ESSEX
SKIPPER Thymelicus lineola
Carlton Marshes
- June 29th.
SMALL SKIPPER Thymelicus
sylvestris
Lound Waterworks
- July 20th.
Belton Common - July 26th.
LARGE SKIPPER Ochlodes
venata
Corton disused railway - June
14th.
BRIMSTONE Gonepteryx rhamni
Fisher Row - March 23rd (2).
Warrenhouse Wood - April 13th & 29th.
Gunton Woods - April 15th.
Corton sewage works - On August 13th, 6+ Clouded Yellows were
joined by two stunning Brimstone. The fact they lingered made a pleasant change
to the usual brief fly-bys. They were together along the path which runs adjacent
to Stirrup's Lane 100m west of the railway bridge. If you get the chance this
site is well worth a visit. The weedy slopes are alive with butterflies and
the Red-veined Darters are still performing around the pool on the southern
side of the site.
 |
|
Brimstone
- Corton - August 13th, 2003 - ©Robert Wilton
|
LARGE
WHITE Pieris brassicae
Immigrants were noted arriving from the sea on July 26th and 27th in the
company of huge numbers of Painted Ladies. Very common mid-August and noted
at most sites, especially where Buddleia is flowering. Noted at Ash Farm in
the second week in in August along with Small White, Green-veined White, Red
Admiral, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell,Small Copper, Comma, Brown Argus,
Holly and Common Blue, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, and Wall Brown.
Immigrants were again seen coming in off the sea at Ness Point on September
21st.
SMALL WHITE Pieris rapae
Mutford - March 25th, July 8th.
ORANGE-TIP Anthocharis cardamines
Fisher Row - April 19th, 21st.
GREEN HAIRSTREAK Callophrys rubi
Gunton Warren - May 27th.
PURPLE HAIRSTREAK Quercusia quercus
Mutford Wood - July 8th (2).
 |
|
White-letter
Hairstreak - Haddiscoe - July 18th, 2003 - ©Chris Allen
|
WHITE-LETTER
HAIRSTREAK Strymonidia w-album
The individual pictured above visited a Haddiscoe garden between the 18th
and 20th, and a couple more were seen nearby. Although just outside our area
they serve as a reminder that this attractive, but unobtrusive, species may
still be surviving somewhere within our area. A reasonable number of Elms
are still to be found in the Gunton area, where the species has been recorded
in late 1970's/early 1980's.
SMALL COPPER Lycaena phlaeas
Belton Common - July 26th (1).
Herringfleet Hills - August 9th (1).
Corton Sewage Works - August 10th (1).
Waveney Forest - August 16th (2).
Kessingland Beach - August 31st (2), September 7th (2), 14th
(2).
Denes Oval - September 6th (1).
Gunton Beach - September 27th (1).
BROWN ARGUS Aricia agestis
Belton Common - July 26th (3+). One of them is pictured below.
Waveney Forest - July 29th.
Corton Sewage Works - August 3rd.
 |
|
Brown
Argus - Belton Common - July 26, 2003 - ©Robert Wincup
|
COMMON BLUE Polyommatus icarus
Belton Common - July 26th (5+).
Large numbers of freshly emerged individuals were seen at Corton Sewage
Works on August 2nd.
Corton railtrack - September 27th (2).
HOLLY BLUE Celastrina argiolus
Oulton Broad - May 4th.
Corton disused railway track - August 3rd (3), 7th (1).
CLOUDED YELLOW Colias crocea
Once again Corton sewage works is proving 'the place' to see this
wonderful species. In 2002 they were recorded between August 8th-31st, with
a maximum of 6 on the 16th. This year the first one appeared slightly later,
on August 10th, coinciding with sightings elsewhere in the country. At least
two were present on the 12th, whilst on the 13th there were at least six,
almost certainly eight in the area. At least two were still present on the
16th and 20th, with singles on the 24th and 30th.
Powered by the sun these little beauties whizz around like nobodies business
and are impossible to keep up with!!! The photograph below was taken in August
2002 on a particularly cool cloudy day. It's unlikely to have been so obliging
had it have been warm and sunny!!!
One was at Gunton Beach on September 11th.
 |
|
Clouded
Yellow - Corton - August 6th, 2002 - ©Robert Wilton
|
WHITE ADMIRAL Ladoga camilla
Mutford Wood - July 8th (2).
PAINTED LADY Cynthia cardui
In what turned out to be a absolutely bumper year for this immigrant
species the first arrivals were noted at the end of the first week of May,
and by early June they were abundant everywhere.
Gunton - May 7th (2).
