On Monday 1st May 2023, a Grey-headed Lapwing was discovered on the wader scrape pools at Low-Newton-by-the-Sea, in Northumberland. Goodness knows what the birder must have thought, when he set eyes on this extremely attractive wader, that had decided to arrive on his local patch. If accepted by the BOU, it would be a new bird for Britain. The Grey-headed Lapwing is a lapwing species which breeds in northeast China and Japan. The Chinese population winters in northern Southeast Asia from northeastern India to Cambodia. The species has previously occurred as a vagrant in Western Europe, Russia, Australia and Sri […]
54.003 BF0164 – Cistus Forester – Zygaenidae – Adscita geryon
Cistus Forester – Zygaenidae – Procridinae – Adscita geryon – colour code • STATUS – A nationally scarce species but is local too fairly common on breeding areas in the Limestone Dales of Derbyshire, where the food plant, Rock Rose exists. It is rare away from these ares, especially from the extreme north and northwest of the county. Normally recorded in ones or twos, never in numbers. ID POINTERS – There are two species of British Forester moth found in Derbyshire. The Cistus Forester is the smaller of the two therefore more easy to identify. The upper wing is a bright […]
52.014 BF0382 – Six-belted Clearwing – Sesiidae – Bembecia ichneumoniformis
Six-belted Clearwing – Sesiidae – Sesiinae – Bembecia ichneumonifromis – colour code • STATUS – Last recorded August 2023 – Pleasley Tip – 32 to Pheromone lure – A rare and notable species in Derbyshire, with scattered local populations. A probable resident, first recorded in 1986. Increase in records since, from scattered areas of the county. Pheromone lures attracted 31 individuals at West Hallam Ash Tip and a further 12 individuals at Hoe Grange Quarry on 7th July 2021. Clearwings are extremely difficult to find without the use of Pheromone lures so presumably are well overlooked. ID POINTERS – […]
54.002 BF0163 – The Forester – Zygaenidae – Adscita statices
The Forester – Zygaenidae – Procridinae – Adscita statices – colour code • STATUS – A scarce species, and up until 2018, there were only three known colonies in Derbyshire. During period 2013 – 2018 there were 10+ individuals recorded from these three sites. In the following period 2019 – 2023, six records of nine individuals from five new sites were recorded. ID POINTERS – There are two species of British Forester moth found in Derbyshire. The Cistus is the smaller of the two, and therefore more easy to identify. The upper wing is a bright emerald green, although the […]