Lowestoft Life - 22nd-28th August 2026

22^nd August

Andrea had her monthly craft fair in St Magaret’s in Hopton so after dropping her off I headed to the nearby St Bartholomew’s in Corton for a shufty around the churchyard and hedges.  Leaf mines were the order of the morning and I found 12 Moth species this way along with Phytomyza fly mines on Holly (ilicis) and Burdock (lappae).

Coptotriche marginea on Bramble

Caloptilia semifascia on Field Maple

Lyonetia clerkella on Cherry

Phyllonorycter corylifoliella on Hawthorn

Phyllonorycter tristrigella on Elm

Stigmella aceris on Norway Maple

Stigmella aurella on Bramble

Stigmella lemniscella on Elm - upperside exit

Stigmella ulmivora on Elm - underside exit

Phyllonorycter joannisi on Norway Maple

Phyllonorycter platani on London Plane

Stigmella plagicolella on Sloe

Phytomyza lappae fly mine on Burdock

I was delighted to find a mature Elm in the churchyard although I am not sure what species it might turn out to be and with it came the requisite leaf wiggles and folds.

Elm

Elm

Luffia lapidella

It was my growing Pan Species List that got me to enquire with the mighty ObsIdentify if it could help out with the weird little Galls that you find on various leaves.

And the answer to that is, with a good picture, yes! I had also always assumed that they were caused by a microscopic Wasp but in fact they are uber-weeny Mites which of course makes them actually Arachnids!

Aceria cephalonea on Sycamore

Eriophyes leiosoma on Lime

Eriophyes tiliae on Lime

Eriophyes tiliae on Lime

Rhytisma acerinum - a Tarspot fungus on Sycamore

I had a go at some lichens and wished I had brought a bag to collect a few of the seemingly already ripe Prunus that were not quite Sloe or Damsons but somewhere in between. 

Diploicia canescens

Trapelia placodioides

It was still very poor insect wise with just a few Bumbles and almost no Hoverflies bar Episyrphus balteatus, Platycheirus albimanus and a rather smart but lethargic Dasysyrphus albostriatus. 

Dasysyrphus albostriatus

Bombus pascorum

Grapholita funebrana

Harlequin Ladybird

Hawthorn

Lime

Phylidorea ferruginea

Sloe

Spear-leaved Orache - Atriplex prostrata

Elderberries

As for birds? I heard a Robin and saw a Blackbird – there was literally nothing else till I headed to the top of the cliffs and could see many Med Gulls drifting north along the beach behind the old wooden sea defences.

I picked Andrea back up at St Margaret’s later on and had time to have a quick look round finding Luffia lapidella and a few of the similar leaf mines along with a new Aceria on Elm.

Aceria campestricola on Elm

Brachythecium rutabulum

My trap that night was very poor with just 13 species but alongside a typically smart male Orange Swift there was a chunky female that was unusually decked out in subtle shades of lilac and purple.

Orange Swift  - male

Orange Swift - female - Antony Wren

Acleris litterana - a new one from a pop round to Antony's!

23^rd August

Steve and Ray were up for the day but my pre visit jobs included emptying the food waste bin into the compost.  I wondered what the dark red worms were that I always see on the surface – the answer is Dung Worm – Eisenia fetida.

Dung Worm – Eisenia fetida

We all went out for lunch in the Blue Boar in Oulton before giving the Gents a coastal tour of the area which then gave me a new 1cy Caspian Gull in the Links Hill car park despite the two man rave being created on the prom and I followed this up with three 1cy Med Gulls and a crisp young Turnstone down at Ness Point after the traditional ‘Furthest East Point’ visit.

24^th August

I took myself off to North Cove for a walk round – more for something to get me out for a while rather than sitting on the pc.  Cloud was bubbling up the whole time but the warm sun poked through now and then and I amused myself with trying to identify as much as possible.  It was not a moth-mine sort of visit but I did find a new one for me with the big blotch separating the layers of a Wood Nightshade leaf that pointed to Acrolepia autumnitella.  The Hop had Cosmopterix ziegeralla but not C.fidella here. There were some real actual moths too with several Mother-of-Pearl around the Nettles along with Agriphila geniculea and Epiniotia immundana.  There were some good fly mines too.

