Asian Hornet - Folkestone

[Dodge]

According to a newsletter I received today:

10th April - an Asian Hornet was photographed on the ferry between Poole and Cherbourg

10th April – an Asian Hornet was reported in Folkestone, Kent

I'm at a loss to explain the first. I don't understand how an Asian Hornet can even afford a ticket for the ferry these days.

James

Would be cheaper to Fly surely.

 

[Ian123]

Supposedly a credible sighting in Poole, you’d probably think off the Jersey ferry.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Supposedly a credible sighting in Poole, you’d probably think off the Jersey ferry.

there's regular commercial shipping from Jersey as well loading/discharging on the stone quay opposite the town quay, not to mention all the WAFI's sailing over for the weekend.

 

[mdotb]

Supposedly a credible sighting in Poole, you’d probably think off the Jersey ferry.

Occam's Razor would suggest going with the theory that it came over from Cherbourg on the same ferry it was later photographed on (it was pictured on the Poole-Cherbourg leg, which was recorded as a sighting in Poole) rather than came from Jersey and transferred to a different boat to travel back to France.

 

[Ian123]

Occam's Razor would suggest going with the theory that it came over from Cherbourg on the same ferry it was later photographed on (it was pictured on the Poole-Cherbourg leg, which was recorded as a sighting in Poole) rather than came from Jersey and transferred to a different boat to travel back to France.

Would Occams theory suggest a duty free run?

 

[plain_hunt]

There’s rumours of ‘some’ seen in Dorset, report on fb, but it is being checked that it’s not an old post.

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[Pembroke]

Media reports on the sightings with pictures:

https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2...sive-asian-hornets-spotted-in-kent-and-dorset
Shame the photo taker on the ferry didn't have the foresight to stand on it?

The problem with the one on the ferry is to my mind it doesn't match the BBKA description of being 'very black'.

 

[Carl]

The description of it looking ‘very black’ is misleading.
their photo shows it very well and the thing that really stands out when you see them is the orange as in the photo.
we get a lot here in the Hautes Pyrénées and they are big ( smaller than the European hornet) and noisy and that deep orange really stands out.
i suspect there are more in the UK than people realise as when we left Dorset in 2016 we were familiar with the European hornet but did see the Asian that year.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

There’s rumours of ‘some’ seen in Dorset, report on fb, but it is being checked that it’s not an old post.

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Considering OLD posts. - Following circulation of a NBU poster with images of Asian Hornet, European Hornet, Common Wasp and Honey bees I posted the image in our village FB group along with the hope people wouldn't just run around like headless chickens when they saw one of our native big friendly giants. (We're having a good year for native hornets and Hornet Mimic Hoverflies here). Response was quite sensible and muted until a local beekeeper mentioned a report from HU9 (East Hull/ Holderness). Google could only find a report from 2018 when an AH was identified in that area and if my memory serves correctly that one was found to be a stowaway following a continental holiday.