Review of 2019 and 2020 - Fish, Amphibians and Reptiles

FISH (OSTEICHTHYES)

Fish must be the largest and best-known taxa that I've barely ever made any effort to see, identify and record, but an unusually clear view of the dyke alongside the meadows for a few weeks in 2020 gave me a rare opportunity to see, photograph and, I think, identify a couple of shoals.


Minnow Phoxinus phoxinus - At least 30 by the meadows on 8th April 2020, the first time I've ever identified this common species.

Minnow, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th April 2020

Chub Squalius cephalus - At least 30 by the meadows on 24th April 2020, the first time I've ever identified this species too.

Chub, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 24th April 2020

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AMPHIBIANS (AMPHIBIA)


Newt sp. Triturus sp. - One in my garden on 30th May 2019 but I wasn't able to examine its underside in order to identify it as it was in the beak of a Blackbird.  I imagine it was most likely a Smooth Newt Triturus vulgaris, a species I have recorded in my garden before.


Common Frog Rana temporaria - I regularly see frogs in the garden, presumably from next door's pond, and they often take an interest in my moth trap.  Recorded between 24th April and 23rd September 2019 and 26th April and 19th September 2020.  There were 4 round the trap on 9th August 2019 and 3 times in 2020 with 5 there on 18th July 2020.  In 2019 they sometimes jumped up on to the top of the moth trap, or even right into it but it wasn't until 2020 when I actually saw one eat a moth.  Elsewhere recorded on 4 occasions at the meadows.

Common Frog, North Elmham, 4th July 2019

Common Frog, North Elmham, 22nd September 2019 - on the moth trap

Common Frog, North Elmham, 18th May 2020

Common Frog, North Elmham, 12th June 2020 - staring at (but this time not eating) a White Ermine

Common Frog, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th September 2020

Common Frog, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd September 2020

Common Toad Bufo bufo - In contrast to the frogs just 5 recorded in my garden in 2019 and 8 in 2020, although I suspect if I had followed up every time I heard something moving through the leaves in the garden while I was emptying the moth trap I would have found a good deal more (and also some more frogs).  Unlike the frogs they show no interest in the moth trap.  Also recorded at the meadows on 3 dates, at Brancaster, Glenmore (Mull), Bintree Wood and Whitwell Street.

Common Toad, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2019

Common Toad, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th August 2020

Common Toad, North Elmham, 28th August 2020

Natterjack Toad Bufo calamita - One at Burnham Overy on 12th June 2020.

Natterjack Toad, North Elmham, 12th June 2020

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REPTILES (REPTILIA)

I only managed a single record of a reptile in 2019 and none in the UK in 2020.


Red-eared Slider Trachemys scripta elegans - None in the UK but at least 50 at Llobregat Delta in Spain on 21st-22nd February 2020.

Red-eared Sliders (and a Grey Heron), Llobregat Delta (Spain), 22nd February 2020

Common Lizard Lacerta vivpara - A small individual showed well at Winterton while I was looking for dragonflies on 19th August 2019.

Common Lizard, Winterton, 19th August 2019

Catalonian Wall Lizard Podarcis liolepis - Four seen during a walk up from Monistrol de Montserrat (Spain) when searching (unsuccessfully here) for Wallcreepers.  A new reptile species for me.

Catalonian Wall Lizard, Monistrol de Montserrat (Spain), 23rd Febraury 2020

Thompson Water moths & inverts

On Saturday night the forecast looked interesting for moths - mild and cloudy but with the likelihood of a little light rain later on.  Dave and I headed down to Thompson Water, thinking that if the rain came to pass we would just use our headtorches, but if it remained dry the traps were in the car.  As it turned out the rain started before we'd left home, much more than the forecast had suggested, and it didn't let up when we arrived.  We decided to press on anyway, with headtorches of course, and quickly found a couple of Water Carpets, followed by 2 Hebrew Characters.  A wander through the woodland towards Thompson Common produced no less than 34 March Tubics Diurnea fagella and we eventually added 3 Engrailed and best of all, a Mottled Grey.  There were lots of Common Toads enjoying the puddles - I counted 33 but I'm sure I wouldn't have had to try very hard to reach a much higher number.

Mottled Grey, Thompson Water, 18th March

At home Early Thorn and, at long last, Common Quaker were added to the garden year list.

Early Thorn, North Elmham, 18th March

Common Quaker, North Elmham, 18th March

Other moths at home were Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Shoulder Stripe, Oak Beauty, 2 Dotted Borders, 3 Small Quakers, 3 Clouded Drabs and 4 Hebrew Characters.

On Sunday night the forecast was similar - mild and cloudy - except this time no rain was forecast.  We decided to try Thompson Water again, this time hopefully being able to put the traps out.  Ominously, and contrary to the forecast, it was raining as we headed there again and still raining when we arrived, albeit much lighter than yesterday - just a light drizzle really.  We put Dave's battery-operated trap up somewhere sheltered and then decided that the drizzle had become so light now that we would risk the others too.

We found another 7 Mottled Greys, some of which were quite worn and we pondered for a while whether they really were Mottled Greys or Early Tooth-striped.  Eventually we settled on the former but then I found one which I really wasn't convinced by - surely this one was an Early Tooth-striped?  I retained it to check and was later able to confirm that it was indeed a female Early Tooth-striped.

