Went out yesterday afternoon to look for possible yellow-browed warblers in an area close to my home at Pwll - the wet carr, wetlands and deciduous plantings just east of Ashpits Pond, Burry Port
(a former power station settling lagoon that has been landscaped to form a wildlife-rich water body). This area extends eastwards to form another area of wet willow/birch carr (2nd photo below, with royal and hard ferns etc) and open reedbed/fen at `Pwll Lagoon`, which lies immediately below my house and is the probable source of many wetland moths recorded in my home trap at Tyrwaun.
There was -obviously - little chance of finding a yellow-browed warbler `cold` as it were and, indeed, I failed, with only a distant `hoeet` suggesting any leaf warblers present. I did stumble across a comma caterpillar on a nettle patch though, a distinctive and easy-to-identify species.
I also noted various leaf-mines or miscellaneous larval damage on some of the trees planted in the area such as on Salix purpurea, Corylus sp. and Alnus incanus.
Above: Salix purpurea, note caterpillar in second photo.
Above: Corylus sp.
Above: Alnus incana.
I don`t expect anyone to identify the above, but if they want to try, all are welcome. I`ve looked at the online identification resources and often it is n`t straightforward! For the Alnus, for example, it MAY be the hymenopteran Fenusa dohrnii or the lepidopteran Phyllonrycter strigulatella....but I`m not all confident!
I also had the `home actinic` out last night, but only the `autumn regulars` were caught.
I'm pretty sure the 'Tilia sp' is actually hazel and the mines are Phyllonorycter coryli - as far as I know there aren't any miners which make blotches like that on limes. P coryli is usually common but this year it is particularly abundant with almost all hazels supporting mines (at least in Glamorgan).
ReplyDeleteI think the alder mines may be the sawfly you mention - they don't look quite right for lep mines.
The Salix larva looks interesting - not sure what it is though!
George
[BIG!] ooops - don`t tell Barry Stewart [he`ll laugh his head off and start calling me `Hazel Nuts` or some other wind-up!] - the leaves are hazel. I collected both at the site. I`ll correct the main posting!
ReplyDeleteThanks George.
A-ha! So that''s your alter-ego ;-)
ReplyDeleteWell spotted George! Ian, upperside Phyllo mines on Hazel are P coryli, like yours, underside are P. nicellii; there's also potential for Parornix devoniella mines which are slightly smaller and associated with a leaf edge fold.
ReplyDeleteI agree the Salix mine looks interesting...