July 2011

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This is the golden month for insects and invertebrates. Make for the woods, meadows, marshes and saltings for a dazzling profusion of butterflies, day-flying moths; dragonflies and damselflies; beetles; crickets and grasshoppers.

This is proving a good year for many butterfly species and they are appearing earlier than usual, probably stimulated by the warm and dry conditions in spring. One of the best places to see butteflies and dragonflies is the wooded Marks Hall Estate, Coggeshall, where an Essex Biodiversity Action Plan has successfully reintroduced a group of woodland and meadow butterflies. I am one of the leaders of the project and we are particularly proud of the re-establishment of the silver-washed fritillary and the iconic purple emperor. Already both species are flying in good numbers and exciting visitors, many of whom are capturing photo images with the latest high definition digital cameras.

 

Other butterflies which can be seen at Marks Hall in July are the White Admiral; purple and white letter hairstreaks; meadow brown; gatekeeper and ringlet as well as small copper and brown argus.

 

High summer is the time to look for many species of dragonfly and damselfly. Again Marks Hall can boast a good selection but it’s worth visiting the riverscapes of Stour and Colne with Nayland; Cymbeline Meadows, Colchester; Bures and Wormingford being well known hotspots.

 

In the past two or three years new species of dragonfly and damselfly have colonised our rivers, reservoir and lake sites. These include the willow emerald now found at a number of north-Essex sites including the Colne at Colchester. CNHS member Roy Cornhill was the first to photograph this new coloniser at Fingringhoe Wick EWT Reserve in 2009.

 

Stag beetles are being reported in good numbers in their Colchester strongholds and from surrounding villages. The stag beetle is the emblem of CNHS. Unfortunately these big beetles are preyed upon by magpies, which is disturbing as the species is considered a vulnerable rarity and is on the red data list.

 

Below: stag beetle, photo Maria Fremlin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July sees the beginning of a southward movement of wading birds from northern breeding areas. Already whimbrel are being seen along the Essex coast. Green and common sandpipers are see on the edges of reservoirs and lakes. On the salt marshes the first blooms of sea lavendar attract many butterflies, bees, hoverflies and day-flying moths.

 

Avocets nest at Fingringhoe Wick

A pair of avocets reared two chicks at Essex Wildlife Trust’s Fingringhoe Wick nature reserve as the reserve reaches its 50th anniversary. It is not the first time this species, emblem of the RSPB, has nested at the reserve.

 

UPDATE: Unfortunately the chicks did not survive. It is thought that a fox or some other predator may have caught them overnight.

 

 

The graceful white admiral butterfly is spreading again in Essex woods and several have been seen this year at Highwoods Country Park, Friday Wood and Welshwood Country Park.

Ringlet butterflies are increasingly seen in Essex woodland glades and grassy margins with strong colonies at Marks Hall, Stour Wood, Wrabness and Friday Wood. Photo: David Barnard

Wading birds such as whimbrel are heading south from their northern nesting grounds in July.

A dragonfly to look out for is the migrant hawker. Also below the willow emerald, a new coloniser of Essex. Both photos: Roy Cornhill.

Big invasion of small hoverfly

Every gardener is reporting swarms of a tiny yellow and brown striped hoverfly on their garden flowers. It’s estimated that millions have come from continental Europe in June and July. The species is Episyrphus balteatus, commonly known as the ‘marmalade fly’ from its striped body colours. The hoverfly itself feeds on nectar but its larvae are gardener’s best friends as they eat aphids.

A July butterfly is the Essex skipper so named because it was first identified as a British species at Dovercourt in the 19th century. Photo: David Barnard