Early Tooth-striped, Thompson Water, 19th March

Other moths were about 20 March Tubics Diurnea fagella, 6 Winter Shades Tortricodes alternella, 4 March Moths, 4 Water Carpets, 4 Brindled Pugs, Early Thorn, 8 Oak Beauties, 4 Engraileds, Red Chestnut, 7 Common Quakers, 2 Clouded Drabs, 2 Hebrew Characters and 2 Chestnuts.

Red Chestnut, Thompson Water, 19th March

Three beetles all proved to be species I hadn't identified before: Mud-dweller Ilybius ater, Nebria brevicollis and Silpha atrata.  Actually I had seen the Silpha before but without access to decent reference material I had misidentified it as a different Silpha species.

Mud-dweller Ilybius ater, Thompson Water, 19th March

Nebria brevicollis, Thompson Water, 19th March

Silpha atrata, Thompson Water, 19th March

When I retained a smaller creature I thought it might be a rove beetle, having a long flexible abdomen apparently not covered by elytra.  But under the lens it didn't look like a beetle at all, lacking any elytra but being covered in long hairs.  A really strange thing that I couldn't even identify to order at first.  Springtails (Collembola) came to mind but I dismissed that thought as at about 4mm long it was several times bigger than springtails I'd seen before, but when I looked at it under the microscope and saw its furcula (tail-like appendages folded beneath the body that are used for jumping) I realised it was a springtail after all.  Turns out it was Orchesella villosa - sometimes called Hairy Springtail but I don't think that name is always reserved for this species as opposed to others in the family.  According to the maps at NBN Gateway there aren't any records in Norfolk, but I suspect that has more to do with the lack of Collembola records in their database than it being remotely unusual.

Orchesella villosa, Thompson Water, 19th March

Other things of note included Birch Catkin Bug Kleidocerys resedae, Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus and some White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger.

Birch Catkin Bug Kleidocerys resedae, Thompson Water, 19th March

Common Toads were not in such evidence as on Saturday but a few could still be found in the puddles.

Common Toads, Thompson Water, 19th March

At home 2 Twin-spotted Quakers were new for the garden year list.  There were also March Tubic Diurnea fagella, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Early Thorn, 2 Common Quakers, 2 Clouded Drabs, 5 Hebrew Characters, Early Grey and Chestnut.

Twin-spotted Quaker, North Elmham, 19th March

First field trip and another new moth

On Wednesday night the conditions seemed as good for mothing as they have been for ages and better than they looked like they would be for another few days.  So Dave and I headed down to Creaking Gate Lake.  There were a few moths, enough to keep us entertained for a while, though things soon dried up and we packed up quite early.  The clear highlight was a whopping 9 Yellow Horned - a fantastic total for a species that I only saw for the second time earlier this week.  Indeed it was our highest count for any species!

Yellow Horned, Creaking Gate Lake, 23rd March

The others were 4 March Tubics Diurnea fagella, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, March Moth, 4 Brindled Pugs, Early Thorn, 2 Oak Beauties, 2 Small Quakers, 8 Common Quakers, 2 Hebrew Characters, Satellite and 2 Chestnuts.

mating pair of March Tubics Diurnea fagella, Creaking Gate Lake, 23rd March

Brindled Pug, Creaking Gate Lake, 23rd March

Chestnut, Creaking Gate Lake, 23rd March

Satellite, Creaking Gate Lake, 23rd March

Other 'wildlife' included several millipedes which I later identified as White-legged Snake Millipedes Tachypodoiulus niger, the first time I've managed to put a name to a Millipede!

White-legged Snake Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger, Creaking Gate Lake, 23rd March

Common Earwig, Creaking Gate Lake, 23rd March

Common Toad, Creaking Gate Lake, 23rd March

When I got home I went upstairs and promptly found a Caloptilia on the landing.  It proved to be Pale Red Slender Caloptilia elongella, a new species for me and, amazingly, my 5th moth lifer at home this year.  I suppose with it being an alder-feeder and there being tonnes of alders at Creaking Gate Lake, there has to be a suspicion that I brought it home with me, but the circumstances of finding it - settled upstairs discovered as soon as I went upstairs for the first time after getting home - make it seem relatively unlilely.

Pale Red Slender Caloptilia elongella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd March

Apart from that mothing at home since my last post has been fairly mediocre at best, except for my second Tufted Button Acleris cristana, also on 23rd.

Tufted Button Acleris cristana, 23rd March

The rest were:

• Monday 21st: 2 Common Flat-bodies Agonopterix heracliana, Small Quaker and Hebrew Character;
• Tuesday 22nd: 2 March Tubics Diurnea fagella, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, March Moth, Small Quaker, 6 Hebrew Characters and Chestnut; 
• Wednesday 23rd: 3 Common Flat-bodies Agonopterix heracliana, March Moth, 2 Small Quakers, Hebrew Character, Early Grey and Chestnut; 
• Thursday 24th: just a single Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana at a window - absolutely nothing in the moth trap

March Tubic Diurnea fagella, North Elmham, 22nd March

2-spot Ladybird, North Elmham, 24th March