Wednesday 16 July 2014

Alners Gorse and a Few Local Bits

On Monday I decided to have a look around at Alners Gorse, the brilliant Butterfly Conservation reserve in Dorset. It was very hot and sunny which meant that most butterflies were turbo charged and photo opportunities were few and far between. I did manage to get a few though and there are plenty of nice plants too!



Essex Skipper - Thymelicus lineola


Small Skipper - Thymelicus sylvestris


Gatekeepers - Pyronia tithonus


Purple Hairstreaks were showing well coming low to nectar on Alder Buckthorn flowers.



Purple Hairstreak - Neozephyrus quercus


The White-letter Hairstreaks weren't so accommodating though and although there were lots of them they stayed put high up in the Elms.


White-letter Hairstreak - Satyrium w-album
Seen here taking honeydew from the surface of a leaf. The reason they seldom venture down onto low vegetation to feed.


Betony Stachys officinalis
 

 Dyer's Greenweed - Genista tinctoria


Sneezewort - Achillea ptarmica



Yesterday I went to Bystock to look for a new plant for me, namely Lesser Skullcap.
 
It's pretty tricky to find if you're not aware of just how small it is.




Lesser SkullcapScutellaria minor


 Common Centaury - Centaurium erythraea



Six-spot Burnet Moths - Zygaena filipendulae

Also a few bits and pieces from the local patch.


 Enchanter's Nightshade - Circaea lutetiana


 Red Soldier Beetle - Rhagonycha fulva on
Fool's Watercress - Apium nodiflorum


 Marsh Ragwort - Senecio aquaticus

 
 An unusual pale lilac form of Selfheal - Prunella vulgaris


Golden-ringed Dragonfly - Cordulegaster boltonii
 

 Juvenile Common Buzzard


Juvenile Reed Warbler

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