SECOND QUARTER 2024

This Journal covers the last quarter of 2024 from April to June.

Grass Vetchling

Lathyrus nissolia

This delicate member of the Pea family is an annual. It has small crimson flowers, 8-18mm across, and grass-like leaves. The flowers appear either singly or in pairs on a long slender stalk. This plant can often be found in the wildflower meadow from May until July.

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Bird's-foot Trefoil

Lotus corniculatus

Bird's-foot trefoil is a perennial in the pea family that appears from May until September in grassland habitats. Its yellow flowers are sometimes tinged with red, These sprawling plants usually grow 10-20cm in height. The stem base is woody. Its seed pods look like bird's feet or claws, hence the common name. The leaves have five leaflets and are downy.

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Spotted Medick

Medicago arabica

A member of the Pea family which has dark spotted trefoil leaves. Occasionally there may be a lack of spots in which case other details have to be examined. The leaflets are heart-shaped with a tiny point near the apex. Yellow flowers measure 5-7mm across and may be solitary, or several may be together. The pod is spiralled with 4-7 turns.

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White Clover

Trifolium repens

Low-growing creeping perennial that almost always has trifoliolate leaves; the shape characterised by the leaf being divided into three leaflets, however occasionally there may be four or more. Tri in Latin means 'three' and folium means 'leaf'. The species name repens is Latin for 'creeping'. The whitish flower-heads, usually 15-20mm across, often develop a pinkish or creamy tinge with age. The stems operate as stolons so the plant often forms mats with the stems creeping as much as 18cm each year and rooting at the nodes.

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Foxglove

Digitalis purpurea

Foxglove has tube-shaped, magenta or white flowers around the stem which open in sequence from the bottom up. Flat leaves form at the base and the upright spikes grow up to 1.5m tall. This woodland plant is a favourite of bees and moths, however it is deadly poisonous to humans if ingested.

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Ox-eye Daisy

Leucanthemum vulgare

Ox-eye daisy has round flower-heads that appear on single stems that grow up to 60cm tall. The basal leaves are spoon-shaped and those along the stem are thin and jagged. This plant is very common in the wildflower meadows from June until September.

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Black Knapweed

Centaurea nigra

Thistle-like plant that appears in the meadows from June until September. The purple composite flower heads are comprised of many small florets (tiny flowers), surrounded by long, ragged, pink bracts. The oblong leaves are deeply divided. Also known as Common knapweed.

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Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

Towards the end of the month a female Mallard appeared with 13 ducklings on Roe's Well, or a "Baker's dozen" as Mike put it in his email. The term is thought to have started in medieval England when there were strict laws controlling the price of bread. Bakers would throw an extra loaf into orders of a dozen in case the bread was underweight, a crime for which they would get flogged with a whip or stick as punishment.

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Jackdaw

Protecting its territory

A solitary Jackdaw seeing off a Red Kite on a hunting mission in its territory.

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Magpie

Pica pica

Magpies were rarely seen in Hainault before the 1960s, but are now well established and regularly heard chattering noisily in the treetops. The black and white feathers of the Magpie have a blueish iridescent sheen when viewed close up and the tails may appear greenish.

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Jay

Garrulus glandarius

Unlike other corvids the colourful Jay is a rather shy bird. This may be because they were hunted by the Victorians to provide feathers for ladies' hats. During autumn they bury acorns and chestnuts ready for collection when food is scarce. They sometimes forget where their caches have been hidden which assists trees in spreading to other areas.

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Whitethroat

Sylvia communis

The Whitethroat is a medium-sized warbler that visits from Africa during summer.

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Woodpigeon

Columba Palumbus

The largest species of Pigeon found in Britain. Although a common resident, large numbers migrate to this country from the continent during autumn and winter. They are generally a lot warier of humans than other types of pigeon although it is possible to gain their trust.

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Canada Goose

Branta Canadensis

Canada goslings often stay with their parents for their first year. Canada geese feed on grass and are attracted to mown areas because it gives them a clear view of any approaching predators. They have a tendency to move away from locations where grass has been allowed to grow longer.