Acrolepia autumnitella on Woody Nightshade

Cosmopterix ziegeralla on Hop

Phyllonorycter maestingella on Beech

Mompha epilobiella on Great Willowherb

Mother-of-Pearl

Epiniotia immundana

Phytomyza ilicis on Holly

Liriomyza eupatorii on Hemp Agrimony

Chromatomyia aprilina on Honeysuckle

Agromyza flaviceps on Hop

Agromyza alnivora on Alder 

There were still large banks of flowering Hemp Agrimony (unlike mine at home) and in sunny spots I found quite a few Flies in attendance with Lucilia and Sarcs as well as a Tachinid that I am confident I have identified correctly.  There were other spiky bums and one patch held over 20 of what all seemed to be Tachina magnicornis with the wide eye gap and dark front tarsi.  Hopefully one of the great and good in the world of flies with confirm or refute my thoughts.  Just happy to learn.  Nothing looked like Tachina fera on that patch but along the next ride I only found two and both had reddy brown front tarsi and seemed to be the expected T.fera.  There were quite a few Eristalis in attendance too and I found my first local E.horticola.

Panzeria anthophila

Tachina fera

Tachina magnicornis

Tachina magnicornis

Eristalis horticola

Eristalis horticola

Eristalis nemorum

Helophilus hybridus

Helophilus pendulus

Xylota sylvarum

There were a few butterflies around with a scattering of smaller Whites, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood and my first Comma for what feels like months.

Comma

Green-veined White

Holly Blue

Red Admiral

22-spot Ladybird

Araneus diadematus - the only one I saw

Bloody-nosed Beetle

Dock Bug

Fairy Inkcap - Coprinellus disseminatus 

Green Shieldbug

Guelder Rose

Last of the Hogweed

Honeysuckle

Ivy Bee - Colletes hederae

Large Amber Snail - Succinea putris 

Lauxaniidae sp 

Marsh Pennywort - Hydrocotyle vulgaris

Speckled Wood

Stinging Nettle

Turnip sawfly - Athalia rosae 

Turnip 

Yellow Dung Fly - Scathophaga stercoraria

At least 20 Migrant Hawkers patrolled the main clearings with a few Common and a single Ruddy Darter and as I walked back I found a couple of calling Marsh Tits and what I presume was a calling Hobby from the main woods.  There were many autumnal fruits on the trees although some of the Guelder Rose had been ravaged by the voracious young of Pyrrhalta viburni.  A big fat Sericomyia silentis was a fine send off as I got back to the car.

Eriophyes laevis on Alder - another new Mite Gall

And similarly, Itemyia major Mite Galls on Willow

Pyrrhalta viburni damage I think

Common Darter 

Pisaura mirabilis

Ptychoptera contaminata 

Sericomyia silentis

25^th August

My neighbours were having their joint chimney taken down and I hung around outside long enough to blag the first pot to come down.  I asked if I could have the others and by the late afternoon I had secured all three complete with their wonderful encrustation of lichens which I have also saved from an untimely demise.   All three now reside in my ‘meadow’ where they will give shelter and support to one or two plants.

Physica caesia

Xanthoria parietina

A session with Amy to sort out my shoulder troubles meant that I only had to walk out of the Rookery GC car park to amble down Marsh Lane towards the railway and the marshes beyond.  The towering largely Elm and Maple hedge was laden with big bunches of out of reach Bramble dupes which Red Admirals, Holly Blues and Small White were visiting along with Wasps, Blue and Greenbottles and a few Sarcs.

