July 2010

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July is the peak summer month for insects and invertebrates including butterflies, moths, dragonflies and damselflies, crickets and grasshoppers and beetles.

Undoubted stars among the butterflies are white admiral and silver-washed fritillary. The white admiral is a woodland butterfly which is showing a welcome extension of its range again in Essex and Suffolk after a serious decline which, in the case of Essex, meant survival only in Stour Wood, Wrabness and Friday Wood and other woods in the Roman River valley, south of Colchester. But since the mid-1990s this elegant species, the larvae of which feed on honeysuckle leaves, has reappeared in many of its former haunts including High Woods Country Park, Colchester, the Marks Hall Estate, Coggeshall and woods at Tiptree and in the Tendring Hundred. One of the best places to be certain of seeing this beauty in July is at the Stour Wood nature reserve, Wrabness, where several are often flying near the RSPB's car park. The other place for certain sightings is at Friday Wood, Berechurch, only a short walk from the car park in Bounstead Road.

The other special woodland butterfly beauty is the silver-washed fritillary which has been successfully re-introduced under an Essex Biodiversity Action Plan, to woods on the Marks Hall Estate, Coggeshall. I am the leader of this project and my team and I are proud of the fact we have been able to bring back this wonderful fast-flying beauty to woods where it had flourished until the 1970s and had apparently died out following forestry and climatic changes. Now the habitats are being carefully managed to ensure the butterflies' continued survival and increased distribution. You will have a good chance of seeing silver-washed fritillaries at Marks Hall throughout July and into August. The Estate, which is run by a charitable trust, is open to the public for an admission fee and has a fine visitors' centre developed from an historic ancient barn.

The splendid big woodland butterfly, the silver-washed fritillary, has successfully been reintroduced under an Essex Biodiversity Action Plan, to woods at Marks Hall. Photo: Joe Firmin

Other interesting butterflies of the month are the white-letter hairstreak, the purple hairstreak, ringlet and three skipper species, small, Essex and large. The white-letter hairstreak, the larvae of which feed on elm leaves, has been badly hit by the continued spread of elm disease, but you can still see it at Hillhouse Wood, West Bergholt and at Friday Wood, Berechurch, Colchester. Like all hairstreaks it likes flying high in tree tops but will come down to nectar on thistle blooms and bramble blossom.

The purple hairstreak is reasonably common still in oak woods as its larvae feed on oak leaves. It does come down to drink at puddles or moist wet mud and also on aphid honeydew on some of the lower oak leaves so you do have a chance of views and photos.

The ringlet is a butterfly of grassy woodland glades and in recent years has flourishing colonies in many local woods and wood margins such as Stour Wood, Wrabness; High Woods Country Park; Friday Wood and Marks Hall, Coggeshall. Its larvae feed on grasses.

The ringlet butterfly has well established colonies in the grassy glades and margins of many Essex woods. Photo: David Barnard

One of the many beetles to be seen in July is the spectacular big stag beetle which is the logo and emblem of Colchester Natural History Society because this Red Data species has one of its few UK strongholds in the Colchester area. It has a long life history as its larvae live in decaying wood for an extended period. Unfortunately this relatively rare beetle is heavily predated by magpies. One resident in the Lexden Rd, Colchester area tells me he has seen as many as 40 stag beetle wing cases on his lawn, the tragic evidence of magpie feeding attacks.

July sees the summer peak for moths and members of Essex Moth Group, myself included, will be busily recording the huge number of species which arrive in our garden light traps. Essex can claim a number of rare species, one of which is the white-spotted pinion. By a fortunate coincidence this moth is present in gardens and woodland owned by two members of Essex Moth Group and Colchester Natural History Society and has been found in only one other site in north Essex. The sites owned by naturalists are at Langenhoe and Brightlingsea and the other site is at Earls Colne. The larvae of the white-spotted pinion feed on elm leaves so this is another species threatened by elm disease.

The attractive wasp spider, a species which has "invaded” Britain from the Continent, continues to spread throughout north-East Essex and has been found in the heart of Colchester. I welcome records as we are closely monitoring its local increase.

July sees the start of a return southwards migration of wading birds which have nested in Britain and northern Europe. Whimbrel will be seen along the Essex coast and common sandpipers are often seen at the edges of reservoirs, including Abberton, and lakesides. On the salt marshes the first blooms of sea lavender will be appearing. These are highly attractive to a host of butterflies, day flying moths, hover flies and bees and the leaves provide foodplant for several moth species.

News Update 20/07/10

Exciting news of the silver-washed fritillary and white admiral

As well as the officially reintroduced colony of the silver-washed fritillary butterfly on the Marks Hall Estate, Coggeshall where up to 50 have been flying on sunny days in July at least two have been seen at Stour Wood RSPB reserve, Wrabness and Hugh Owen reports another at Donyland Wood, south of Colchester as well as a white admiral. Both species were present at Donyland until the 1960s. Phil Olley had a white admiral in his garden at Alresford on July 9(photo obtained) and David Barnard saw a white admiral in a small wood at Alresford in 2009. There are also reports of silver-washed fritillary sightings on the Danbury Ridge area and more white admiral reports from Tiptree and woodland in the Roman River Valley, the latter probably having spread from the colony at Friday Wood.

A butterfly bearing our county name, the Essex skipper. Common in July in grassy places. Photo: David Barnard

The white-letter hairstreak is an uncommon woodland species as its caterpillar foodplant, elm, is badly hit by elm disease. Photo: Philip Smith

One of the most spectacular woodland butterflies of July is the white admiral currently increasing its range in NE Essex. Photo: Joe Firmin

The big spectacular stag beetle is the emblem of CNHS and has one of its few remaining strongholds in the UK around Colchester. Unfortunately it is heavily predated by magpies.

The whimbrel is one of many wading birds moving south along the Essex coast to wintering quarters from nesting in Northern Britain and Europe.

Sea Lavendar is coming into bloom along the Essex salt marshes in July. Valuable nectar source for many butterflies and other insects as well as a foodplant for moth larvae.

The wasp spider, an "invader" from Europe, is spreading in Essex and has been found right in the heart of Colchester. Photo: David Barnard

An Essex moth rarity in late July and August is the white-spotted pinion. Three known sites are at Earls Colne, Langnehoe and Brightlingsea. Photo: Ian Rose

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