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Muntjac

Muntiacus

Male muntjacs (Bucks) have short, unbranched antlers that slope backwards. Muntjacs feed on woodland shrubs and herbs including brambles. This can lead to the ground cover vanishing and has been linked to a decline in birds such as nightingales.

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Wood Mouse

Apodemus sylvaticus

The Wood mouse is one of Britain's most abundant mammals, but being mainly nocturnal they often remain unseen. It has a dark-brown body that is greyish-white underneath. Prominent eyes and ears distinguish it from House mice that is a similar size. Wood Mice feed on a range of foods including seeds, buds, stems, fungi, moss, galls and nuts put out in bird feeders! This picture was taken in a Hainault garden.

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Black-spotted Longhorn

Rhagium mordax

Adults, 13-22mm long, are found from spring until autumn on umbellifers, hawthorn and elder in wooded locations. After mating the females oviposit eggs in cracks of tree bark usually where the wood is soft and starting to rot. The larvae make shallow galleries under the bark seldom entering the tissue that carries water and dissolved minerals upward through the tree. The young take 2-3 years to develop before reaching adulthood.

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Wasp Beetle

Clytus arietis

This Longhorn beetle uses mimicry to keep it safe from predators by making them think it is a common wasp. Apart from its black and yellow colouration the ruse is enhanced by using jerky movements when flying. This species can often be found resting on hedgerows during summer. Its larvae live in warm, dry, dead wood, with a preference for willow and birch.

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Fairy-ring Longhorn Beetle

Pseudovadonia livida

The common name of this beetle is due to the females which lay eggs in humus rich soil where the Fairy-ring mushroom Marasmius oreades is present. Larvae normally take two years to develop. During autumn the larvae burrow down roughly 5cm into the soil where they overwinter to resume feeding in spring. Adults visit flower-heads of a range of plants including ox-eye daisies, buttercups, umbels and yarrow to feed on pollen and nectar. Adults are 5-9mm in length.

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Spotted Lacehopper

Tachycixius pilosus

This Lacehopper is found on deciduous trees and shrubs from May until July. It is about 5mm in length, has three keels on the scutellum and dark spots between the veins at the apex of the forewing. There are also usually three short dark stripes along the forewing edge. The forewings range from being fairly plain to nearly totally dark. Its larvae feed at the base of various grasses.

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Common Froghopper

Philaenus spumarius

This bug is very common on a large range of plants and comes in a variety of markings and colour forms. The larvae produce the 'cuckoo-spit' often seen on vegetation during spring. Length: 5-7mm.

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Water Boatman

Corixidae

Water boatmen belong to a family of aquatic bugs containing around 500 species worldwide. They tend to have four long rear legs and two short front ones. The forelegs are covered with hairs and shaped like oars. These bugs can fly. This particular specimen was attracted to ultraviolet light being emitted from a moth trap. It was placed in a petri dish containing water to show it swimming right side up. There is another group of insects known as 'Lesser water boatmen' or 'Backswimmers' that usually swim upside down and tend to spend less time at the surface. Water boatman have long spiked mouthparts for puncturing and sucking prey. Their bite is venomous and they have no hesitation in using that spike and venom if handled. I was once pond dipping with a friend and warned him about the bite just as (right on cue) he was bitten. The pain was still being mentioned two days later!

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Trivial Plant Bug

Closterotomus trivialis

This mirid bug originates from the Mediterranean and the first reported sighting in London occurred in 2009. It is now very common in Hainault Forest. They vary a bit in appearance but females are normally greenish, while males are usually dark with a red wedge-shaped section of the forewing (cuneus). The female's pronotum is usually marked with two dark spots in the centre and dark markings at the hind corners. Adults measure up to 7.5mm in length.

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White Death Spider

Misumena vatia

This species is frequently found on flower-heads during summer with front legs apart ready to ambush a passing victim. The spider grabs victims and subdues them with venom; it does not spin webs to catch prey. Mature females have the ability to change colour from white to yellow allowing them to blend in with surroundings. Harmless to humans.

