This was a joint meeting with the Norfolk Moth group and as it turned out the day was shared out with a visit to a Norfolk site in the morning followed by a Suffolk site after lunch. With the forecast heavy showers not appearing over us during the day and some warm sunshine in the afternoon it turned out to be a pleasant recording session. We were joined by John Langmaid and Brian Elliot, both national experts who helped us get to grips with some of the more difficult species. I won’t comment too much about Betty’s fen on the Norfolk side of the Waveney river except to say we had around 50 species on the list with a lot of mines being noted whilst studying the various trees along the road leading to the reserve. Best things found by myself included Coleophora follicularis (case on Hemp agrimony) and lots of mines of Phyllocnistis saligna on Crack willow.
After a lunch interlude at a local pub we then moved on to Hinderclay Fen on the Suffolk side of the river. Around a similar number of species were recorded, with some more scarce ones found. These included Enteucha acetosae (quite a few mines on Sheep’s sorrel, with some really beautiful examples), Stigmella assimilella and Ectoedemia argyropeza (both mines on Aspen), Coleophora milvipennis (cases on sapling Birch), Acrolepia autumnitella (mine on Bittersweet) and Stigmella betulicola (mines on sapling Birch). I did try a bit of beating for larvae as well but this was unsuccessful in recording anything. A Drinker moth larva found basking in the sunshine was the only macro species noted.
Thanks must go to the Little Ouse Headwaters Project for allowing us access to the sites for the day. Their management of these sites has certainly improved them for wildlife and it will be interesting to return and try some moth trapping in the summer.
Neil
Sorry I could not make it on Saturday Neil, I’m still recovering from a very heavy cold and thick head.