RXwildlife Sightings

This huge bumblebee was found in my moth trap in Rye this morning. It appears to be a queen Bombus terrestris - males and workers are much smaller with whiter ‘tails’. Queens should really be hibernating by now, though this widespread species can maintain active nests quite late in the autumn. The 18 moths of 12 species was also an excellent catch for November and included 2 Red-green Carpets and both Chestnut and Dark Chestnut for comparison. Finally, in addition to the lingering Common Sandpiper on the river and yesterday’s 3 Chiffchaffs and the dragonflies at Northpoint, a flock of 14 Swallows were feeding low over the Love Lane allotments in this afternoon’s gathering gloom.

This unusual-looking moth, Agrotis ipsilon - a first for me - was in my trap in Rye yesterday. It’s a dart moth related to the common Turnip, Heart & Dart, etc., but larger (about an inch long) and a Continental immigrant most numerous in the autumn on mild southerly winds, such as we had over the weekend. Today’s fare was the more normal Yellow-line Quaker, November Moth, Large Wainscot and Green-brindled Crescent.

A weird and wonderful catch in my moth trap in Rye today comprised 10 moths of 10 species - a fresh Green-brindled Crescent (pictured), its metallic scales glowing even in the grey light of dawn, plus the autumn’s first November Moth, a very late Small Square-spot, Mallow, Blair’s Shoulder-knot, L-album Wainscot, worn Barred Sallow and Black Rustic, and the micros Blastobasis decorella and Light Brown Apple Moth. None of the usual Large Yellow Underwings and Feathered Ranunculus - and I’m still waiting for my first Clifden Nonpareil. But the only predictable thing about moth trapping is its unpredictability.

Catocala fraxini is a large moth and sometimes referred to as the ‘Blue Underwing’. Once a scarce resident in Kent and Norfolk, it is now a rare immigrant to the south-east coast of Britain, with usually  less than 10 records a year. This very worn and faded individual was found in a Robinson trap at Icklesham on the morning of the 17^th October, one of only a handful of more common moths trapped that night. Wingspan 75 mm.

Alan Martin by e-mail

Very few insects in my roof terrace light trap in St Leonards, the only migrants being a rusty-dot pearl, a Clancy’s rustic and yet another western conifer seed bug. The most interesting local moths were a grey pine carpet and a satellite.

The very high spring tide today flooded the saltings opposite North Salts. As it ebbed, a Grey Wagtail was feeding with 15 Pied Wagtails and 3 Little Egrets, while below on the mud 2 Common Sandpipers bobbed about by the waterline. Yesterday a couple of Goldcrests were among the Blue Tits flitting along the hedge by the tennis courts, while yesterday morning Clancy’s Rustic (see photo), Red-line Quaker, L-album Wainscot, Silver Y and a very late Straw Dot were among the 14 species in my moth trap. Clancy’s Rustic (Platyperigea kadenii) is a very recent colonist from the Continent. Since the first British example, trapped by Sean Clancy in 2002 at his home in New Romney, many more have been caught at Dungeness and Rye Harbour, elsewhere along the south coast and up the east coast to Suffolk and inland. The RX area is well placed for “firsts for Britain”!

The current mild nights are producing some good light trap records, the best moth this morning in my roof terrace trap in St Leonards was this golden twin-spot.

Other migrants in the trap were a silver y and 2 rusty-dot pearl. The best of the local moths was a cypress carpet and a beaded chestnut (a very scarce moth in Hastings).

Despite the mist (or maybe because of) still a few highlights to be had this morning, at Ternery Pool 2 Red-breasted Merganser and a Common Sandpiper (pictured). Roosting waders along Shore ridges included 53 Ringed Plover, 16 Sanderling and 12 Dunlin. Flat Beach Level attracted 238 Golden Plover, 83 Curlew and a Great Skua. late afternoon yesterday a Bittern and a Short-eared Owl were nice finds at the northern end of  Castle Water.

Common Sandpiper at Ternery Pool.

It can be fun to rear caterpillars, and captivity makes for a safer environment for them. I thought you might like to see some photos of one of my latest. On the 14 May 2008 I found 3 caterpillars while out walking in Brede High Wood. They were on the trunks of Oak trees tucked into the crevices on the bark. I took them home and fed them on Oak leafs. One made a pupa on May 24, and the other two on the 25. Over the last few days they have just emerged, and they are truly beautiful. They are called Merveille du Jour - Dichonia aprilina. I have released them all back into the wild, where I hope they will find mates and start the process all over again.

Dave Monk by e-mail

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This very large moth, measuring about 1½ inches in both directions, was on my house wall in Rye this morning, a few feet from the moth trap. It’s a rather scarce late summer and autumn species that rarely comes to light but can be attracted to sugar. The larval foodplants are poplars, aspen and willows. It wouldn’t open its wings for me and flew off after being photographed, but its full red-underwinged glory can be seen here.

It’s now early evening and I’ve just returned from a walk around the SSSI. At around 4 p.m. about 50 metres past the farm gate on the old railway line path, at TQ922198, a large grey moth flew up close to me, clearly showing red hindwings with thick dark bars!  It flew towards the line of poplars and willows behind Rye Paddock - perfect habitat?