Port and Wey: 31 Jul 21

Old Quarry Lane and Wakeham Meadow

Well I didn't time that very well for my walk. I knew there were showers about, but when I left the cottage it was in bright sunshine. I only managed to get to the meadow before a big black cloud appeared to the west and 20 minutes later it was raining.

However I did have a few highlights, with my first Small Copper of the year, coming across 2 Painted Lady's and watching a Common Darter "darting" up and down Old Quarry Lane. The only disappointment being, I wasn't able to photograph any of them.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
5 House Martin
4 Swallow
Dunnock
Blackbird
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

Reptiles Recorded:
7 Slow-worm

Under one of the boards along Old Quarry Lane were these 3 Slow-worms plus another 2.

Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
Common Darter

Butterflies Recorded:
Large White
Small White
Meadow Brown
Gatekeeper
2 Painted Lady
Small Copper

Butterflies were hard to find today, even though I did come across my first Small Copper of the year, plus 2 Painted Lady's. Here is a Gatekeeper, hunkered down in the grass as the rain began to fall.

Moths Recorded:
Garden Grass-veneers (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
Straw-barred Pearl (Pyrausta despicata)

There were several Garden Grass-veneers in the meadow plus this...........

................Straw-barred Pearl (Pyrausta despicata)

Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum)