Leaf Mines

A couple of days along the Thames visiting relatives this weekend.  In the dry spells I managed a couple of short walks and took the opportunity to search for leaf mines.

At Cumnor Hurst many of the oak leaves remained on the trees, and they were out of reach, whilst searching through the fallen leaves in the dampness was an unappetising prospect.  However, I did find the still-tenanted green island mines of Ectoedemia quinquella as well as a couple of more expected species.  The common elm-miners could be found along the lane leading towards the wood, with Stigmella viscerella being a nice find.

On Sunday I was in Goring; I followed the lane running from the station in the direction of Hartslock, and came across a buckthorn tree covered in mines of Bucculatrix frangutella and Stigmella catharticella; I have never seen the former species before and do not often come across the latter, buckthorns being scarce trees across most of Somerset.  I also found my first - and probably last - Stigmella luteella mine of the year, on a fallen birch leaf.