113
N Notes ature
ith the weather in July finally resembling summer after a cool and often wet spring and early summer, we may get to see a few more Lepidoptera during the late summer and early autumn. The early butterflies such as Brimstone were early on so a change in the weather may up the fortunes of the traditional late summer butterflies such as Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Gatekeeper etc. Indeed it may also help with an influx of the migratory Red Admiral, Painted lady and Clouded Yellow – an increase in Red Admirals was notable along the coast from strete to slapton in late July. As well as the butterflies, the better weather should also be good for moths. Generally regarded as nocturnal there are in fact many daytime flying moths and most are easily identifiable because of their bright colours. The tiger moths for instance are particularly spectacular with black and white forewings in either a blotchy or striped pattern with incredibly bright yellow, orange or red hindwings. Jersey tiger in particular is doing well and has a strong hold in south Devon. Catholic in its choice of habitat it can be found in gardens, on rough ground and hedgerows feeding on nectar plants such as the butterflies favourite, Buddleia. It can be encountered anywhere in the south Hams area. Just emerging in late July they have already been reported from Paignton and in the past I have seen them in Dartington Hall gardens and further afield in Topsham town centre. A relative of the jersey, Scarlet Tiger is scarcer and
Summer Moths W
now coming to the end of its flight time – with blotchy black and white wings and vivid scarlet hindwings it
tends to fly more in the afternoon and early evening around damp meadows and river banks. By the River Dart at staverton has been a good place for them this year. To go with the tiger moths, the Humming-bird hawk-moth is a very obvious day time flyer – as the name suggest it resembles a hummingbird as it hovers to take nectar from various flowers including Valerian, Vipers-bugloss and Lavender. The moth has greyish brown
© Rob Farrow Jersey Tiger
Moth
forewings, orange brown hindwings and a black and white chequered body. Various other daytime flying moths are now on the wing, the most obvious
being the startling black and red group including
Cinnabar, Six-spot and Five-spot Burnett. Cinnabar is widely distributed but is best looked for near the caterpillar food plant Common ragwort – the caterpillars themselves are attractive being stunning in black and yellow stripes. The six-spot Burnet is the commonest of this set of moths and is found throughout the British Isles in flowery grasslands and cliff edges. The coastal path is a good place to see them locally with south of Dartmouth and around start and Prawle Points being particularly good. The very similar Five-spot Burnet is much less common being restricted to southern england and favouring wet grasslands, chalk downlands and heaths.
Cinnabar moth © Anne Burgess
Above: Cinnabar Moth caterpillar on
Ragwort © Zorba-the-Geek
What to look for during Summer Bird migration will be at its peak during this period with our summer visitors heading south for the winter – look for large concentrations of swallows heading along the coast or gathering at favourable roost sites such as slapton Ley or Thurlestone. Warblers such as Blackcaps, Whitethroats, Willow warblers and Chiffchaffs will be found at ripening elderberry bushes putting on fat before their long journeys to Mediterranean and further south.
Blackcaps
Pic © Mike Pennington
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