It’s now August, and where have all the reports and sightings gone? Please if you look at this page on a regular basis then you must be interested in what wildlife is being seen in this area so please send in your own reports. The page can only be as good as the contributions made to it.
Remember you don’t have to me a member of the Society to contribute just have an interest in our local wildlife.

Email me at info@scarboroughwildlife.org.uk

For previous months sightings, see the menu on the left (under Recent Sightings).

29th August
Mike Pearson has sent in some more photos


Top- Banded demoiselle
Middle- sallow bordered , sallow centre-barred, sallow orange
Bottom - bordered beauty, shield bug

16th August
The Belinda Robson blog continues with these moths

Just some of the 142 yellow underwings in the moth trap and a first lesser swallow prominent.

15th August
Belinda Robson - has sent in a photo of a  ‘wall butterfly -my first this year- pictured in back garden (14th) this morning. Small Copper and Holly Blue here yesterday. Interesting behaviour by Holly Blue in that it circled the holly bush for several minutes without settling, then changed its mind and flew across to a large ivy bush at the other side of the garden where it settled and stayed for some time, presumably laying eggs, though too high up to see. Obviously the "holly" instinct is still there even in the second generation.


13th August
Belinda Robson has sent in photos of ‘a few August moths from the trap. Speckled Wood butterflies have again taken up their usual territories in the back garden.The second generation is just appearing this last week. Garden seems to have been colonised by Scarlet Pimpernel this year’

From top - rosy rustic, magpie, small blood-vein,
blood vein, shuttle-shaped darters, barred red
Orange swift, common carpet, common white wave.

Mike Pearson has sent in photos of a painted lady - the first in his garden this summer-  and a ‘southbound’ greenshank taken at Buckton.



8th August
John Hume reports that there were two small copper butterflies mating in his garden on the 7th. Also seen were green-veined whites, speckled woods and a fleeting glimpse of a holly blue.

Helen Percival says that - I organised pond dip at Throxenby Mere on the 1st August for the Friends of Raincliffe Wood, one of the families who attend was lucky enough to find a water stick insect. This is the third time we have had a pond dipping event the Mere over the last 4 years and each time we have found a water stick insect. I was told that this was the most northerly site in which it has been found in the country, I would be interested to know if this is still the case.


Chris Fairchild reports that -  At a wedding reception the Everley at about 11:00pm on Saturdy 24th July, a Large Emerald moth flew in and settled on a lampshade.
A stranding of several large (up to about 50-60cm across) Lion's Mane
jellyfish on North Bay beach last Monday afternoon (2nd August).
A blue butterfly (probably a Holly Blue) in our Prospect Mount
garden last Tuesday lunchtime (3rd August).


25th July
Mike Pearson at Flamborough says the monthly foray to Troutsdale was again very rewarding with over 60 species of macro and nearly 20 species of micro recorded. Pride of place must be shared between the Northern Eggar and the Muslin Footman

Photos from top - bordered white, muslin footman, northern eggar  and phoenix.

12th July
Chrys Mellor says that Saturday was the last of the Puffin cruises but there were plenty of puffins on the sea, a spectacular fly past from a peregrine, fluffy shag and razorbill chicks.............


Melanie Earle reports ‘There continues to be a small but steady production of fungi in Wykeham Forest. These are a small selection of the more distinctive ones that I have found there since the beginning of July. Along the rides there are Amanita rubescens, Amanita excelsa, and the occasional Amanita fulva. Leccinum versipelle and Boletus luridiformis (also known as Boletus erythropus) were found close to birch. The colourful Russulaceae are also now appearing, including Russula claroflava. The wood chip piles in Wykeham Forest continue to be good places to look for fungi. They are still producing Pluteus cervinus, Pluteus petasatus, Coprinopsis lagopus, and there is now a flush of the slime mould Fuligo septica (appropriately called the Dog's Vomit Slime Mould) on the wood chips and on fallen coniferous trunks. The Stinkhorn is still plentiful and widespread through the forest.
Agrocybe pediades has been fruiting on and off since early June in my lawn and also in some grassy spots in Wykeham Forest.
I also spotted a Red Deer in Wykeham Forest.’

Agrocybe pediades, Amanita excelsa

Amanita fulva, Amanita rubescens



Boletus luridus, boletus luridus (top), Fuligo septica


Leccinum versipelle, Russula claroflava

Mike Pearson reports a succesful mothing night at Bickley last week. ‘The above event took place at Bickley on the evening of 6th.july and the moths in particular proved to be a great success.
Wesh wave was a nice surprise, but the real star of the show was the trapping of 3 Red-necked footmen. This proved to be a new breeding colony for vice-county 62. Apart from 2 other colonies discovered last year (Silton Forest 2/7; Clay Bank 30/6), the species hasn't been recorded since Porritt in the 1800's, so it really was an exciting find. A total of 50 macro and 21 micro species were recorede.’