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Bronze Sap Hoverfly 

Ferdinandea cuprea

This hoverfly has a brassy coloured abdomen and two dark marks on each wing. It inhabits hedgerows and woodland from March to November where it is sometimes found basking in the sun.

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Silver Ground Carpet

Xanthorhoe montanata

A species that can be rather variable, but all forms have a distinctive whitish ground colour. The central band may vary a lot. This moth visits herbaceous plants from May to July.

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Common Marbled Carpet

Dysstroma truncata

A widespread and common species that comes in a range of colour patterns. Its larvae feed on woody plants. There are two generations, one appears in May and June, and the other from August to October.

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Yellow Shell

Camptogramma bilineata

The Yellow Shell is a day-flying moth on the wing from June until August. Colouration and patterning is very variable. Its larvae feed on cleavers and bedstraws.

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Mother Shipton

Callistege mi

This day-flying moth visits meadow flowers during sunny spells. Its name is a reference to 'Old Mother Shipton', the 16th Century witch whose face can be seen on the wings.

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White Ermine

Spilosoma lubricipeda

The White ermine flies from May to July. Its larvae feed on Nettles and Dock.

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Large Yellow Underwing

Noctua pronuba

This common species flies from June to November. When at rest the bright yellow underwings are usually hidden. The larvae feed on herbaceous plants and grasses.

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Bramble Shoot Moth

Notocelia uddmanniana

This species was previously known as the 'Bramble shoot', but has recently had its name changed to the 'Bramble shoot moth'. It flies in June and July and is common in woodland and on hedgerows where bramble exists which is the larval foodplant. The large reddish-brown or chocolate-brown marking on the wings makes this a fairly easy species to identify.

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Yellow Oak Tortrix

Aleimma loeflingiana

This is a woodland micro-moth that flies from June until August. Its larvae feed on oak. It was originally known as the 'Yellow Oak Button'.

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Bee Moth

Aphomia sociella

The Bee Moth is a fairly common species that flies from May to August. Males are more brightly coloured and patterned than the females. The larvae feed on comb inside bee and wasp nests.

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Pine Bark Moth

Cydia coniferana

This species is listed as nationally scarce and there are not many records in Essex. It flies around conifers during afternoon sunshine and at dusk from May until August. The larvae live in a silk-lined tunnel under pine bark. Previously known as the 'Pine-bark Piercer'.

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White Plume

Pterophorus pentadactyla

White plume moth larvae feed on bindweed.

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Water-droplet Brown

Depressaria daucella

The Water-dropwort brown is a rather plain moth. Its much more attractive larvae feed on flowers and seeds of Hemlock water-dropwort, a highly poisonous plant (to humans) that grows by Hainault Lake. The larvae stitch florets of the umbellifer together with tough silken threads to form a hidden tunnel. They burrow into the stem usually close to a joint and then pop out throughout the day during sunshine. This species was formerly known as the Dingy flat-body.

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Brown Oak Tortrix

Archips crataegana

The caterpillar of this species feeds on a range of deciduous trees from inside a tightly-rolled leaf. Its pupa is attached to a leaf by webbing from which an adult will emerge. This moth is widespread across Britain but is not very common. It frequents mainly wooded habitats and flies from June to August. Adult females are larger with a darker ground colour than males and have a much more protruding apex on the forewing.

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Muntjac Deer

Skull

This skull was discovered in woodland near Wedrell's Plain. Muntjac deer skulls can be identified by their large suborbital pits, the bones that sit beneath the eye sockets. Tusks sticking out indicate a male.

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Giant Cranefly

Tipula maxima 

A large Crane fly with patterned wings and long legs. It has a preference for damp and wooded locations. Females lay eggs in mossy edges of ditches, streams and ponds. The larvae live in water just below the water surface and their development takes place in submerged leaf litter. This species is usually seen from April to August. Some mites have a symbiotic relationship which allows them to hitch rides on Crane-flies, others are parasitic and feed on the Crane-fly's body fluid.

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Mullein moth

Cucullia verbasci

Mullein moth caterpillars feed on Aaron's Rod, Figwort and Buddleia from May to July. This specimen was found in a garden at Lambourne End.