Bramble

A patch of flowering Mint – Apple I think – held more flies including Tachina fera and some bees.  Most were Ivy Bees but there were some micros there too and I managed to pot one and take some shots which the BWARS FB page has helped identify as part of the complex Lasioglossum morio group. Nysius senecionis were feeding on the last of the Fleabane flowers and I found a single gall on the Creeping Thistle of Urophora cardui – a fabulous Picture-winged Fly.

Nysius senecionis

I think this is Apple Mint - Mentha suaveolens 

Lucilia sp

Lesser Calamint - Clinopodium nepeta

Lasioglossum morio group

Honeysuckle

Ivy Bee - Colletes hederae

Black Bryony

Urophora cardui 

My first Willow Emeralds of the season were noted and once over the railway and through the first dark corridor I reached the main line of Alders which were in the sunshine and full of life.  I counted another dozen Willow Emeralds and there were 13 Common and four Ruddy Darters along the path.  

Willow Emerald

Willow Emerald

Common Darter

Ruddy Darter

I found two moth leaf mines and on the Alder as well as a fly mine and Sawfly blotch while the little leaf bumps on Field Maple yielded another new Aceria leaf mite.

Dohrn's Alder Sawfly - Fenusa dohrnii

Aceria myriadeum Mite Galls on Field Maple

Phyllonorycter stettinensis on Alder

The Hemp Agrimony was flowering here too but was less busy with just the odd Red Admiral and a Peacock and a few Hovers but I did find two Cerceris rybyensis.

Cerceris rybyensis

 Peacock

 Tortoise Bug

Migrant Hawkers were patrolling above my head and as I tried to look into the ditch alongside to find out who the mystery squibblers were (Mute Swans) I noticed that the adjacent meadow was full of Migrant Hawkers and I conservatively estimated 120.  Two Brown Hawkers were seen along the ditch where giant Water Dock was growing – not a species I see very often.

Water Dock

Marsh Harriers circled out over the marshes but there was little else avian to catch my eye so I began my walk back.

My trap that night was better with 35 species with 45 Straw Underwings and 25 Vine’s Rustics being in the majority but there were some other nice finds with a Meal Moth, Delicate and White Point, Evergestis limbata, Rush Veneer and a lichenesque Small Ranunculus.

Agriphila geniculea

Agriphila tristella

Campion

Flounced Rustic

Spinolota ocellana

Small Ranunculus

possibly Itoplectis alternans

Linephilus marmoratus 

This seems to be Orthotylus rubidus - a scarce bug

26^th August

I headed out late morning with the intention of heading down to the Pakefield Patch but veered into Kirkley Cemetery instead.  It was a pleasant walk round and I had it my head that I should be able to find a Pied Flycatcher like everyone else locally. Amazingly, I heard one call in the biggest pines and it flicked up in front and showed rather well. Quite a distinct median covert bar.  A single calling Blackcap was the only other ground migrant while several Swallows twittered south overhead. 

Pied Flycatcher 

one of three Buzzards that tracked each other north

A gloroius Magpie

Wood Pigeon

And yes, I was leaf mining, amongst other things and found a few bits and bobs including Choreutis nemorana on the two Fig Trees and Phyllocnistis unipunctella and its silvery subsurface trails on the Poplars.  I also found Bedellia somnulentella for the first time by myself.  This little moth’s vernacular name is the wonderful Bindweed Sleeper and this is indeed where I found the hollowed out mine between the layers of one such leaf with the little caterpillar tucked up inside.

Bedellia somnulentella on Bindweed

Bedellia somnulentella on Bindweed

Caloptilia fidella on Hop

Hop

Phyllocnistis unipunctella

Stigmella speciosa on Sycamore

I remembered that there were at least two types of Bagworm on the sandstone graves here and I soon found both Luffia lapidella and the little pasty shapes of Narycia duplicella in little discreet groups.  Staring at gravestones also gave me two of the very funky Harvestman Spiders that sit with the legs out perpendicular to the body.  I have never seen one of these move! 

