scorpion Fly who quite obligingly posed for a shot (see image). Along the main drive there were a few Common Darters and the Lime and Alder trees had a good crop of galls which are yet to be identified. Walking round the cells of the Reedbed Filtration Ponds there was a bright spot of colour which turned out to be a Small Copper butterfly (see image). Spiders were much in evidence in Loversall Delph, as too were Common Green Shieldbugs, with a further twelve along Loversall Bank. Hoverflies were not so numerous, and only one species was noted. Last week featured the Sycamore Moth caterpillar which IH will try to rear for release here next year. The day after we photographed it, it burrowed into some soft wood and made a cocoon, using some of its hair tufts woven into the silk sheath."

Small Copper, Potteric Carr, 27th September 2009 © Derek Bateson

Scorpion Fly, Potteric Carr, 27th September 2009 © Derek Bateson

Saturday 26th

Red Admiral, Comma and Spekled Wood were still on the wing. Also seen, Mole (d.) and a Stoat (MAB).

Friday 25th

DB Tutorial: Harvestmen and Spiders

In recent contributions to our website, I and others have illustrated examples of both of these invertebrates, but I understand there is still some confusion regarding these fascinating creatures. I think the majority of observers will recognise a ‘spider’, which has eight legs, as opposed to other insects, for example beetles, butterflies and moths, etc., which mostly have three pairs of legs. However, harvestmen are spider-like invertebrates with comparatively tiny bodies and extremely long legs relative to their size. They too have eight legs but are not spiders, belonging to the arachnid order Opiliones and their common name derives from the fact that most species appear around harvest time in late summer—early autumn. Whereas in spiders, there is a distinct thorax and abdomen, separated by a constricted ‘waist’, in harvestmen these are fused together into a single body although the front end is designated the cephalothorax, and the rear end, the abdomen.

Harvestmen only have two eyes and these are raised on a ‘turret’ or ocularium to the front of the body which is often covered in tiny spines or tubercles. Unlike spiders, fertilisation is internal. Eggs are laid in damp soil, hatching in about two weeks after which the young moult seven or more times before reaching maturity, and will live maybe until the following year. They are mostly carnivorous, feeding on small arthropods, but will eat carrion and decomposing vegetable matter. The UK has 27, possibly 28 species of harvestmen, but I have only noted four at Potteric Carr, although there are old records for two other species. I have illustrated two species of harvestmen on this website in recent weeks, and two others are illustrated here, together with a spider for anatomical comparison purposes.

Left, Harvestman; right, Spider

Harvestman © Derek Bateson

Wednesday 23rd

Note by John Hancox on the Sycamore Moth found on Sunday (see report and photo for 20th September, below): "The Sycamore moth has a southern distribution but in the last 20 years there have been a few records mainly in East Yorkshire (VC61 and VC62). This is the first record for Potteric Carr and probably for the Doncaster area, and maybe even for Watsonian vice-county 63. It is also significant that it is a breeding record whereas records of the moth itself could be due to migration from other areas."

DB: The harvestman, Paroligolophus agrestis, photographed on 20th (below) is not uncommon, but I don't recall having photographed it before.

Harvestman, Potteric Carr, 20th September 2009 © Derek Bateson

Tuesday 22nd

Derek Bateson reports: "The day turned out to be very warm, especially in the late morning which brought out a flush of Commom Darter dragonflies, plus a Southern Hawker along Cottage Drain. Elsewhere, JH, MH and IH reported several Migrant Hawkers plus Ruddy Darters, the latter being scarce this year. Five species of hoverfly were noted, most of which were Helophilus pendulus, one of the 'footballers', so named because of its thoracic stripes (below © DB). Butterflies included Comma, Green-veined White and Speckled Wood, with Painted Lady seen by MAB at Huxter Well. Spiders too were much in evidence, but again I am having some difficulty in identification to genus, let alone species level! I witnessed one female attack her mate but the action was so quick, my shot is too blurred for reproduction, but I will keep trying."  A Grass Snake was found in Duchess Hide (see photos). Two pristine Red Admirals (JH, MH) were feeding on buddleia, plus a Large White. There were at least 10 Migrant Hawkers over Willow Bank Ramp and also a couple of Southern Hawkers.

