Port and Wey: 14 May 22

Old Quarry Lane, Wakeham Meadows, Wakeham Railway Cuttings, Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church, Church Ope Cove, Church Ope Cove Wood, Rufus Castle, The Cuttings and Bumpers Lane.

The weather is just getting better and better. Today the chilly wind of yesterday had died right back, and it felt pretty warm, especially around the cove.

Today's highlights went to the butterflies and moths, with 10 butterfly species and 4 moth species recorded, including my first ever Triple-stripe Piercer moth (Grapholita compositella)

Other highlights were a single Swallow over Old Quarry Lane, where there was also a Reed Warbler in amongst the Buddleia.

Mammals Recorded:
Grey Squirrel

Birds Recorded:
1 Buzzard
Oystercatcher (heard)
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
1 Swallow
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Reed Warbler
4 Common Whitethroat
1 Lesser Whitethroat
2 Blackcap
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch

I had just focussed on this Common Whitethroat when it decided to take off.

The Lesser Whitethroat along Wakeham Railway Cuttings was a bit more amenable.

Here it is singing away.

Well we might as well hear it singing. The Great Tit in the background is the one sing "Teacher teacher teacher".

A "noon" chorus with Blackbird, Robin, Goldfinch, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Wren, Woodpigeon and Blackcap in Pennsylvania Castle Wood.

A male Linnet along Bumpers Lane

Butterflies Recorded:
2 Large Skipper
1 Orange-tip
Large White
Small White
Green-veined White
1 Wall Brown
1 Speckled Wood
1 Red Admiral
1 Holly Blue
6 Common Blue

A male Orange-tip

And a Holly Blue

A Common Blue

As above.

And another Common Blue

Moths Recorded:
Meadow Grey (Scoparia pyralella)

Triple-stripe Piercer (Grapholita compositella)
Mother Shipton (Euclidia mi)

Endothenia sp.

A Meadow Grey which I found on my backpack when I went to get a drink of water for Ted.

My first ever Triple-stripe Piercer (Grapholita compositella) which I found in Wakeham Meadow. A really stunning micro moth with violet-blue wing tips.

Mother Shipton (Euclidia mi)

And not for the first time, but in Wakeham Meadow, I came across an Endothenia species of moth. This one and two others from previous years, couldn't be ID further than an Endothenia sp.

Bees Recorded:
Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
Early Mining Bee (Andrena haemorrhoa)
Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis)

An Early Mining Bee. Also known as the Orange-tailed Mining Bee

Hoverflies Recorded:
Spring Epistrophe (Epistrophe eligans)
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

A Spring Epistrophe. There are more of these hoverflies on the wing, than any other species at the moment.

A Dead Head Hoverfly

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Common Red Soldier Beetles (Rhagonycha fulva)
Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle (Ischnomera cyanea)
Click Beetle sp.

Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha lignosa)

Meandering through the Yellow-rattle I noticed this beetle trundling away.

It was another quick shot and I "cut" its head off this time, but at least I managed to ID it as a Rustic Sailor Beetle (Cantharis rustica). More on this soldier beetle Here.

A Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle on one of the first Knapweeds (Centaurea nigra) in flower this year in Wakeham Meadow.

A "click beetle" which landed on my arm. I just managed one photo before "clicked" off. I've no idea which species it was.

Another small beetle which caught me out was this Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha lignosa). I thought initially it was a small moth that had landed on this Sycamore leaf.