Drinker Moth Caterpillar, White-Fronted Goose, Little Gull, and a fluttering Common Brimstone
March has kicked off with a flourish of flora and fauna!
A busy half-term has come to an end, so, it’s back to regularly scheduled programming for us
Wildlife Sightings at WWT Llanelli from 24th February – 2nd March 2025
Highlights: Drinker Moth Caterpillar, White-Fronted Goose, Little Gull, Common Brimstone
This week’s featured photo is of a Drinker Moth Caterpillar, found on the Western Scrapes. Mainly residing in marshes and damp grassland, our wetlands make the perfect habitat for these caterpillars, which can be found almost year-round! When part grown, they will hibernate and emerge again in the spring to continue fattening themselves up ready to pupate and emerge as a big fluffy moth! There aren’t many moths that you can call cute, but this one certainly is. With its fluffy body, fringed antennae, snout-like face, and big black eyes – how could you not love them! You might not be lucky enough to spot them as adults, as they are nocturnal like most moths, but keep an eye out in July and August if you want a chance!
The Saline Lagoon has been visited by four White-Fronted Geese this week, drawing plenty of attention from observers in the British Steel Hide. Kindly hiding themselves amongst the Greylag Geese, you can tell a White-Fronted Goose apart by the white patch above its beak and by its smaller size in comparison to the Greylag. Another feature to note is that Greylags have a striped neck that White-Fronts lack.
Also outside of the British Steel Hide on Saturday was a Little Gull, which stayed for a short while before continuing on its spring passage. Holding the title as the smallest species of gull, they are scarcely seen in this area, with most recorded between May and September.
Emerging from hibernation and signifying the start of spring, the Common Brimstone is one of the first butterflies of the year to take to the sky. Unlike most butterflies, they survive through the winter and emerge once again in spring, living most of their lives in their adult form. They prefer to overwinter in ivy bushes, hanging upside down, blended within the leaves. It is believed that the brimstone is actually the origin for the word “butterfly”, which was derived from "butter-coloured fly", referring to the male’s bright yellow wings. Keep an eye out around the Millennium Wetlands for these leafy lepidopterans landing on primrose and knapweed flowers!
We can’t forget to mention the Kingfishers, who have ramped up their activity in the last week! Pairs have already begun excavating holes in the kingfisher bank ready to nest in the coming months. If you make your way to the Kingfisher Screen near the Black Poplar Woods and sneak up slowly, there’s a good chance you’ll spot them.
Finally, you may notice that the rocky islands on Deep Water Lake have been taken over by Black-Headed Gulls. The gulls have repeatedly used these islands to form a colony in the summer, so they might be here to stay until the autumn! The Great Crested Grebe is also sticking around on Deep Water Lake, so it’s worth heading out there if you haven’t spotted it yet.
Featured Photo Credit: Abbie Jordan
