Like a moth to a snowdrop

TL:DR – I had a whimsical idea that some winter species of moth might be drawn to the whiteness of snowdrop flowers in the dark and so help pollinate these plants. It’s unlikely to be true.


Snowdrops are often considered the heralds of Spring, the first floral buds to open in woodland, churchyard, and garden. Spotting the first snowdrops of the year is often a challenge that has become something of a citizen science climate marker in recent years. We sometimes have a clump of the generic type, if there is such a thing, that pops up in a patio pot around this time of year, but other people report earlier appearances. Of course, there are also strains that naturally flower early too, just to confuse the picture. There were certainly a lot around in early February in various places I was walking and snapping.

anglesey abbey snowdrops 02 e1517940927998
Anglesey Abbey snowdrops

Of course, many readers will know all too well that there are many different species and strains of the Galanthus plant. Mrs Sciencebase and I often take the short trip to the National Trust’s Anglesey Abbey in the spring. It is perhaps the nearest place where we might see more than a few of the different types of snowdrop, species, strains, cultivars. Indeed, there’s a cultivar of the common snowdrop Galanthus nivalis, named for the “Abbey”.

Snowdrops generally have a pair of linear leaves sprouting from a subterranean bulb and usually produce a single droopy white flower with a bell shape. There are also wonderfully delicate green markings familiar to anyone who has taken a close look at those flowers. These vary considerably between the different types of snowdrop.

Incidentally, the emergence of green shoots in spring is known as vernalisation from the Latin for spring, vernalis, from where we also get the phrase vernal equinox. But, of course, closely linked to the Latin for green, viridis, from where we get verdant. Anyway, verdant features aside, the flowers of the snowdrop are fairly unusual in that they are mostly white unlike so many other flowers. They also tend to appear well before the northern vernal equinox, which falls on the 20th or 21st March each year.

anglesey abbey snowdrops 03 e1517940906671

But, why white, why not red, purple, yellow, blue or indeed any of myriad colours we see in the flowers of other plant species. There are lots of yellow and violet ground cover plants in the spring that bloom before the leaf buds open on the trees. Well, fundamentally, as lovely as we might find flowers, they’re not really meant for us. They evolved over millions of years to attract pollinators, creatures that would assist in the process of transferring pollen from one flower to the receptive parts of another so that fertilisation might occur, seed be set and new plants emerge. Pollinators tend to be invertebrates, bees, famously, but wasps too, butterflies and moths, beetles, flies, and various other types of insect as well as other creatures in less common instances.

Snowdrops emerge when it is rather cold and the earth frozen or even snow encrusted. The name of the most well-known snowdrop species, Galanthus nivalis, means “milk flower of the snow”. In ancient times it was called the white violet by Theophrastus in the 4th Century BCE. The name is not to be confused with the white spring violets, the snowflakes (Leucojum), which resemble the snowdrops but are at least twice as tall and differ in leaf structure.

The time when snowdrops emerge is a time when there are few pollinating insects on the wing with the exception of the odd, exploratory queen bumblebee and perhaps an occasional peacock butterfly emerging early from winter hibernation. Of course, it is worth noting that snowdrops are not native species to the British Isles and in other regions where it is native, Europe and the Middle East, its mileage may vary in terms of pollination opportunities.

There is evidence that while snowdrops do attract bumblebees and flies that pollinate, their downward drooping flowers evolved that drooping posture perhaps to protect them from bad weather. The delicate green markings, it seems, did evolve later to guide pollinators to the business end of the flower. That said, the plants do need pollinators and they do have flowers for that very purpose.

anglesey abbey snowdrop 01 e1517940944550

So, going back to the whiter than white nature of those flowers. There is a hypothesis that the reason the snowdrop has such bright white flowers is to attract nocturnal pollinators. Certain species of night-flying moth that might be around in the earliest days of the spring might be attracted to a glowing white apparition shimmering in a moonlit churchyard or woodland and feed on the nectar. In so doing they would, as do many other pollinators, inadvertently pick up pollen on their bodies and transport it unwittingly from flower to flower. Unfortunately, this seems like an almost mythical hypothesis and at the time of writing I have not yet found much evidence to suggest that moths are attracted in this way or indeed that snowdrops glow in the dark at all!