This Grass Snake found in Duchess Hide was probably looking for somewhere to hibernate.

Left © Sue Bird, right © Helen Womack, both 22nd September 2009

Sunday 20th

DB: “Early on the weather was quite cool and apart from five species of hoverfly, a few Common Darter dragonflies and various spiders, it didn’t look a very promising day. I then found one of the very small Owl Midges, or moth-flies, Pericoma fuliginosa, relatively easy to identify with numerous straight wing veins (below, top © DB). Several moths were seen including Angle Shades, and quite a few Speckled Wood butterflies, together with the Tachinid Fly Tachina fera. Several Shield Bugs were seen including Common Green and an instar of Birch Shieldbug… this year has been a good year for shieldbugs generally. Returning to the Field Centre for lunch, I noticed a small ball of orange fluff on my camera case, which on investigation proved to be a very attractive, hairy, orange caterpillar which was immediately identified by lepidopterist Ian Heppenstall as that of the Sycamore Moth Acronicta aceris, a new species to Potteric Carr and scarce in Yorkshire (below, middle © AP). Out of five regular observers, JH, AP, AA, IH and DB, none of us had seen this before, so it was a good find. This was later supplemented with another interesting caterpillar (below, bottom © DB), brought in by one of the visitors on Patrick Harding's Fungal Foray, and is the Birch Sawfly Cimbex femoratus.”

Saturday 19th

A Water Shrew (d.) was on the entrance drive (DC).

Friday 18th

Harvestman, Potteric Carr © Derek Bateson

Wednesday 16th

Common Darter, Potteric Carr, 6th September 2009 © Allan Parker ARPS

Tuesday 15th

Earwig, Potteric Carr © Derek Bateson

Sunday 13th

Derek Bateson reports: "The cool weather this morning certainly kept most animals under cover, but as the day progressed a few things of interest turned up. The first find was a pair of tiny round snails, Trochulus hispidus, only ¼ inch (6mm) across (below, top) and covered in tiny hairs. There were a number of different flies and one we regularly see, is this rather attractive beast which I think is a snail-killing fly (below, bottom). Hoverflies were few and far between and the only dragonfly seen was an excellent specimen of a male Southern Hawker, which was so cold it allowed me to photograph it for ten minutes. My last find, although not often seen here, was one of our commonest earwigs, Forficula auricularia, with its rather fearsome looking cerci, or pincer-like appendages"  Photos © Derek Bateson.

Saturday 12th

The Striped Woodlouse reported on 8th September 2009 © Derek Bateson

Thursday 10th

The warm sunshine was good for Comma butterflies, with 9 on a bramble patch near the pumping station and 6 on Devil's-bit Scabious in Black Carr Field.

Ichneumon Fly, Potteric Carr, 6th September 2009 © Allan Parker ARPS

Wednesday 9th

Common Frog at Potteric Carr © Lee Adcock

Tuesday 8th
DB: "As it was quite breezy, but mild, I took a different route today and on the bridge over Mother Drain, I saw a tiny reflection from the brickwork and on close examination found a tiny whorl snail (below, bottom) which has been identified by RDCameron as Cochlicopa lubrica. Further on towards Black Carr Field I noticed two groups of wasps on Rosebay Willowherb. I couldn't really see what they were doing except that they appeared to be stripping the top layer off the stem... I assumed to extract sugars as they would not be nestbuilding. I then found a Woodlouse high up in an umbellifer which looked rather odd. I know of two species which occur here as mentioned in 'Gems of Potteric Carr', but this was a different species, the Striped Woodlouse Philoscia  muscorum, something I haven't seen before, and it doesn't look to have been recorded here previously, although it is not rare. In Black Carr Field the Devil's Bit Scabious was in full bloom as shown in AP's image yesterday. There were masses of spiders with some enormous Garden Spiders, also the Orb-web spider Metallina segmentata. Also in BCF was a Kidney-spot Ladybird, Chilocorus remipustulatus, which is uncommon at Potteric Carr (below, top)."