Dicranopalpus ramosus

Dicranopalpus ramosus - look at those palps

Luffia lapidella 

Narycia duplicella

Narycia duplicella

There were so many Harlequin Ladybirds on them too and some tiny scurrying things transformed into Peripsocus milleri – a species of Barkfly.  Light Brown Apple Moth and Pyrausta despicata were the only two proper moths I found.

Harlequin Ladybird larvae

Harlequin Ladybird

Harlequin Ladybird

Seven Spot Ladybird

Peripsocus milleri

Pyrausta despicata 

One area had a mass of Red Admirals lounging expansively on the headstones.  There was no food source visible and it seemed no warmer or sunnier that any other spot but I counted over 30 there. Two Small Coppers and a late Meadow Brown were noted and six Migrant Hawkers zoomed around.

Meadow Brown

Migrant Hawker

Red Admiral

Red Admiral

Small Copper

Speckled Wood

Aceria campestricola on Elm

Aceria pseudoplatani 

Aceria pseudoplatani 

Field Grasshopper

imm Hawthorn Shieldbug

Laurel berries

Poplar Spiral Gall Aphid - Pemphigus spyrothecae

Yarrow

The trap that night again got me just over 30 species (along with two garden tick Sandwich Terns in the dark as I set up) with an incredible 62 Straw Underwings.  At least they are a smart moth to look at and I did not  mind the recording repetition! Flounced and Vine’s Rustic made up the bulk of the rest of the tally but I did catch a paler Small Ranunculus, three Square Spot Rustics, two very different European Corn Borers, two Small Mottled Willows and another Ancylosis oblitella.

European Corn Borer

Agriphila tristella - a dark one?

27^th August

Post moths, I headed straight from Pakefield Beach for a short walk.  Quite a bit of drift had been happening but I am always loath to go dashing up and down the near coast to look for someone else’s Pied Fly when I could look for my own.  It was a strange light at 6am with rain drifting in to the south and half a rainbow to prove it.  I found two Wheatears almost down on the tide line, one of which disappeared inside the boat closest to the water.  Single Yellow Wagtail and Siskin went south invisibly and it took a while to find the two Whimbrel going the same way shortly afterwards. Offshore it was quiet with just four Gannet north and 11 high speed Teal south.

Wheatear

Whimbrel

Sea Cabbage

Callisto denticulella on Apple

Callisto denticulella on Apple

I returned for another circuit late afternoon, buoyed by the several local Wrynecks but alas only had the two Wheatears again for my efforts.

28^th August

No mothing as an even earlier rise was required to see if the sky was clear and the moon visible.  The lunar eclipse was slowly well under way at just after 4am and a short drive to Carlton Marshes for a better, darker view was rewarding as it reached its peak of about 93% at about 5.10am. It never went full on blood orange but as usual with these celestial events, it was humbling to watch it happen especially as the fingers of Sol were already climbing over the easterly horizon behind.

0405

0514

Oddly an old boy was out on his mobility scooter with headlight blazing and ‘walking’ the dog.  It took me a while to work out what the light was bobbing about in the field opposite!  I could hear Teal and Greenshank somewhere in the distance but there were no owls.

Back home for some more sleep and then off for a walk at Gunton Cliffs where it went fro nowt but a Great Tit, two Robins and a Chiffchaff to having a small group of Sycamores at the top of the slope containing two Spotted and a Pied Flycatcher, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, two Song Thrushes, Great Spotted Woodpecker and the two Whinchats perching way up on the top! 

The spring from the cliff base was still flowing

Much to the joy of the local Carrion Crows

I did not have too long and so looped back along the beach where I added a fine Green Tiger Beetle, two Wheatears and another Whinchat along with a smart but flighty male Common Redstart.  Two Sandwich Terns called offshore and back in the Links Hill car park I found a scruffy 1cy Caspian Gull amongst the other loafers.

Green Tiger Beetle

Green Tiger Beetle

Whinchat

Common Redstart - a real 'essence of image'

Common Redstart - keeping an eye on me

It rained heavily again at dusk but I still put my trap on.  Nothing of great note but there is always tomorrow.