July 2008

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UPDATE 15/07/08

Elm disease worry

The large amount of elm disease appearing in the Colchester area and throughout NE Essex is causing anxiety to local lepidopterists. The uncommon white-letter hairstreak butterfly and several moth species, including rarities, are dependent on elm leaves as caterpillar foodplant. Elms near the old church at West Bergholt which host a small colony of white-letter hairstreaks have been badly hit with large dying sections and the Friends of Hillhouse Wood are hoping that the colony of hairstreaks on the wood's remaining wych elms in the wood at West Bergholt will not also be affected by disease spread. There are white-letter hairstreak colonies at Friday wood and elsewhere in the Roman River Valley where elm disease is also showing signs of spread.

July is the month of maximum insect activity providing, of course, that the weather is warm and sunny bringing opportunity for flight, courtship, pairing and egg laying. Last year July proved to be a disaster for much wildlife being one of the wettest and coolest ever recorded with serious flooding bringing chaos and loss to urban areas and countryside alike. If conditions are right woodland butterflies on the wing this month include purple hairstreak, white-letter hairstreak, speckled wood and white admiral. Ringlets are in the wide, grassy rides of woods and along margins, while in meadows and grassy verges, meadow browns can be found with three skipper butterflies; large, small and Essex. Also in wood margins, waysides and hedge banks you'll find gatekeepers(hedge browns).

Stour Wood, Wrabness is still the best place to see white admirals, some
regularly located near the RSPB car park nectaring on bramble blossoms or gliding elegantly around the trees. Their caterpillars feed on leaves. Another good site is Friday Wood, Berechurch and in past three years there have been regular sightings at High Woods Country Park, Colchester. Reports also from Welshwood Park, Colchester, and the Marks Hall Estate, Coggeshall. Several species of dragonflies and damselflies are flying and pairing in July. The scarce chaser is found along the River Colne at Cymbeline Meadows where there is also a big colony of the banded demoiselle damselfly. The scarce chaser, once considered a rarity, is now found at several rivers and streams in NE Essex and Suffolk.

An uncommon damselfly, the beautiful demoiselle, is found along the Roman River at Friday Wood and at lakes and ponds, look out for the emperor dragonfly.

Colchester Natural History Society's annual wild walk day is on Sunday, July 6 led by Society chairman, Prof Ted Benton, an expert on bees, butterflies and dragonflies as well as on crickets and grasshoppers. Meet at the Colchester War Memorial at 10am. The walk goes through the Castle Park and on to High Woods Country Park. Given a good, sunny day you can see a dazzling variety of woodland and meadowland butterflies, dragonflies, grasshoppers and crickets and day-flying moths. Good too for many wild flowers and birds.

I'll be leading a butterflies and summer insects walk at Buntings Meadow and Hilly Fields local nature reserves on Saturday, July 19, meet at Sussex Road entrance to Hilly Fields at lOam. And if you are interested in moths and night-flying insects, why not join me and other CNHS and Essex Moth Group members at Bunting's Meadow reserve, Lexden,on Friday, July 18, 9pm until midnight. In past uncommon species found here include the small elephant hawk moth and the red-necked footman.

Towards the end of July wading and passerine birds begin their migrations southwards from breeding areas. Whimbrel and greenshank with some spotted redshanks and wood sandpipers are seen in estuaries of Colne, Stour and Blackwater with common sandpipers regular at reservoirs and lakes.

In July look out for...

A male banded demoiselle, common along rivers and in moist meadows in July.

Meadow brown (male) underside. Usually common in grassy places in July. Photo: Joe Firmin.

The white-letter hairstreak butterfly is an uncommon species associated with elm trees, its larvae feeding on their leaves. Threatened by increase in elm disease. Can be seen in July at Friday Wood and also at Hillhouse Wood, West Bergholt, often feeding on thistle and bramble blooms. Photo: Philip Smith

Common sandpiper, small wader migrating through reservoirs, lakes south from breeding areas in the north.

There's continuing anxiety about the decline of the small tortoiseshell butterfly, once one of our commonest species. Only a few sightings this year. Heavy parasitism of nests of larvae by wasps or flies could be one of the causes.

Whimbrel is one of the wading birds travelling south along east coast in July from northern nesting grounds.

Butterfly star is the elegant white admiral. Best sites are Stour Wood, Wrabness and Friday Wood.

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