Monday 7th

Devil's-bit Scabious flowering in Black Carr Field, 6th September 2009 © Allan Parker ARPS

Sunday 6th

DB reports: "Observations today started right outside the Field Centre as the large Elephant Hawkmoth caterpillar photographed on Tuesday was still on Rosebay Willowherb but by lunchtime it had moved down the stem, ready to enter the earth and pupate. Shieldbugs and the nymphs or instar stages of these bugs, cropped up everywhere, mostly Green Shieldbugs but some Birch Shieldbug instars. A few Speckled Woods were around, plus Common Darter dragonflies and at the western end of the Reserve two Emerald damselflies. However, the first prime find of the day was brought to my attention by JH who started to photograph a harvestman, but when I did the same, I noticed it was the comparatively uncommon, 'flat-pack' or 'tuning-fork' harvestman, Dicranopalpus ramosus, which I first discovered here a few years ago. The image (below, top) clearly shows the divided pedipalps from which the common name derives.  It has extraodinarily long legs which stretch right across the diagonal of the picture. Close by I found a second specimen and no doubt there were more as they tend to associate in small groups. Moving into Loversall Field, my attention was caught by a vivid splask of colour, on the ground about six feet (2m) away. This turned out to be a Small Tortoiseshell which I think was newly emerged as the right wing was vibrating and thus slightly out of focus in this image (below, bottom)." Photos © Derek Bateson.

Wednesday 2nd

A Tachinid fly, Tachina fera, Potteric Carr, 30th August 2009 © Allan Parker ARPS

Tuesday 1st

Derek Bateson reports: "Although breezy there were quite a few insects, particularly Common Darter dragonflies along Loversall Bank. No Ruddy Darters were in evidence. Further along, I found yet another instar stage of the Green Shieldbug, and as I was photographing this, along came JH/MH who pointed out a very different shieldbug instar, only about a foot away (below, top), a late instar of the Birch Shieldbug (JF). Many hoverflies and Tachinids were nectaring on what flowers are left on the umbellifers, and a few Speckled Wood butterflies could be seen in sunny glades. Spiders too were abundant and in Loversall Delph I found a very co-operative Southern Hawker in pristine condition which allowed 20 images and a couple of head close-ups showing the compound eyes (below, middle). Following my recent work on water bugs, I took this to a new level yesterday and pictured close-ups of the mouth parts of both Water Scorpion and Water Stick Insect. I was very pleased to capture the attractively coloured eyes of the latter (see images later this week). I am hoping to have a Saucer Bug to complete this series within the next few days."  Two photos © Derek Bateson. Moth photos have been added below from the recent overnight trapping by IH.

Ichneumon fly, Potteric Carr © Allan Parker ARPS

August

Monday 31st

Report on last night's moth trapping by Ian Heppenstall: "Moth trapping on Sunday night, 30th August, yielded 51 species of moths, lower than recent totals but this is only to be expected as autumn approaches. Interestingly, however, three species are new to the reserve list, specifically the Pyralid, Eudonia angustea; Frosted Orange Gortyna flavago, a Noctuid; and the Geometer, Grey Pine Carpet Thera obeliscata. None of these is particularly uncommon locally. As its name implies, Grey Pine Carpet is a conifer feeding species, so this example is likely to have bred in a nearby garden rather than on the reserve. In addition to the new species, several others are worthy of note, being infrequent or uncommon in a regional context. These include Maiden’s Blush Cyclophora punctaria, Garden Dart Euxoa nigricans, Vine’s Rustic Hoplodrina ambigua, Southern Wainscot Mythimna straminea, Angle-striped Sallow Enargia paleacea, Crescent Celaena leucostigma and Pinion-streaked Snout Schrankia costaestrigalis. All in all, a very satisfactory result."

