May 2009

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May is one of the most exciting months in the field naturalist's calendar. It sees a frenzy of nesting by many bird species as well the return of many more which have been spending the winter in warmer climes. Nightingales are back and widely distributed in woods, spinneys and plantations throughout NE Essex with favourite nesting sites such as Essex Wildlife Trust's Fingringhoe Wick nature reserve. The woods in the Roman River Valley and at West Bergholt attract many people anxious to hear the wonderful vibrant songs of the males as they establish their territories and attract females.

Lots of dawn chorus meetings are being organised by wildlife organisations and wood owners this month many of which can be seen advertised on the internet. One where I am one of the leaders is at Hillhouse Wood, West Bergholt on Sunday, May 17. Meet at West Berholt old church next to West Bergholt Hall at 3.45am. The wood is good not only for nightingales but also for many other early bird choristers such as blackcap, chiffchaff, willow warbler and garden warbler. My fellow "small—hours" guide will be Philip Smith. Happy to welcome you but best wear warm clothing, stout footwear and a flask of a warm drink, a good idea.

Swifts return to their nest sites in old buildings and church towers in first week of May after wintering in Africa and the Mediterranean. Nationally the swift is in decline mainly due to loss of traditional nest sites in old buildings. Modern housing and industrial development have eliminated access holes and crannies.

Another once common and familiar summer resident, now increasingly rare and listed as a Red Data species, is the turtle dove. It suffers from the appalling toll taken by shooters in Mediterraean and North African countries as the birds migrate north from their winter quarters. The legislation introduced by the EU in an effort to protect migrant birds is blatently ignored by these gunners with one of the worst offenders being Malta where conservationists are even threatened with physical attack. Bear this in mind when you are planning holidays in the Med and do all you can to pressurise for action against the offenders. If more boycott holiday destinations such as Malta and Cyprus this can prove the most effective action as many Mediterranean countries depend heavily on tourism.

One of the bird success stories of recent years has been the increase in mumbers of the hobby. This dashing little falcon nests in Essex, often using old crow nests, and in any one season up to 30 pairs have been counted. They return from Africa in May and eat insects including dragonflies and damselflies as well as catching martins and swallows in swift aerial chases.

May sees more butterflies on the wing including first broods of small copper, small heath and towards end of month, common blue. Hibernated species such as peacock, red admiral, comma, small tortoiseshell and brimstone are pairing and the females laying eggs. There has been a very good showing of the holly blue butterfly since late April. This is double brooded with the spring females laying their eggs on flower buds of holly, and later on the small green berries. The second brood appears in July and August and then the females lay eggs on ivy buds and blooms, feeding up on the developing berries.

Members of Essex Moth Group and Colchester Natural History Society are holding MV lamp sessions during the month to record species as well as operating lamps in their gardens. If you'd like to enjoy a moth-lamp night with local experts then come to Highwoods Country Park, Colchester on Friday, May 29 when I will be running lamps with colleagues Ian Rose and David Barnard. Meet us at the visitor centre at 8.30pm. The lamps will be operated from 9.30pm until approximately midnight depending of course on the prevailing weather conditions.

Butterflies galore on the Cattawade Marshes Reserve

Colchester Natural History Society's species survey visit to the RSPB’s Cattawade Marshes Reserve on April 29 enjoyed a day of sunshine and an ecouraging number of butterflies as well as many other insects including some early damselflies.

More than 20 small tortoiseshell butterflies were recorded among the reserve's extensive stinging nettle beds as well as a similar number of peacock butterflies. Both species were out of hibernation and stinging nettles are the foodplant for their larvae. In fact a "nest" of scores of small larvae of the peacock was found on nettles, an exceptionally early occurrence. More than 20 freshly-emerged small copper butterflies were also seen as well as many green-veined whites and male orange tips.

Several pairs of lapwings and redshanks are nesting on the reserve's grassland and a small group of greenshanks was present on their way north to nesting areas. Reed and sedge warblers were singing in the reedbeds and at least three male cetti's warblers were singing among the reeds and sallow bushes. The meeting was led by Russell Leavett. Darren Tansley, the CNHS mammal recorder and Essex Water for Wildlife Officer recorded the presence of otters and water vole. The latter is important as water vole are now making a comeback on the Stour after decades of decline due to mink predation.

An 'Empress' was a surprise visitor

Like many more moth enthusiasts in CNHS and the Essex Moth Group, a series of cold or windy nights in April delayed my resumption of using my garden moth lamp and trap but when I used it on the night of May 1st I was delighted (and surprised) to find a beautiful female Emperor Moth (illustration below), the first of this large and spectacular species to arrive in my garden.

In NE Essex it is found in heathland areas where there is heather, such as Tiptree Heath, but is also flying in open country and marshes. Its spectacular green, black and yellow larvae feed on bramble, sallow, blackthorn and hawthorn as well as heather. There is a flourishing colony on the RSPB's Old Hall Marsh Reserve. Among the other moths I recorded was a lime hawk moth and pebble prominent.

STOP PRESS 25th May - Huge butterfly immigration

There was a sizeable immigration of painted lady butterflies from Southern Europe in mid May while I was staying in Dordogne, SW France. Here large numbers were passing through heading north in the direction of the UK.

It was not then a surprise that on May 24 thousands of painted lady butterflies passed through Essex heading north. Peter Pearson and his wife saw a movement of several hundreds while at Colchester North Station seeing off relatives. They were accompanied by some yellow butterflies which Peter considered were most likely clouded yellows. On the same day I counted 30 or more during a brief visit to Copt Hall and Nigel Raynor of West Bergholt reported 330 between 8.30-11.30am with 200 just in one hour from 10am. Ian Rose at School Lane Mistley reported painted lady passing his large garden at a rate of one per minute between 9am and 1pm, all on a northern track.

The immigration continued on May 25 with many scores seen flying north over Fordham Hall estate. This would seem to indicate that 2009 could be another painted lady year. The females lay their eggs on thistles giving rise to another generation in our gardens and fields in summer and early autumn.

Backing up Peter Pearson’s observations clouded yellow butterflies were seen progressing west/north west through Essex and other Eastern Counties in large numbers on May 24 and 25. Co-inciding with these huge immigrations is the amount of hummingbird hawk moth and silver-Y moth sightings. Ian Rose had two hummingbird hawk moth nectaring in his garden on May 25.

Below:- Painted lady (L) and clouded yellow (R) butteflies have arrived from the continent in large numbers passing north through Essex

There is concern over declining linnet numbers. Loss of winter stubbles and recultivation of 'set-aside' fields are having an effect as well as lack of nesting sites in gorse and scrub habitat. Male pictured.

More than 20 small coppers were among many spring butterflies recorded by CNHS on the RSPB's Cattawade Marshes Reserve on April 29. Photo: Joe Firmin.

Nightingales are back in May in most of their favoured nest sites in NE Essex. Fingringhoe Wick Nature Reserve is a favoured locality with many nesting pairs.

The turtle dove is an increasingly uncommon summer visitor and nester due to persecution from Mediterranean gunners on migratory flights from Africa.

Swifts return from Africa in early May but they are suffering from a reduction in suitable nest sites in old buildings and church towers.

There has been an encouraging number of holly blue butterflies seen this spring. Picture shows male (L) and female.

There have been good reports of lesser whitethroat in the Colchester area this spring. This warbler winters in Africa and returns here to breed in April and May. Fordham Hall Estate is one area where up to a dozen singing males were present early May.

A female Emperor moth. This is one of the largest moth species flying April and May. There is a strong colony in the RSPB's Old Hall Marshes Reserve, Tollesbury.

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