The Feral Crocus

My very good friend, photographer Diana Sanders took a lovely shot of a yellow crocus growing wild near her home. She posted the photo to acclaim on her Facebook describing it as:

Like a candle flame amongst the dead leaves. If we get any more hard frosts it won't look so cheerful, though.
The Feral Crocus (Photo by Diana Sanders)

It triggered me to write a short poem:

The Feral Crocus

A feral crocus nestles among the long-dead leaves
A glimmer of hope, a tiny, shining candle of life
Its flame burns bright among those oaken thieves
Their dew can’t steal this golden light

But Arctic winds might rustle those chilling leaves
And times are hard and so could be the frost
The dew that’s stilled will begin to freeze
And snuff that flame then forever lost

Still, there is hope as it is overcast
The cloud-filled skies blanket all below
The bloom won’t face an icy blast
And tomorrow, we can bask in that feral crocus glow

Chinese Water Deer

The Chinese Water Deer (Hydropotes inermis inermis) is not a species native to the UK as its name might suggest. It’s an Asian species related to the Korean Water Deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus). There are numerous CWDs in England that are descended from escapees from Whispnade Zoo in the 1920s.

I saw a couple of them on the recently opened new section of RSPB Ouse Fen this morning. Coincidentally, the deer was mentioned on the BBC’s One Show on 31st January. The genus name Hydropotes derives from the Greek meaning “water drinker”. The inermis component of the scientific name comes from the Latin meaning unarmed, alluding to the animal’s lack of antlers. It is worth noting that both male and female adults have protruberant upper canines, which look rather menacing despite the animals rather “Teddy Bear” facial features leading to it being referred to as as a Vampire Deer in some camps. The canines in the two females I espied today were not particularly prominent.

Normally Norfolk

We do like to be beside the seaside, especially the North Norfolk seaside. We took the opportunity for a couple of days of long walks there. Sad that our pooch is no longer with us, but it meant we managed almost 20 miles of tramping over two days.

Hopping Oystercatcher, Snettisham
…and, taking flight
Sanderlings snuggling on Snettisham beach
…and also taking flight
Turnstone having a plodge in between stone-turning sessions
Backlit Curlew in flight near Heacham, Norfolk
One of dozens of Brent Geese over Heacham
Tucked-up Teal
Titchwell Dunlin
Grey Plover, RSPB Titchwell
Little Grebe, RSPB Titchwell
Pintail, RSPB Titchwell
A coupla Curlew
Red Kite with carrion evading Marsh Harrier
Shelduck, RSPB Titchwell
Wild Ken Hill
Holkham
Lady Anne Drive, Holkham

We did attempt to spot the juvenile White-tailed (Sea) Eagle that is jaunting between Cley and Stiffkey at the moment. It is a released bird from the Isle of Wight reintroduction scheme.

Glossy Ibis in the Fens

Regular readers will know I’ve mentioned the Glossy Ibises that have seemingly taken up residence on our patch during the last year or more. There were three on the flooded farmland adjacent to Earith roundabout for a long time last winter. These are African/Mediterranean birds that seem to be spreading their wings more and more (see also Great White Egret, Little Egret, Cattle Egret). The Glossies we’re seeing here may well be hopping across from a breeding colony in Southern Spain, while the GWEs may be feeding on red crayfish in the lakes of northern France and then hopping across The Channel.

Anyway, there are now seven Glossies feeding and preening at RSPB Berry Fen just up the road from Earith. Happily, they were “showing well” from the footpaths in the sunshine today.

A pair successfully bred in Cambridgeshire in 2022 raising a single chick. This was a first for Britain and is almost an open secret among the local birders. Sadly, as far as I know, they didn’t breed in 2023 nor 2024.

North Norfolk New Year

TL:DR – Diary item from New Year trip to North Norfolk in 2022.


Mrs Sciencebase and myself often run away to the north Norfolk coast, originally it was just the quickest route to the beach for us, but then we started looking out for aves and this part of the country is so rich in birdlife you can’t help but visit again and again. On our short trip to Morston Quay between Xmas and New Year, we “ticked” more than 60 bird species, not counting the dozen or so extras on Blakeney Duck Pond. Here are a few scenic shots and some of the birds.

Morston Quay
On the way to Blakeney
Morston Quay
Morston Quay at dawn
Morston Quay
Wells-next-the-Sea
Morston Quay
Morston Quay at dusk
Morston Quay
Male Pintail, Blakeney Duck Pond
Female Goldeneye, Blakeney Duck Pond
Barnacle Goose, Blakeney Duck Pond
Cormorants, Blakeney
Male Goldeneye, Blakeney Duck Pond
One of 100 or so Curlew we saw, this one in Blakeney
Male Goldeneye, Blakeney Duck Pond
Grey Seal, Wells-next-the-Sea
70+ Snow Buntings, Holkham Gap (not all of them pictured!)
One of four Shore Larks at Holkham Gap, first time we’ve seen this species
1000s of Pink-footed Geese over Morston Quay (not all of them pictured!)

