August 1st: Alners Gorse, Dorset.
Brown Hairstreak (No. 58)
Clouded Yellow
August 4th: Castle Hill, West Sussex and Holt Heath, Dorset
Castle Hill is a superb reserve and there's always plenty to see. We were especially hoping to see the Helice form of Clouded Yellow which is regular
here, we were out of luck on this visit though. We were very fortunate to find a couple of Wart-biters. The best way to locate them is to listen for their distinctive stridulation but on this occasion there was a combined harvester working in the valley bottom and the noise from this was particularly overbearing. Still luck was on our side.
Wart-biter - Decticus verrucivorus
Best butterfly was this lovely Small Copper with unusual diffuse colours/markings.
Hairy Shieldbug nymph - Dolycoris baccarum
Bishop's Mitre Shieldbug - Aelia acuminata
Bordered Orb-
Wasp Spider - Argiope bruennichi
On the very edge of this females web sat this..
A male Wasp Spider, the first one we'd ever seen.
I believe that he is waiting for her to complete her final moult so that he can approach to mate while her fangs are soft.
He's intently watching her, waiting for his chance... look closely and you can see his fixed gaze in her direction.
He's intently watching her, waiting for his chance... look closely and you can see his fixed gaze in her direction.
Biding his time, because his life depends on it!
On the way home we stopped off at Holt Heath In Dorset and in an Oak Tree next to where we parked the car we saw..
Buff Tip Moth caterpillars and the very punky...
Sycamore Moth Caterpillar
August 7th: Smardale Gill, Cumbria.
Off to Smardale for Scotch Argus to complete our butterfly year-list, only problem was the weather wasn't looking too good. The forecast had said that the sun would break through in the late morning, so first thing we drove up to Knock Fell to have a look for the rare and beautiful Marsh Saxifrage.
Marsh Saxifrage - Saxifraga hirculus
The sun never did come out though and Smardale looked like this..
Fortunately it was warm, despite the cloud and we did see plenty of Scotch Argus. And lots more too!
Scotch Argus (No.59)
This thistle head held four Scotch Argus, two Antler Moths and a Pyrausta purpuralis .
Scotch Argus, Antler Moth and Pyrausta purpuralis
sharing a thistle flower
Hitching a ride on an Antler Moth - Cerapteryx graminis
One of the Ear Moths
A lovely Peacock
Yellow-barred Peat Hoverfly - Sericomyia silentis
Female Pale-saddled Leucozona - Leucozona glaucia
Male Pale-saddled Leucozona - Leucozona glaucia
Furry Dronefly - Eristalis intricarius
Humming Bird Hawk-moth - Macroglossum stellatarum
Wood Cranesbill - Geranium sylvaticum
August 16th: Eype, Dorset.
The cliffs at Eypes mouth in Dorset are one of only a handful of sites that are home to the Cliff Tiger Beetle. It was surprisingly easy to find but very difficult to photograph as it moves at lighting speed. Perseverance paid off though.
Cliff Tiger Beetle - Cylindera germanica
August 25th: Old Winchester Hill, Hampshire and Spur Bog, Purbeck Dorset.
Off to Old Winchester Hill, near Warnford, Hampshire, to see what it was like for butterflies as neither of us had ever visited it for that reason before. We saw good numbers of Adonis Blue, Chalkhill Blue, and Silver-spotted Skippers but they are down a very steep slope which I didn't like at all!
Adonis Blue
Chalkhill Blue
Silver-spotted Skipper
On the way home we stopped off at Spur Bog,Studland to have a look at the Marsh Gentians because I never get tired of seeing them. So many different shades of blue and white too!
Marsh Gentian - Gentiana pneumonanthe
Finally, a few photos from Ballard Down at the end of September, where we saw a few Clouded Yellows and a late Wall.
2 comments:
Lovely, as usual Karen. Obviously in 2020 I am going to have to make an effort to see Cliff Tiger Beetle as it's just down the road from me!
It's easy to find Gav, and there's lots of other glorious goodies to be seen there too!
I'm going back to try and get photos of the Long-horned bee.
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