Summer notes from the Common
It has been an interesting three months that made up our summer with July standing out as the real hot spot with high temperatures, often reaching 28-30° C. Work interrupted the summer and July was spent in the Irish Sea where gales and dull wet days were the norm throughout the majority of the month. This article therefore covers mainly June and August.
June started off with some high tech bat detecting by Mike Padfield, who recorded the high-pitched echo-locating sounds from Common Pipistrelle, Noctule and first time site record of Daubenton’s Bat (3 June). Also during this day a Hobby was spotted and watched attempting to catch a dragonfly over the pond before heading off to the east. Cuckoo and Roe Deer were also noted.
Mother Shipton moths were seen flying low over the central mire (5 June). These moths have markings that show a remarkable likeness to the profile of a witch, hence the name which refers to a notorious Yorkshire witch. Dragonflies were becoming more evident from 10 June, with Four-spotted Chaser, Broad-bodied Chaser and Emperor Dragonfly (12 June) all patrolling their territories around the Newt Pond.
The Tree Bumblebee, first seen on the SSSI last year, was noted 13 June. One worker bee was noted to have full pollen baskets indicating that the bees were nesting nearby. This bumblebee tends to nest in tree rot-holes, however, it has been observed using bird nest boxes. Another Hobby was reported heading west by David Braithwaite (16 June).
Towards the end of June most of the common butterflies were out and the first of the summer species were seen with Large Skipper (21 June), Meadow Brown (22 June) and Ringlet (26 June). A Wasp Beetle was noted (22 June) on Sheringham Common and another striking yellow and black insect, the Soldier-fly Stratiomys potamida put in an appearance (23 June) with a Keeled Skimmer, a small powder blue dragonfly seen 26 June. The Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet moth, first noted last year, was seen again in good numbers at this time and the first of the Lesser Butterfly Orchids was in flower 27 June.
It has been an interesting three months that made up our summer with July standing out as the real hot spot with high temperatures, often reaching 28-30° C. Work interrupted the summer and July was spent in the Irish Sea where gales and dull wet days were the norm throughout the majority of the month. This article therefore covers mainly June and August.
June started off with some high tech bat detecting by Mike Padfield, who recorded the high-pitched echo-locating sounds from Common Pipistrelle, Noctule and first time site record of Daubenton’s Bat (3 June). Also during this day a Hobby was spotted and watched attempting to catch a dragonfly over the pond before heading off to the east. Cuckoo and Roe Deer were also noted.
Mother Shipton moths were seen flying low over the central mire (5 June). These moths have markings that show a remarkable likeness to the profile of a witch, hence the name which refers to a notorious Yorkshire witch. Dragonflies were becoming more evident from 10 June, with Four-spotted Chaser, Broad-bodied Chaser and Emperor Dragonfly (12 June) all patrolling their territories around the Newt Pond.
The Tree Bumblebee, first seen on the SSSI last year, was noted 13 June. One worker bee was noted to have full pollen baskets indicating that the bees were nesting nearby. This bumblebee tends to nest in tree rot-holes, however, it has been observed using bird nest boxes. Another Hobby was reported heading west by David Braithwaite (16 June).
Towards the end of June most of the common butterflies were out and the first of the summer species were seen with Large Skipper (21 June), Meadow Brown (22 June) and Ringlet (26 June). A Wasp Beetle was noted (22 June) on Sheringham Common and another striking yellow and black insect, the Soldier-fly Stratiomys potamida put in an appearance (23 June) with a Keeled Skimmer, a small powder blue dragonfly seen 26 June. The Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet moth, first noted last year, was seen again in good numbers at this time and the first of the Lesser Butterfly Orchids was in flower 27 June.
A Common Buzzard was reported over flying the Common by Edward Farrow (19 July) and Nick Owens reported seeing a Roe Deer fawn as well as the cuckoo bee Nomada rufipes (22 July). Cuckoo bees are cleptoparasites (thief-parasites) as they lay their eggs in other bee species nests where they are left to hatch and the resultant larvae then consume both the food store and the eggs or larvae of the host bees.
The Small Red-eyed Damselfly was seen at the Newt Pond (2 August). This small damselfly was first recorded on the Common in 2002 and has been present ever since. Hoverflies are usually a feature of August and not less than six Volucella inanis, a largish yellow hoverfly that used to be restricted to the London area, were present (3 August). This hoverfly first appeared on the SSSI in 2001 and has been seen in increasing numbers ever since.
Most of the Marsh Fragrant Orchids were almost finished, although the odd one still retained enough of a flower spike to emit its distinctive ‘clove-like’ scent. Although normally seen in July, a rather ‘ragged-looking’ White Admiral was present nectaring on Hemp Agrimony (6 August). Also on the same day a rather fearsome looking insect was spotted nectaring on the Water Mint. This was the Digger Wasp Ammophila sabulosa, which has a long reddish abdomen with a black tip that has an iridescent metallic blue sheen in sunlight. Digger wasps tend to capture caterpillars and other insects, paralysing them with their sting before placing them in a burrow they have excavated. Eggs are then laid and the wasp grubs, on hatching, feed on the stored food until they pupate.