Crescent, Loversall Bank, 30th/31st August 2009 © Stuart Lowe

Frosted Orange, Loversall Bank, 30th/31st August 2009 © Stuart Lowe

Angle-striped Sallow, Loversall Bank, 30th/31st August 2009 © Stuart Lowe

Sunday 30th

Correspondent Derek Bateson: "My first job this morning was to re-photograph the ants I found last week so that these could be positively identified by Steve Price. Loversall Bank was alive with Common Darters but no Ruddy Darters were seen so I pictured the former. I then went along Cottage Drain, here the wind was less troublesome, and AP had pictured a Conopid Fly, Conops quadrifasciata, quite often seen here. At the same time, I found the attractive day-flying Pyralid moth, Pyrausta aurata, nectaring (below, top). Having found an instar earlier of the Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina, I then spotted another which was at a different stage, and both are pictured to show how much the instars differ (below, middle). Southern, Brown and Migrant Hawker dragonflies were seen, the latter producing one very large specimen (below, bottom), causing some argument as to its ID. Hoverflies were numerous with ten species noted, and again Tachinid flies were well in evidence. JH found a sawfly elsewhere which I provisionally think from the camera image is probably Tenthredo arcuata, which occurs regularly on the Reserve. All in all, quite a good day, finishing up with cake and a glass of wine to celebrate Allan's birthday."  Stoat and Weasel were noted today.

Saturday 29th

No, not an Otter, a Rabbit swimming, Huxter Well, 26th August 2009 © Phil Jones

Friday 28th

Common Darter, Potteric Carr, August 2009 © Allan Parker ARPS

Gold Spot, Potteric Carr, August 2009 © Allan Parker ARPS

Thursday 27th

Ants, Potteric Carr, 25th August 2009 © Derek Bateson

Wednesday 26th

Tachinid Fly, Tachina fera, nectaring on umbellifers. © Derek Bateson

Tuesday 25th

DB: "It was a good morning for all sorts of invertebrates and I counted twelve species of hoverfly, one of the brightest of which was Syrphus ribesii (below, top) which is frequently seen. Of other Diptera or two-winged flies, the most numerous today was the rather fearsome Tachinid Fly, Tachina fera, nectaring on umbellifers (above). Along Loversall Bank I had been told of an Elephant Hawkmoth caterpillar found by JH last week and today it was almost five inches long, still feeding on Rosebay Willowherb, but almost ready to pupate (below, bottom). Severl species of spider were seen including a young Garden Spider, Araneus diadematous, (below, middle), looking particularly striking. I disturbed a large rock and this revealed an active nest of ants, frantically trying to move their eggs to a safer place. I believe them to be the common black ant, Lasius niger (photo later), but attractive in close-up." © Derek Bateson

Sunday 23rd

Derek Bateson: "Ian Heppenstall ran his moth trap last evening and will no doubt report separately, but I photographed one or two of the moths. One striking specimen is the Canary-shouldered Thorn Ennomos alniaria, with its very appropriate name (below, top). Another attractive species is the Gold Spot Plusia festucae (below, middle), and both species featured prominently in the catch. There were quite a few caddis flies which have been sent to Stuart Crofts for ID, also two ground beetles. Surprisingly, there were a number of small Mayflies (below, bottom) which I am trying to identify to species, but are most likely to be Baetis or Cloeon sp., as they only have one pair of wings and I have found them in larval form in several of Potteric Carr's water bodies." © Derek Bateson

Ian Heppenstall: "Moth trapping  in the Compound on Saturday night, 22 August yielded 71 species of moths, including Dioryctria abietella, a conifer feeding Pyralid that is new to the reserve list. Another interesting capture was that of the Dark Sword-grass Agrotis ipsilon, a migratory Noctuid last recorded on the reserve as long ago as 1976. There were particularly large numbers of Lesser Swallow Prominent, Straw Dot and the Tortricid, Apotomis betuletana. Other interesting species trapped included Angle-striped Sallow, Maiden’s Blush, Flame Carpet, Vine’s Rustic, Pinion-streaked Snout, Twin-spotted Wainscot and Garden Dart, as well as both species of Copper Underwing Amphipyra pyramidea and A. berbera."

Friday 21st

Late news for 8th was a Common Lizard and several Toads (BGAB/MAB), and a young Grass Snake was seen on 15th.

