A much cloudier day, but perfect conditions for butterflies in the meadows opposite the cottage. In fact there were 12 species recorded in and around the meadows, track and hedgerow, including my first Wall Brown at this location.
The main highlight though must go to the 12+ Painted Lady's that were along the paths and buddleia bushes. Another surprise was a single Marbled White, which in fairness looked as if it was on its last legs.
Here are a few images from this afternoon:
Here are a few images from this afternoon:
The track leading towards the meadows.
Same track but looking back towards the main road at Wakeham.
Along the track my first Wall Brown seen at this location.
Another shot of it. Sadly with wings closed.
I couldn't believe how many Painted Lady's there were. This one was hiding in the grass.
Others were on the track
Or on a warm stone.
This one chose the leaf of a Lesser Burdock
And another one in the long grass.
A Speckled Wood was also trying to warm itself on the stones.
And a Red Admiral was following suit, warming itself on the shingle path.
In the meadow plenty of other butterflies like.........
........this Chalk Hill Blue
And another.
Not a Chalk Hill but a Common Blue
The underwing of a Common Blue
And another Common Blue
Sadly not all butterflies have a safe life. This Common Blue was wrapped in a spiders web.
A Meadow Brown.
A Ringlet
And another.
Not too many Gatekeepers around today. This one has some sort of aberration on its wing, or is just worn!
A Marbled White and the only one I came across.
With several days without seeing a Six-Spot Burnet moth I came across two, including this.......
.........very worn individual.
Along the hedgerows lots of wildlife including this........
...........Green-veined White.
A Silver Y
Also seen was this Hornet Mimic Hoverfly on.........
...........the Blackberries.
Talking about Blackberries a few of these are ready for picking.
Common Field Grasshopper, Chorthippus brunneus
This is a Tawny Cockroach (Ectobius pallidus). The last one I found was on 8 Jul last year around Church Ope Cove Here.
I will check, but this looks good for an Ichneumon Wasp, Pimpla rufipes
Common Centaury, Centaurium erythraea
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, 2 Stock Dove, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Swift, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow and Chaffinch.
Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, 1 Wall Brown, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, 1 Marbled White, 3 Red Admiral, 12+ Painted Lady, Common Blue and Chalk Hill Blue.
Moths Recorded: 1 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella), Silver Y (Autographa gamma) and Six-Spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae)
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum) and Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Ichneumon Wasps Recorded: Pimpla rufipes
Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria) and Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax)
Flies Recorded: Flesh Fly (Sarcophaga sp.)
Slugs and Snails Recorded: White-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea hortensis) and a Garden Snail (Cornu aspersa)
Grasshoppers and Crickets Recorded: Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus) and Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus)
Cockroaches Recorded: Tawny Cockroach (Ectobius pallidus)