Walking around the Commons always bring surprises and new discoveries and on 7 August while walking across the dried out Dew Pond on the Top Common to see the Mudwort, which first appeared in 2008 after a 104-year absence from Norfolk, an area of small pale green spots was noted. On closer examination the spots turned out to be a liverwort. These lower plants together with mosses form a group known as bryophytes. The small liverwort was later tracked down in reference books as Cavernous Crystalwort Riccia cavernosa, which has since been confirmed as the first record for East Norfolk. A few days later the species was found at Felbrigg by Mrs. Mary Ghullam.
The Small Red-eyed Damselfly was seen at the Newt Pond (2 August). This small damselfly was first recorded on the Common in 2002 and has been present ever since. Hoverflies are usually a feature of August and not less than six Volucella inanis, a largish yellow hoverfly that used to be restricted to the London area, were present (3 August). This hoverfly first appeared on the SSSI in 2001 and has been seen in increasing numbers ever since.
Most of the Marsh Fragrant Orchids were almost finished, although the odd one still retained enough of a flower spike to emit its distinctive ‘clove-like’ scent. Although normally seen in July, a rather ‘ragged-looking’ White Admiral was present nectaring on Hemp Agrimony (6 August). Also on the same day a rather fearsome looking insect was spotted nectaring on the Water Mint. This was the Digger Wasp Ammophila sabulosa, which has a long reddish abdomen with a black tip that has an iridescent metallic blue sheen in sunlight. Digger wasps tend to capture caterpillars and other insects, paralysing them with their sting before placing them in a burrow they have excavated. Eggs are then laid and the wasp grubs, on hatching, feed on the stored food until they pupate.
Walking around the Commons always bring surprises and new discoveries and on 7 August while walking across the dried out Dew Pond on the Top Common to see the Mudwort, which first appeared in 2008 after a 104-year absence from Norfolk, an area of small pale green spots was noted. On closer examination the spots turned out to be a liverwort. These lower plants together with mosses form a group known as bryophytes. The small liverwort was later tracked down in reference books as Cavernous Crystalwort Riccia cavernosa, which has since been confirmed as the first record for East Norfolk. A few days later the species was found at Felbrigg by Mrs. Mary Ghullam.
A beautiful cobalt blue male Banded Demoiselle was present (20 August) as was the Hairy Shieldbug (another new site record). Further new site records followed with the parasitic fly, Phasia obesa (22 August) and the solitary bee, Colletes succinctus (28 August), which is only found around Heather.
Finally, after reading Rex Hancy’s ‘Countryside Notes’ in the EDP about a flask-shaped gall on Tansy (31 August), a quick search amongst a small patch of Tansy on the Common revealed the presence of the gall, which resulted in another new site record. The gall is caused by a midge, Rhopalomia tamceticola.
For the naturalist this has been an exciting end to the summer and with the good weather extending into September it is hoped that the insect life will continue for awhile longer. No doubt though by the time you read these words the Pink-footed Geese will have departed their northern breeding grounds for the milder climes of North Norfolk.
Francis Farrow
Hon. Warden
Finally, after reading Rex Hancy’s ‘Countryside Notes’ in the EDP about a flask-shaped gall on Tansy (31 August), a quick search amongst a small patch of Tansy on the Common revealed the presence of the gall, which resulted in another new site record. The gall is caused by a midge, Rhopalomia tamceticola.
For the naturalist this has been an exciting end to the summer and with the good weather extending into September it is hoped that the insect life will continue for awhile longer. No doubt though by the time you read these words the Pink-footed Geese will have departed their northern breeding grounds for the milder climes of North Norfolk.
Francis Farrow
Hon. Warden
Cavernous Crystalwort Riccia cavernosa
As August progressed rain showers and heat alternated giving perfect conditions for fungi and an uncommon species, Boletes porosporus, was noted (14 August), which was followed by the familiar fetid smell of the Stinkhorn fungus (15 August). The second half of August produced some warmer days although the nights tended to be cool. Insects were plentiful during the day and a large powerful-looking hoverfly, Volucella zonaria, turned up nectaring on bramble blossom (18 August), however, the next day a small red and black bug was found on a Marsh Thistle, which goes by the name of Corizus hyoscyami. This bug is known as the ‘Cinnamon Bug’ in Holland because of the smell it produces when handled. Over the last few years the bug has been moving steadily north away from the south coast and last year crossed over the border from Suffolk into Norfolk. At the moment there are no records for this bug between Norfolk’s southern border and Beeston Common, which poses the question as to this particular bug’s origin. Has it come up from the south of the county or has it crossed over the North Sea from Holland?
Bug_Corizus hyoscyami
Banded Demioselle