White-tailed Bumblebee, Potteric Carr, August 2009 © Allan Parker ARPS

Tuesday 18th

DB: "This is a quick update on a few things seen in the past few days. There were several examples of 14-spot Ladybird, all very pale rather than yellow and black, and in the geometric rather than the spotted pattern (below, top). Silver Y moths numbered five or six on Cottage Drain and this image clearly shows the nectaring technique on Black Knapweed (below, middle). I have several times pictured the larvae of the Ruby Tiger moth (below, bottom), usually on oak, but for the first time I managed to capture the adult moth which shows the rich colouring and red fringes on the legs. Finally, the toadlets which have developed from the spawn laid in March, now measure about half an inch in length and clearly demonstrate the typical warty appearance seen in adult toads."

Sunday 16th

Photographs taken today by AP included the following:

Common Frog, Potteric Carr, 16th August 2009 © Allan Parker ARPS

Common Fleabane, Potteric Carr, 16th August 2009 © Allan Parker ARPS

Tuesday 4th

DB reports: "Although overcast it was very muggy so I decided to explore the SW corner of Huxter Well Marsh which I hadn't visited for some time. On the way there, I went into two of the hides on Hawthorn Bank, which each produced an interesting, but as yet unidentified fly (see images). Both had distinctive wing markings so I hope to track them down. On the walk I counted three Painted Lady butterflies, two Gatekeepers and some whites. Hoverflies were numerous, with eight species counted, four different ones on one flower. In the corner of the field the predominant plant at the moment is Bristly Ox-Tongue with its pale yellow flower, and nearly every one held one or other of the hoverflies. The most common of these was the 'Marmalade' hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus (see image, top), always plentiful at this time of the year as they are a migrant from Continental Europe. A few more fungi are starting to appear, mainly Russula sp., although I did see a large 'Penny Bun' or CepBoletus edulis along Hawthorn Bank.

Monday 3rd

Typha Bug Chilacis typhae, Potteric Carr, 2nd August 2009 © Derek Bateson

Sunday 2nd
Derek Bateson: "Today with the warm weather there was a profusion of invertebrates all round the Reserve although I concentrated on the first section of Loversall Bank and the promonotory. There were many Common Darter dragonflies together with a few Blue-tailed damselflies. Butterflies included large numbers of Large Whites (JH counted 32 on his transect yesterday), Green-veined Whites, two Commas, three Peacocks, five Gatekeepers, one Speckled Wood and a very tatty Ringlet. Some Ground Bugs were seen on Typha, but I have had to ask for expert opinion to determine these. Hoverflies were in abundance with ten species at least noted. One of these was Metasyrphus corollae (top photo), which although not rare, is a species not often seen here. Quite a contrast in appearance is the grassland hoverfly, Sphaerophoria scripta (middle photo) of which two males and two females were seen. I was photographing a bumblbee when a Longhorn Beetle, Leptura quadrifasciata alighted on the same flowerhead, and this is shown nectaring soon afterwards (bottom photo). This is the least common of our two black and yellow longhorn beetles. More of the Black Helvella fungus has now appeared along Loversall Bank." Photos © Derek Bateson.

July

Wednesday 29th

A stoat in aberrant pelage was photographed on Willow Bank yesterday (BW).

Stoat, Potteric Carr, 28th July 2009 © Barry Wardley

Tuesday 28th
Derek Bateson reports: "Today started with the emptying of the moth trap, set by Ian Heppenstall last night. There seemed to be quite a good haul, both in actual numbers, and species. I was particularly interested to see my first Scarce Footman, a quite attractive moth (below, right). The Coxcomb Prominent (below, left) also caught my eye. Apart from the moths, there were a few Caddis, which have been sent off for ID. Earlier, IH had found another Old Lady moth in the Café, our second in two weeks. I then did a sweep along Cottage Drain, and despite the wind I was pleased to note numerous hoverflies, perhaps seven or eight species with Episyrphus balteatus heading the list in numbers. Butterflies too were in abundance with many Green-veined Whites, three newly emerged Painted Ladies, two Peacocks and a Comma, plus Ringlets and Gatekeepers, etc. Mirid and Capsid bugs were feeding on knapweed flowers and on one plant I noticed a strange pinkish white caterpillar (bottom) which I am currently unable to identify. Blue-tailed, and Emerald Damselflies were in good number but only one Common Darter was seen, but JH reported these as numerous in Black Carr Field." Photos © Derek Bateson.

