Daytime Observations, Newport Wetlands NNR, early July 2022 

Over the last few days I have seen a lot of freshly emerged Commas, a few Essex Skippers, a handful of Painted Ladies, one Red Admiral, one female Brimstone, plus lots of ringlets, meadow browns, small tortoiseshells and large whites. The female Brimstone was pointed out to me by Iolo Williams who was on the reserve today filming Shrill Carder Bees. We were very close to a large Alder Buckthorn, one of the larval foodplants. I had taken this tree originally from Crymlyn Bog NNR over 25 years ago when I was a contractor doing scrub clearance. Rather than cut it down, I pulled it up and planted it in my garden in Swansea. It was only about 4 feet tall. The next spring it had Brimstone eggs layed on it. I moved to Newport that winter and took the tree with me. The following spring it had Brimstone eggs layed on it again. It got a bit big for my garden, so I transplanted it a 3rd time to Newport Wetlands. It's now around 15 feet tall. I have to warn any contractors doing scrub clearance not to cut it down.

I also saw a few caterpillars. An Oak Eggar, an Emperor Moth that was very lucky not to be cut in 2 with my shears and around 50 Cinnabar caterpillars.

Essex Skipper

Emperor Moth caterpillar