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Drinker Moth

Euthrix potatoria

The large distinctive hairy caterpillars of the Drinker moth are seen during August and September before they hibernate. They resume feeding on coarse grasses and reeds from April until June.

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Ramshorn Bagworm

Luffia lapidella

Larvae of the Ramshorn Bagworm moth construct cases from lichens in which they live. Only parthenogenetic (self-fertile) wingless females are known in this species.

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Mare's-tail

Hippuris vulgaris

Mare's-tail Hippuris vulgaris is a mud loving flowering plant, not to be confused with Horsetails. Found in Sheepwater near Chigwell Common.

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Bronze Shieldbug

Troilus luridus

A predatory woodland insect measuring 10-12mm in length. The penultimate antennal segment is orange banded and the legs are brown. Its nymphs feed on insects, especially caterpillars, and also plants.

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Fat-thighed Beetle

Oedemera nobilis

These beetles visit flowers on sunny days during spring, summer and early autumn. Males have bulges on the femora of their hind legs, hence the common name. Adults emerge in spring to feed on pollen. They visit a range of flowers and are excellent pollinators. The larvae are rarely seen as they live inside stems of thistles and other plants. Males are instantly recognisable thanks to the large green bulges on the femora (thighs) of their hind legs. Females don't have fat thighs so can be mistaken for other similar species.

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10-Spot Ladybird

Adalia decempunctata

A small ladybird that doesn't always have ten spots. Fresh specimens have light-brown background colouration to begin with. The brown legs can be useful when identifying this Ladybird. They feed on aphids.

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Iris Weevil

Mononychus punctumalbum

This weevil has a preference for damp locations. Adults appear in May and June to feed on Iris plants. The female bores into developing seed pods and inserts an egg into several of the seeds which the hatched larvae consume. A new generation of adults appears during autumn to feed for a short time before entering leaf litter to overwinter.

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Broad-bodied Chaser

Libellula depressa 

Usually found near ponds and lakes from May to July. Females are golden-brown, whereas males have a blue abdomen. Both sexes have very dark brown wing bases and yellow spots along the side of the body. Immature adults have similar colouration to females.

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Common Marbled Straw 

Aethes smeathmanniana

Found on rough grassland and scrub from May until August. Yarrow and Knapweed are its foodplants. This moth has recently undergone a name change and was formerly known as the Yarrow Conch.

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Garden Mompha

Mompha subbistrigella

A common micro-moth that can be found most of the year. It has a preference for damp locations and overwintering in garden sheds. Its larvae feed within the seedpods of various willowherbs.

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Light Brown Apple Moth 

Epiphyas postvittana

This species is extremely variable with numerous forms. It was accidentally introduced into Cornwall from Australia in the 1930s and has since spread across the country. Females are larger than the males. Males can usually be identified by an abrupt colour division on the forewing.

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Green Hairstreak

Callophrys rubi

Several Green Hairstreaks Callophrys rubi were seen visiting buttercups in the meadows located on the east side of Hainault Forest.

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Carp

Cyprinus carpio

Carp are sometimes seen jumping into the air. They do this to regulate pressure in the swim bladder. Gases contained in the swim bladder assist in controlling buoyancy.

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Russian Comfrey

Symphytum x uplandicum

Russian Comfrey grows up to 2 metres tall. The stems are narrowly winged below the leaves. Flowers are initially pink almost always becoming blue, violet, or purple. It appears from May to August. Its flowers attract a wide range on insects including butterflies, beetles and froghoppers.

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Coot

Fulica atra

A young coot (Cootling) hiding in vegetation at the edge of a pond. Cootlings are tended by both parents and leave the nest after 3 or 4 days. They are totally independent after about 8 weeks.

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Pigeon

Columba Palumbus

This well-groomed pigeon appeared at the Global Cafe for a few days during May. Pigeons are a lot cleaner than many people imagine. It wasn't long before it was resting on my hand. Later when going for a walk it kept landing nearby and cooing loudly. A new friend!

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Thank you to everyone that have contributed to this Journal.

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