Ian Heppenstall reports on moth trapping on Monday night, 27 July 2009: The light trap attracted close to 200 moths of 67 species, including Monopis weaverella, a Tineid (or ‘Clothes Moth’) new to the Reserve. M. weaverella is a decidedly scarce species in Yorkshire, with very few recent records. Scarce Footman Eilema complana, Southern Wainscot Mythimna straminea, Flame Carpet Xanthorhoe designata and Bordered Beauty Epione repandaria were other less common species recorded. The most exciting moth found today, however, was not in the trap but on the café window. A fine Old Lady Mormo maura was discovered and correctly identified by kitchen supervisor, Bev. Although not really rare, the Old Lady is seldom seen because it rarely enters light traps. The old moth collectors used ‘sugar’, a concoction of rum, black treacle and pear drops to attract this and other species. Well done, Bev!

Sunday 26th
DB: "Today was not particularly inspiring for photography as it started to drizzle as I set off along Loversall Bank. However, the wet and warmish weather had encouraged a flush of early fungi and I noted a couple of species of Russula. In the second embayment, in a place where I had not seen it before, were two small growths of Black Helvella Helvella sulcata. Invertebrates were thin on the ground except for three species of hoverfly. What was noticeable was that many snails had climbed up into the thistles. These were mostly the banded snails, Cepaea hortensis and C. nemoralis, but I noticed a tiny juvenile (pictured), grazing on a leaf. This was quite attractively marked, and although I can't be certain, I think it is the Common Garden Snail Helix aspersa. Apart from this there were a few bedraggled butterflies and damselflies and not a lot else." A Stoat was seen on Loversall Bank and a Grass Snake near Decoy Lake.

Snail (?Helix aspersa), Potteric Carr, 26th July 2009 © Derek Bateson

Saturday 25th
A number of fresh Painted Lady butterflies were out in today's sunshine.

Painted Lady, Potteric Carr © Jamie MacArthur

Painted Lady caterpillar, Potteric Carr, 14th July 2009 © Allan Parker ARPS

Thursday 23rd

Many Cinnabar caterpillars have been feeding on Ragwort during July. A Grass Snake was on the main drive (BW, CR).

Cinnabar caterpillar, Potteric Carr, July 2009 © Allan Parker ARPS

Tuesday 21st
An Old Lady moth was settled in Duchess Hide (IH).

Old Lady Mormo maura in Duchess Hide, 21st July 2009 © Sue Bird

Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris, Potteric Carr, July 2009 © Allan Parker ARPS

Monday 20th

Photos of Grey Squirrel and Pygmy Shrew have been submitted today.

?Pygmy Shrew, Potteric Carr, July 2009 © Sue Trout

Grey Squirrel at Willow Pool feeding station, July 2009 © Maureen Hancox

Sunday 19th
Derek Bateson reports: "Continuing with the gallery of water bugs which I had photographed and was recently posted on the website, another very pretty species is the Water Cricket Velia caprai, which can be seen, and often overlooked, at Potteric Carr. This is because it superficially looks like a rather fatter Pond Skater, living as it does on the water surface. This species is more commonly found in flowing water, but reaches Potteric via Mother Drain and other waters linking with the river system. As can be seen from the images, there are winged, and non-winged forms, but quite an attractive insect in close-up, measuring perhaps some 5-6mm. Many invertebrates today on Cottage Drain were hiding under leaves to avoid the rain, but hoverflies were fairly active with five species noted. When the sun emerged, so did the butterflies with Green-veined White and Ringlet being particularly numerous. A few Blue-tailed Damselflies were in evidence together with two Common Darters. Some of the flowers were attracting large quantities of a yellow Tephritid fly, which I believe is Chaetostomella cylindrica. Elsewhere, JH/AP found a largish black Ground Beetle, which so far I have been unable to identify"

Water Crickets Velia caprai, Potteric Carr © Derek Bateson

Teasel, Potteric Carr, 19th July 2009 © Allan Parker ARPS

Saturday 18th

Emergence of Peacock butterfly from chrysalis © Derek Bateson

Friday 17th
A very wet day, but here is a photograph taken earlier in the week.

