22 Jul 18

Mermaid Track, Rufus Castle, Penn's Weare, St Andrew's Church and Pennsylvania Castle Wood

Another glorious day and for the second time this year I came across an Adder, this time on the track Here in Penn's Weare. No chance of a photo as it slithered into the rocks. Also in Penns Weare a very yellow Willow Warbler feeding in amongst the buddleia.
Butterfly numbers were down today, with not so many Chalk Hill Blues about, as in recent days. Certainly fewer Meadow Browns, Ringlets and now a big drop in Gatekeeper numbers. Two whites still fairly numerous though are both the Large and Small Whites.

Other butterflies seen were singles of Marbled White, Red Admiral, Comma, Small Blue and my second Small Copper of the year.

A few moths on the wing, predominately Six-spot Burnets with a few Silver Y's again.

A few hoverflies with Dead Head Fly, Marmalade and a Pajupuuhari (Chalcosyrphus nemorum).

Not too many bugs about with just a few Swollen-thighed Beetles seen.

Here are a few images in the order that I took them:

You can almost guarantee that there will be a Speckled Wood along the Mermaid Track, especially in the cool shadows below the Sycamore leaves.

And the same/different Dead Head Fly in the same spot as last week.

A closer view of the flowers of this Old Man's Beard (Clematis vitalba)

A Chalk Hill Blue along the Mermaid Track.

Also here a male Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)

Another Chalk Hill Blue

Ringlet

Chalk Hill Blue

Penns Weare

And below me in the buddleia, a Willow Warbler

It was very busy feeding on flies and other insects.

A slightly closer view as it came up next to me. Very difficult to tell whether this is an adult or a juvenile as they are both very yellow in the Autumn.

Only my second Small Copper of the year.

This was the closest I got to photographing it with its wings open

A close up of a Chalk Hill Blue.

The same as above.

Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus). As mentioned yesterday very common

Above we had a Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus) well this is its cousin the Common Green Grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus). Another very common grasshopper here.

Church Ope Cove bathed in sunshine.

A Six-spot Burnet moth.

Another Six-spot Burnet moth.

In the grounds of St Andrew's Church a Red Admiral.

A worn Gatekeeper.

Very similar to the Gatekeeper above, this is a Meadow Brown. Told apart by having just one white spot in the black "eye". A majority of the time that is.

Just got this Common wasp taking off.

The bottom of Pennsylvania Castle Wood

And in the wood a Pajupuuhari (Chalcosyrphus nemorum), where I have found this species of hoverfly before.

A Comma

And looking down through the woodland glades.