1. Bar-tailed Godwit
2. Barn Owl
3. Black-headed Gull
4. Black-tailed Godwit
5. Blackbird
6. Black Brant Goose
7. Blue Tit
8. Brent Goose
9. Buzzard
10. Canada Goose
11. Cetti’s Warbler (call)
12. Collared Dove
13. Common Gull
14. Coot
15. Cormorant
16. Curlew
17. Dunlin
18. Dunnock
19. Goldcrest (call)
20. Great Black-backed Gull
21. Great Tit
22. Greylag Goose
23. Herring Gull
24. House Sparrow
25. Jackdaw
26. Kestrel
27. Knot
28. Lapwing
29. Linnet
30. Little Egret
31. Little Grebe
32. Long-tailed Tit
33. Magpie
34. Mallard
35. Marsh Harrier
36. Meadow Pipit
37. Mute Swan
38. Oystercatcher
39. Pheasant
40. Pied Wagtail
41. Pink-footed Goose
42. Red Kite
43. Red-throated Diver
44. Redshank
45. Reed Bunting (call)
46. Robin
47. Sanderling
48. Shelduck
49. Shorelark
50. Shoveler
51. Skylark
52. Snow Bunting
53. Sparrowhawk
54. Starling
55. Teal
56. Tufted Duck
57. Water Pipit
58. Whooper Swan
59. Wigeon
60. Wood Pigeon
61. Wren

Sunny Suffolk – Lackford Lakes

Paid just our second visit of the year to Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve in the hope of seeing the Siskins that had been reported there this week. We stopped off at the ringing hut where two of the Suffolk Wildlife Trust team had netted various birds (Treecreeper, Blue, Great and Marsh Tits, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Robin, and others) and were carefully recording the recatches and ringing any new catches for their conservation efforts.

So, what did we see on the day? 46 species not in order of sighting but loosely grouped:

  1. Siskin
  2. Goldfinch
  3. Redpoll
  4. Great Tit
  5. Blue Tit
  6. Long-tailed Tit
  7. Coal Tit
  8. Marsh Tit
  9. Dunnock
  10. Chaffinch
  11. Robin
  12. Nuthatch
  13. Wren
  14. Treecreeper
  15. Blackbird
  16. Song Thrush
  17. Starling
  18. Lapwing
  19. Green Woodpecker
  20. Sparrowhawk
  21. Common Buzzard
  22. Kestrel
  23. Cormorant
  24. Goldeneye
  25. Mallard
  26. Tufted Duck
  27. Gadwall
  28. Wigeon
  29. Pochard
  30. Shelduck
  31. Shoveller
  32. Little Grebe
  33. Moorhen
  34. Coot
  35. Greylag Goose
  36. Canada Goose
  37. Egyptian Goose
  38. Grey Heron
  39. Black-headed Gull
  40. Lesser Black-backed Gull
  41. Great Black-backed Gull
  42. Jay
  43. Rook
  44. Jackdaw
  45. Wood Pigeon
  46. Collared Dove
Treecreeper being ringed
Treecreeper being ringed
Treecreeper
Treecreeper
Robin
Robin
Blue Tit
Blue Tit
Marsh Tit
Marsh Tit
Male Siskin (left) and what looks like two Redpolls)
Male Siskin (left) and what looks like two Redpolls). There were a couple of dozen Siskins around.

Check out the autumnal moth named after a stargazer and a mythical beast

The Sprawler moth seems to spread its forelegs wide when it’s at rest on a chunk of wood. Its delicate patterning gives it something of a resemblance of a bark surface, perhaps. But, it is its scientific name that is a little curious and needs further explanation.

Sprawler Moth - Asteroscopus sphinx
The Sprawler, new to my Cambridgeshire garden 8th November 2021

Lepidopterists originally referred to The Sprawler as Cassinia after the Italian astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini who lived from 1625—1712. It was first cited by Hufnagel in 1766. But, why was it named after an astronomer? The answer lies in the behaviour of the moth’s larva, its caterpillar. When startled the little green beast rears up its spine-covered head as if gazing heavenwards. Why it does this is something of a mystery, but then much about insects remains mysterious. Perhaps the behaviour is enough to fool a predator into thinking the larva might bite back.

The Cassinia genus was dropped in recent times for the term Asteroscopus, which is a more generic term for a star gazer, one might say. The astero part from the Greek for star and scopus from the word for watching (see also telescope). So, the full scientific binomial for The Sprawler is Asteroscopus sphinx (Hufnagel, 1766).

2021 is the year I discovered 35 new species of moth in our back garden

UPDATE: The Sprawler turned up in early November, bringing the total up to 36 new for the garden in 2021. No December moth yet, at the time of writing, sadly.

