July (47 new species)
Fri 1st Found Beraea maurus
(caddis) in the front porch at home
Sat 2nd Another
university open day to take Tom to, this time Durham. Took advantage of this to
stop off at Bishop Middleham Quarry on the way back to see Epipactis atrorubens
(Dark Red Helleborine) although sadly the flowers weren’t quite open yet.
Sun 3rd
Mon 4th
Tue 5th
Wed 6th Found the
hoverfly Eumerus ornatus on Shotesham
Common
Thu 7th
Fri 8th At a family scout camp at
Hautbois, Mike Dawson and I did some nosing around after dark and found Laemostenus terricola (carabid beetle)
on a stump. We also set a moth-trap in a garden at Neatishead from which I
added the cranefly Phylidorea
fulvonervosa.
Sat 9th The
tiny wasp Psenulus pallipes flew into
the house.
Sun 10th Ran
the garden moth-trap and added Batia lambdella (micro-moth), Macrotylus solitarius
and Allygidius commutatus (bugs).
Mon 11th
Took the day off as John
Martin was up in Norfolk and staying.
Quick whiz up Market Lane to show him some Sulphur Clover and was kindly
shown Chenopodium ficifolium (Fig-leaved Goosefoot) in return. Then off to Strumpshaw Fen where we
embarrassingly failed to see any Swallowtails, but did see Ammi majus
(Bullwort), Anasimyia contracta (hoverfly), Scirtes hemisphaericus (beetle), Potamogeton acutifolius (Sharp-leaved
Pondweed) and Salix purpurea (Purple Willow). We then picked up Alex
Prendergast and headed up to the north coast. At Beeston Bump, we found John
his target of Purple Broomrape and I was pleased to add Malvapion malvae
(weevil), Lepidium latifolium (Dittander) and Rubus pruinosus (a bramble,
thanks to Alex). I also found a mystery plant which baffled everyone (including
a Wild Flower Society meeting that happened to be there too!) which we later
identified as Triteleia laxa – a garden escape sometimes known as Ithuriel’s
Spear. Nearby in Sheringham we added Calendula officinalis (Pot Marigold) and
Rubus intensior (another bramble). More brambles then at Pretty Corner - Rubus
hylocharis and Rubus sprengelii. Driving back through Norwich we noted Consolida
ajacis (Larkspur) naturalised along a roadside. Alex then took us to see his
hybrid comfrey Symphytum x norvicense in Tasburgh, where we also found Potentilla
recta (Sulphur Cinquefoil) growing naturalised.
Tue 12th
Wed 13th
Thu 14th
Fri 15th Hydropsyche instabilis
(caddis) in the garden moth-trap
Sat 16th Attended
a bee identification workshop with Steve Falk in Mundford, where on a short
walk we noted Chelostoma campanularum, Colletes daviesanus and the very rare Lasioglossum
sexnotatum (bees).
Sun 17th The
second day of the bee course was field-based. At Cranwich Camp I added the bees
Andrena hattorfiana, Hoplitis spinulosa and Megachile versicolor, along with
the solitary wasps Cerceris ruficornis and Oxybelus uniglumis. We then moved on
to nearby Cranwich Heath after lunch where sweeping produced lots of new
species: Acetropis gimmerthalii (bug), Oxystoma pomonae, Taeniapion urticarium (weevils),
Bruchela rufipes, Galeruca tanaceti (beetles), Cistogaster globosa (tachnid
fly), Dithryca guttularis (picture-winged fly), Iassus lanio (bug) and Nomada
rufipes (bee).
Mon 18th At the Nunnery I found Hylaeus
communis (bee) and Pachynematus vagus (sawfly).
Tue 19th The cranefly Tipula lateralis
found in the garden moth-trap.
Wed 20th Another moth-trapped new cranefly,
this time Nephrotoma cornicina.
Thu 21st
Fri 22nd
Sat 23rd
[Sun 24th Flew to Iceland! Drove from Keflavik around to Myvatn.]
[Mon 25th Gyrfalcons at Myvatn. Whale-watching
from Husavik, Dettifoss, etc.]
[Tue 26th Myvatn around to Djupivogur]
[Wed 27th Djupivogur along the south coast via
Jokulsarlon to Svinafell.]
[Thu 28th Skaftafell along to Hella]
[Fri 29th Gullfoss, Geysir and
Pingvellir]
[Sat 30th Reykjavik
and Keflavik area]
[Sun 31st Flew
back to UK]