Corton - May 7th (1), 25th (2), 31st (1), June 8th (30+)
Mutford - May 8th (1).
Lowestoft - Individuals were noted arriving in off the sea on
the 2nd and 14th.
Numbers picked up again from mid-July onwards, comprising hundreds of
very fresh individuals but still quite a few extremely tatty individuals form
immigrations and emergences earlier in the year. On July 26th, 27th and 31st
this species was arriving off the sea throughout both days, along with smaller
numbers of Red Admirals and Large Whites.
  |
|
Not
a Comma, but a very tatty Painted Lady. Is there something in the air
in Lowestoft that makes the wings fall off
anything that flies into our airspace? Painted Lady and Sabine's Gull - Lowestoft - ©Andrew Easton |
SMALL TORTOISESHELL Aglais urticae
One had rather unwisely left hibernation and was flying around Denmark Road, Lowestoft on January 11th.
Several were noted from March 15th onwards, with six at Fisher Row on the 23rd. Numbers in general appear extremely low this year, and by late July only one or two were visiting garden Buddleias in central Lowestoft, as opposed to over 100 Painted Ladies and 10+ Red Admirals at a time.
RED ADMIRAL Vanessa atalanta
Mutford - March 25th.
Noted at several sites on June 21st.
Mutford Wood - July 8th (8).
Immigrants were noted arriving in off the sea at Lowestoft on July 26th, 27th and 31st, and numbers visiting garden Buddleias in central Lowestoft increased steadily by the day. Up to 10 at once were present on the 31st as opposed to ones and twos at the beginning of the week.
PEACOCK Inachis io
Oulton Broad - March 23rd.
Carlton Marshes - March 25th.
Lowestoft - July 27th. One appeared to arrive in off the sea late afternoon along with numerous Painted Ladies, Red Admirals and Large Whites. This species apparently does not generally move large distances or tend to cross the North Sea, but the weather conditions in late July this year were apparently very favourable for insect migration.
COMMA Polygonia c-album
Oulton Broad - March 23rd.
Corton disused railway - March 24th, September 6th (2), 27th (1), October 4th (2).
Mutford Wood - July 8th (5).
Belton Common - July 26th (1).
Lowestoft (Stevens Street) - July 26th, one visiting Buddleia.
Waveney Forest - August 9th (1)
Flixton - August 16th (1).
SPECKLED WOOD Pararge aegeria
Kessingland Sewage Works - April 15th (3).
Corton disused railway - May 7th (2), June 14th, August 31st (1), September 6th (2), 27th (5+), October 4th (5+), 5th (2), 10th (3).
Lound Waterworks - June 8th, August 13th (6).
Belton Common - July 26th.
Herringfleet Hills - August 9th (2).
Waveney Forest - August 9th (15).
Somerleyton Village Pond - August 9th (1).
Corton sewage works - August 10th (1), 13th (10).
Corton Woods - September 27th (10+).
Belle Vue Park - October 19th (1).
 |
|
Wall
Brown - Corton - October 2003 © Andrew Easton
|
WALL BROWN Lasiommata megera
Oulton Marshes - May 25th.
Carlton Marshes - May 26th.
Belton Common - July 26th.
Corton disused railway track - August 2nd (3), 16th (2), October 4th (3 including a pair mating), 5th (2), 10th (3).
Belton Marshes - August 9th (1).
Corton sewage works - August 10th (2).
Lound Waterworks - August 13th (2).
Lake Lothing - October 5th (1).
GATEKEEPER Pyronia tithonus
Belton Common - very large numbers were on the wing July 26th.
Lowestoft (Stevens Street) - July 26th, one visiting Buddleia.
MEADOW BROWN Maniola jurtina
Corton disused railway - June 14th.
Mutford Wood - July 8th.
RINGLET Aphantopus hyperantus
Corton disused railway - June 29th (3+).
Mutford Wood - July 8th.
Belton Common - July 26th (1).
GRAYLING Hipparchia semele
One was seen at Kessingland Beach on September 7th. This species is extremely scare in the Lizard area. The only place where they've been recorded in recent years is Breydon South Wall.
SMALL HEATH Coenonympha pamphilus
Breydon South Shore - July 27th.
Kessingland - August 2nd (Two north of the sluice), 31st (4+).
Belton Common - August 3rd (3).
Belton Marshes - August 9th (1).
Herringfleet Hills - August 9th (40+) by far the largest colony discovered in the Lizard area.
 |
|
Small
Heath - Breydon South Shore - July 27th, 2003 - ©Andrew Easton
|
 |