These Lepidoptera were all new for my back garden in Cottenham drawn to a 40 Watt ultraviolet “actinic” lamp on the night noted. Any of dubious ID I had confirmed from a photo by Sean Foote better known on Twitter as @MothIDUK to whom I am very grateful for the assistance and have put a tip in his tip jar.

The 35 species new for the garden in 2021 are as follows

7/3/21 – The Satellite
20/4/21 – Agonopterix purpurea* (To Myo lure)
10/5/21 – Esperia sulphurella
31/5/21 – Mottled Pug
2/6/21 – Brown Silver-line
4/6/21 – Hypena rostralis
4/6/21 – Buttoned Snout
6/6/21 – Aethes tesserana
6/6/21 – Red-belted Clearwing*
12/6/21 – Currant Clearwing*
13/6/21 – Yellow-legged Clearwing*
13/6/21 – Argyresthia curvella
14/6/21 – Red-tipped Clearwing*
16/6/21 – Orange-tailed Clearwing
24/6/21 – Hedya salicella
25/6/21 – Mompha ochraceella
4/7/21 – Aleimma loeflingiana
4/7/21 – Cnephasia agg.
11/7/21 – Plain Pug
15/7/21 – Dark Umber
19/7/21 – Raspberry Clearwing*
24/7/21 – Leek Moth
24/7/21 – Scarce Silver-lines
2/8/21 – Dewick’s Plusia (I’d only seen this moth previously in Greece)
4/8/21 – Helcystogramma rufescens
9/8/21 – Toadflax Brocade (Had larva in the garden in 2019)
19/8/21 – Yellow Belle
21/8/21 – Tawny-barred Angle
22/8/21 – Common Wave
23/8/21 – Udea lutealis
24/8/21 – Square-spot Rustic
1/9/21 – Aethes smeathmanniana
5/9/21 – Swammerdamia pyrella
19/9/21 – Beet Moth
10/10/21 – Acleris schalleriana
9/11/21 – The Sprawler

*Drawn to pheromone lure during the day, rather than actinic light at night. If non-target then pheromone is named

Numbers were very much down on my previous three seasons of trapping, never getting to more than a couple of hundred moths on any given lighting-up night and usually of 30-40 species on such nights. When I last counted (2/9/21) I’d seen about 4760 moths of 260 species. In 2019, I counted 12000 specimens and hadn’t lit up anywhere near as frequently in that year as I have during 2021. Early to mid-September got quite busy with a lot of Large Yellow Underwings and Setaceous Hebrew Characters etc.

The spring was cold and wet, summer was a bit of a washout too, but we had two or three warm spells in September.

Dewick’s Plusia
Common Wave
Scarce Silver-lines
Yellow-legged Clearwing

Birds spread their wings

A Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) flew into Berry Fen when we visited a couple of days ago to settle among the eight Little Egrets feeding there. In so doing it spooked two of the six Glossy Ibis that were feeding on the edge of a flooded area and they flew off to join four others of that species.

Cattle Egret over Berry Fen near Earith, Cambridgeshire, October 2021. Sixteen of this species seen there, the following day (county record)

Apparently, there were fifteen additional Cattle Egret in a flock on the same patch the day after we visited, which is the largest recorded gathering of this species in Cambridgeshire. A county record, in other words. The bird is ostensibly an African species that has been extending its range over the last decade or two because of habitat opportunity and climate change.

UPDATE: There were a record 57 Cattle Egret at this site at the beginning of November. I have also now seen four at RSPB Ouse Fen on the Reedbed Trail side close to Over.

Spoonbill

UPDATE: Four Spoonbills at Kingfisher Bridge Nature Reserve during November 2021. 15 February 2022: Spoonbill at Smithy Fen.

Great White Egret, one of half a dozen seen at RSPB Fen Drayton, December 2020

Back in the early 1990s when we visited Botswana and Zimbabwe we saw lots of egrets and then were very surprised to see one or two on the North Norfolk coast in subsequent years. Little Egrets are, almost 30 years later rather commonplace. Similarly, the Great White Egret is seen in many parts now and a sighting is no longer considered particularly notable. I heard that part of the reason is that there is an abundance of red swamp crayfish in the lakes of northern France which have provided a food source and hopping off point for this species. The presence of at least a couple of dozen Glossy Ibis on our patch during the last year or so, may similarly be due to individuals spreading their wings from a known breeding colony in Southern Spain. The experts may know more, but I don’t think anyone knows for sure.

Glossy Ibis feeding on farmland adjacent to the River Cam at Chesterton, just outside Cambridge, Spring 2021