Bordered sallow, clouded brindle, knot grass


Red-necked footman, sallow kitten, slender brindle.

Small yellow wave, tawny-barred angle, welsh wave.

10th July

Pete Dunn has sent in a another wasp mimic a Lunar Hornet Moth caught in a mist net at Filey Country Park.


Belinda Robson has caught these moths in her garden recently

Double square spot, ingrailed clay, fan-foot, common footman, ruby tiger, dark arches and buff arches.

Mike Pearson has sent in some moths from Flamborough

Barred Straw, common lutestring and garden tiger

Pete Dunn sent in this photo of a sawfly

And says
While walking back up Carr Naze last Saturday (3rd July) a large wasp like insect flew past me and landed in the grass for a few seconds. I thought it was going to be a hornet but knowing they usually look orange, I was surprised to see it was 'hooped' yellow like a wasp. Next thoughts were of a hornet moth (a clearwing) but no, so I manage to take a rushed photo with it blowing about in the wind. A few enquiries revealed it was a Sawfly.
I sent the record to the Sawfly society and got this reply form Guy Knight:
The insect is a female Cimbex connatus - a really wonderful sawfly to see.
Up until 1997 it was exceedingly rare in Britain. At this time it had not been recorded for 50 years leading to speculation that it was extinct here. In the 19th century and up to about 1914, however, it appears to have been quite widespread in southern England, having been known from Suffolk, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Devon and Cornwall.
In the years following the first modern record from near Salisbury, Wilts in 1997 this species has increased dramatically and has now been recorded from about 20 vice counties. Records appear to be concentrated in the south and up the eastern half of England as far north (the last I heard) as south-east Yorkshire. It has also been found in Cardiff. I have not found it in the north-west yet.
The larvae feed on alders, including Alnus glutinosa and A. incanta. As you would expect, they are large (~50mm) when fully grown and have a dark dorsal stripe all the way along the body. They generally feed between July and September and I think are easiest to find at night.
There are two other British Cimbex species. C. femoratus the 'birch sawfly' has previously been the most frequent. Adults are black or red-girdled and the larvae are always associated with birch. C. luteus is still a great rarity in Britain, although there have been a few recent records. The adult looks very much like C. connatus but is more extensively yellow-marked (including the first few tergites and underside of the abdomen). It is associated with willows.
Many of the recent records of C. connatus have been in association with amenity-planted Italian Alder in exotic places like supermarket carparks! It would seem very likely that at least some of the modern records originally result from accidental introductions.
Not sure if has been recorded in this area before? For you recent records to see if there any comments

4th July
During the last week the following records and sightings have been sent in.

Chrys Mellor says the kiitiwake chicks are growing fast.


Mike Pearson has sent in more moths caught at Flamborough and Rudston.

From top left - pale prominent, peach blossom, small blood vein,the lackey, and white satin.
Pauline Popely has sent in the following photographs taken from around the region.
Greater Butterfly Orchid taken last week nr Pickering
Pics taken today:
Burnet Moth on Northern Marsh Orchid - Hawsker
Burnet Moth on Common Spotted Orchid - Hawsker
Pyrola media - the rare Wintergreen - photo taken nr Scarborough



Chrys Mellor has sent in her latest batch of photos from the RSPB Puffin Crusises and says ‘an excellent cruise on Saturday (26th June) - weather and birds, the guillemot chick produced lots of 'ahhhs' from the passengers on the boat I hope it survives!! and the puffins perfomed well............. A quick walk to the cliffs at Bempton today so no apologies for the gannet chick pics ( sep. email) - it was very very fidgety, I think not approving of the neighbours or Mum/Dad sitting on it!!’




Melanie Earle says ‘There are a few fungi popping up in the woods. I've seen Pluteus cervinus, Coprinopsis lagopus, Peziza micropus on various wood chip piles in Wykeham Forest over much of the last fortnight, and a rather dried up Pluteus petasatus on June 26th.



Boletales and Amanita are just beginning to appear too. Leccinum scabrum, Suillus grevillei, Suillus luteus and Amanita excelsa.



The whiff of Stinkhorn (Phallus impudicus) was rather too commonplace in Wykeham Forest on June 26th, but it's smaller and less stinky brother, the Dog Stinkhorn (Mutinus caninus) was also around. Their receptacles were completely bright orange, which is unusual.


Coprinellus flocculosus seen on June 6 has shown up again in Sawdon Dale on June 26.


Panaeolina foenisecii has joined the various Conocybe, Pholiotina and Bolbitius species in my lawn and in the grass by the forest rides. Agrocybe molesta was spotted in the grass verge of the lane from Brompton to Sawdon, and also at Hudgin Lane near Ruston, along with some Psathyrella .

Common Spotted Orchid and Common Twayblade were coming into flower in Wykeham Forest on June 26th.