July Nature Notes -
birds, butterflies, dragonflies and moths
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July Nature Notes - Birds
We will start July's nature notes with the birds.This month is always a quiet month for bird movement, with birds feeding chicks or moulting.
Several species such as Robin and Blackbird may be feeding their third brood of the year, consequently the parents are looking very tatty.
The adults of species such as Blue Tit and Starling, only having single broods, will be moulting their old worn feathers. When moulting, birds become quiet and reclusive to avoid the attention of predators whilst their flight is impaired.
Flocks of wandering Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull and Lapwing have been feeding on the few cultivated fields. Freshly cultivated fields are always a good site for birds. Numerous species utilize them sometimes in large numbers and occasionally a rarity turns up as did a Cattle Egret in March.
Post breeding flocks of Starling, Goldfinch and Long-tailed Tit are forming which will continue throughout the winter.
Two species of bird which are easily and regularly seen are Red Kite and Buzzard. These birds tend to soar high in the sky. The distinctive difference is the shape of the tail, being distinctly forked on the Red Kite and rounded on the Buzzard.
Large mixed flocks of Swallow and House Martins are often seen in the early mornings and evenings.
The more unusual records for the month include Hobby, a summer migrant bird of prey, and Turtle Dove a rapidly declining summer migrant, which is still a regular scarce local breeder.
July Nature Notes - Dragonflies and damselflies
Many insects are, so far, having a poor season.
An exception are the Odenata which are the Dragonflies and Damselflies, whose larval stage are aquatic. Damselflies sit with their wings parallel or at a slight angle to the body whereas dragonflies sit with their wings at right angles to the body.
Damselflies are smaller and more delicate than dragonflies. Locally the most numerous species this month was the Ruddy Darter, the males a striking deep red and the females being yellow.
Several other species of dragonfly were recorded including the male Southern Hawker pictured below.
July Nature notes - British butterflies
Butterflies were noticeable by their absence in any number, in the first half of the month.Marbled White, an attractive black and white checked species, first recorded in 2006, was recorded for the third consecutive year, suggesting a breeding population has become established. The Marbled White is one of the few species expanding its range throughout the country.
A mid-month emergence or immigration of the ìcabbage whitesî, the Large and Small Whites, unfortunate for gardeners, boosted butterfly numbers. The Green-veined White which is similar to the Large and Small Whites, but has distinctly marked veins and doesnít feed on cultivated brassicas, was more numerous until mid-month.
Fresh Small Tortoiseshells and Gatekeepers started to appear by mid-month.
The last week of the month saw reasonable numbers of freshly emerged Red Admirals and Peacocks coinciding with an improvement in the weather.
A species missing this month, which rarely occurs in large numbers, was the Painted Lady, a migrant species. Hopefully the improvement in the weather and wind direction will bring them in. Despite the poor start to the month 19 species of butterfly were recorded, which surprisingly was above average for the month.
The most frequently recorded butterfly species in July were Meadow Brown(above) and Ringlet, pictured below, regularly recorded in reasonable numbers along grass verges, bridleways, hedgerows and in grass fields. When settled, the difference between the Ringlet and Meadow Brown is obvious. The Meadow Brown is probably the commonest and most widespread of the British butterflies, on the wing from June to September, the caterpillars feeding on a range of grasses.
July Nature Notes - Moths
Moths, as with butterflies, have been having a poor season. Hopefully the improvement in weather towards the end of the month will increase numbers.One group of moths seemingly bucking the trend, at least locally, are the Hawk-moths. These include the largest resident British moth, the Privet Hawk-moth along with the Lime Hawk-moth, Poplar Hawk-moth and Elephant Hawk-moth all of which have been regularly recorded throughout July.
Eye-spots are frequently found on insects to either scare predators or startle them for a moment to enable an escape. Another common insect with noticeable eye-spots is the Peacock butterfly which is also capable of producing a rasping noise by rubbing its wings together to enhance the effect of flashing eye-spots.
Three migrant moth species were recorded, two of which are common and widespread.
- The Diamond-backed Moth, a very small species easily over-looked
- the Silver-Y which can be seen flying during the day feeding at nectar flowers whilst hovering
- The third species a single Humming-bird Hawk-moth, a much less common day flying species which feeds in a similar manner to the Silver-Y, was recorded on the 25th July.
The Cinnabar Moth, a day flying moth, has also had a good month, if the numbers seen are anything to go by. This is a very distinct species having crimson and black striped fore-wings and crimson hind-wings. These distinct colours are a warning to predators that the moth is poisonous so can fly with relative impunity during the day.
The toxins in the moth are accumulated as a caterpillar whilst feeding on its food plant, Ragwort. The caterpillars which feed openly during the day are distinctive, being black and yellow striped to give a warning to predators of its unpalatability. A bird taking a caterpillar suffers a rapid violent reaction usually non fatal; the attack IS fatal to the caterpillar, but the bird learns to leave the species alone, ignoring the remainder of the caterpillars in close proximity, which are probably from the same brood as the dead caterpillar.
Nature Notes - Cambridgeshire flora
On the plant front, Bee Orchids have had a reasonable year.As with all orchid species the germination of the microscopic seed depends upon an intimate association with a fungi. Most species of native orchid once established are similar to herbaceous perennials, but the Bee Orchid only flowers once before dying after six or seven years growing underground.
Horse Chestnut trees are suffering again from the leaf mining caterpillars of Cameraria oridella, a micro-moth which only recently became established in Britain. The caterpillar eats the plant material between the upper and lower epidermis of the leaves. Initially causing what looks like a white blister before the leaf turns prematurely brown.
A Weasel on the 17th running across the main road was the mammal highlight.
Muntjac Deer were regularly recorded all round the parish, frequently seen crossing roads.
Rabbits appear to be having a good breeding year with numerous young around, beneficial for Buzzards, being their staple food. Hares have been regularly recorded as adults and as leverets.
Bats, probably one of the Pipistrelle species, could be seen most evenings, but only in ones or twos.
Three dead Moles were found, with no apparent injury, possibly they starved to death, which frequently occurs when the ground is very hard and the moles are unable to find worms which have gone into aestivation, summer hibernation, to avoid drying out and therefore out of the mole's way.
