February Heatwave

Earlier this week I was constantly having to remind myself that it was still winter, as I toiled in the wood under clear blue skies and a temperature of 20 degrees. The overalls and jumper were cast aside and I spent several breaks sitting back in my up-ended wheel-barrow to drink tea and watch butterflies and moths.

Brimstones (Gonepteryx rhamni) and Commas (Polygonia c-album) were numerous and I saw my first (of the year) Orange Underwing moths (Archiearis parthenias) flying around in the birch tops.

Comma (Polygonia c-album) (male)

Whilst I was stacking some timber, I came across a Palmate Newt (Lissotriton helveticus) moving about in the leaf litter. It is our smallest species of newt in Britain and its size and plain pink throat help to identify it.

Palmate Newt (Lissotriton helveticus) (female) 

The following moths were attracted to the light trap this week.

Oak Beauty (Biston strataria) (male)

March Moth (Alsophila aescularia) (male)

Wild Man of the Woods

With the days lengthening and some recent mild and sunny weather to bring out a few butterflies from hibernation, it was nice to be working in the wood with the sun warming my back and casting long shadows through the trees.

 

When Carol and I bought our wood back in the 1990's, on the border of East Sussex and Kent, much of it was a tangle of abandoned coppice and rhododendron infestation. Much of it still is but we have made inroads over the intervening years. Our focus has always been to improve the wood for the benefit of butterflies and moths as well as the Dormice and Glow Worms that also occur there.

 

With just the two of us, one has to be realistic about what can be achieved. Any thoughts of working towards the re-introduction of long gone species that used to occur in the area were banished. The White Admiral (Limenitis camilla) was still breeding in the wood in small numbers and it made far better sense to enhance the habitat for this species and hopefully to attract other species to breed in the wood such as Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia).

 

This winter, we have been thinning an area that 15 months ago was choked with rhododendron and curtains of birch. We have opened up the canopy to allow much more light to reach the woodland floor. Hopefully this will encourage camilla to venture further into the wood where its foodplant grows. 

 

 

 

 

 

Some early season species of moth that occur in our wood are now on the wing.

 

 

Dotted Border (Agriopis marginaria) (male)

 

This species (as well as the Mottled Umber) often displays a face-like image on its thorax.

 

The wild man of the woods !

 

 

Spring Usher (Agriopis leucophaearia) (male)

Swallowtail

The British subspecies of Swallowtail (Papilio machaon britannicus) is endemic to the UK. It is restricted in its range by a very specific habitat requirement for fenland and its range was greatly reduced during the drainage and reclamation of the fens for agriculture during the nineteenth century. P.m.britannicus is probably restricted to fenland because of its choice of foodplant, only laying its eggs on Milk Parsley which is itself restricted to a fenland habitat.

Nowadays, britannicus can only be found in the fenlands centred around the Norfolk Broads.

I took the following photographs of britannicus in 2011 & 2012.

Swallowtail (P.m.britannicus)

Males.

Female.

(Although not apparent from the image, the female is noticeably larger than the male and has a heavier looking abdomen)

In good migration years, the continental subspecies of the Swallowtail (Papilio machaon gorganus) is occasionally seen in southern England. It is much more of a wanderer and is not restricted by its choice of foodplant. It can lay its eggs on a number of common species such as wild carrot, wild parsnip and fennel.

I took the following photographs of gorganus, seen by several enthusiasts on the East Sussex downs in 2013.

Swallowtail (P.m.gorganus)

Female.