Southern Hawker, Potteric Carr, 14th July 2009 © Allan Parker ARPS

Tuesday 14th
DB reports: "Today, the writer set off with JH and AP to inspect some caterpillars which on first viewing at the weekend appeared to be Small Tortoiseshell, but in fact today turned out to be Peacock. Before this we had a very patient Southern Hawker dragonfly which posed for some time alongside a group of Rose Sawflies Arge pagana caterpillars which adopted the 'S' shaped threat posture. In the picture (below, left), on the leaf can be seen the empty skins from the first instar stage, maybe two days ago. Loversall Field turned up several teneral Common Darters, plus what was thought to be a female Emperor dragonfly which refused to co-operate for the three photographers. Several Small Coppers (see image, bottom), skippers, Gatekeepers and Ringlets were in evidence, together with a single caterpillar which we agreed was probably a Painted Lady. We all photographed a chestnut coloured fly which, although it was recorded many years ago, I have never seen it in the past twelve years. This is pictured  (below, right) and is a Conopid, which are sometimes referred to as Thick-headed flies; in this case, Sicus ferrugineus, a quite distinctive species."

Rose Sawfly caterpillars and 'Thick-headed Fly' Sicus ferrugineus © Derek Bateson

Broad-leaved Helleborine flowering spike, Potteric Carr, 14th July © Allan Parker ARPS

Small Copper, Potteric Carr, 14th July 2009 © Derek Bateson

Sunday 12th

Derek Bateson reports: "On quite a muggy morning after heavy overnight rain, Cottage Drain did not seem a good idea, so a walk along Loversall Bank produced 14-spot Ladybird, six hoverfly species, numerous butterflies including Green-veined White, Large White, Speckled Wood, Ringlet, Gatekeeper, Large Skipper and Meadow Browns. Blue-tailed Damselflies were well in evidence, plus Azure. Common Darters were emerging from the new ponds and a teneral was pictured. Two Southern Hawkers were also seen in St.Catherine's Copse, and Stoats here and one on  Willow Bank. Loversall Delph produced this very attractive richly brown coloured Mirid Bug, Deraecoris ruber, identified by JF (photo below, left), together with a late instar of a Green Shieldbug (photo below, right)."

Also seen today, a Fox walking around Huxter Well Marsh and 2 Roe Deer at Decoy Lake.

Saturday 11th

Peacock caterpillars in metamorphosis, Potteric Carr, July 2009 © Derek Bateson

Thursday 9th
A count of butterflies on 4th July was as follows, reports John Hancox (Butterfly Recorder): Ringlet 108 (Loversall Bank transect 55, Loversall Field 39 and Loversall Delph 24), Small Skipper 25 in Loversall Field, Gatekeeper 10 (just started to emerge – all males). Dragonflies at Loversall Field Ponds included 10 Four-spotted Chasers, 4 Emperors (including female ovipositing), 1 Brown Hawker (also 1 at Loversall Delph), and a few Common Darters. There is now a contact email address for anyone who can identify the green caterpiller shown on 7th July, as follows hancoxj@hotmail.com

A Stoat was seen carrying something, a prey item or even a kit, across Loversall Bank.

Tuesday 7th

2 Red Admirals and many Comma butterflies today.

Unidentified caterpillar photographed recently at Potteric Carr © John Hancox
Please contact John at hancoxj@hotmail.com  if you can identify it.

Monday 6th
Derek Bateson took some photographs of aquatic invertebrates (better known as water bugs) last month, and here they are:

Water Scorpion Nepa cineria

Water Stick Insect

Water Measurer