The Whitlingham Bird Report for 2023 is now available to download from the Bird Reports page or from here

BROADS: Hickling invertebrates

Late May 2022

A family visit to Hickling Broad, and despite several squally showers we managed to see two Swallowtails, the latter of which flew through the garden near the visitors centre. My elder daughter enjoyed looking for caterpillars as we went round, with over 20 Garden Tiger and 12 Drinker moth caterpillars found. It was also a good day for Black Colonel soldierflies, whilst new species included Creeping Thistle rust (Puccinia punctiformis) which was abundant on thistles along the long track to Whiteslea Lodge, a case-bearer on willow Coleophora lusciniaepenella, a mating pair of Platychierus fulviventris hoverflies and the psyllid Chamaepsylla hartigi on birch.


Garden Tiger moth caterpillar ("Woolly Bear")
Drinker Moth caterpillar
Black Colonel
Cerapheles terminatus
Chamaepsylla hartigi
Coleophora lusciniaepennella
Fen Mason Wasp
Platycheirus fulviventris
Creeping Thistle infected by Puccina punctiformis
Wasp Beetle

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