Nest building wren and a dipper

Dipper, Cinclus cinclus

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

This is the last blog covering our Sheffield trip in April when I enjoyed daily walks along The Porter Brook where I watched a wren nest building, saw a pair of mating toads and 
found a dipper hunting. I also enjoyed a metal detecting rally in Derbyshire. I visited my brother Keith in York who was recovering well from a double bypass. We had a lovely lunch in a restaurant and enjoyed the ceramics exhibition in the York Art Gallery.

Common Toads mating, Bufo bufo

Wren nest building, Troglodytes troglodytes

Butterbur, Petasites hybridus

Coot on nest, Felica cornata

Dipper, Cinclus cinclus

Dipper hunting

Field Horsetail, Equisetum arvense

Mandarin Duck male, Aix galericulata

Mandarin Duck female

Marsh Marigold, Caltha palustris

Wren nest building

Derbyshire

Pearl-bordered Fritillary and moths

Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

On May 17 I visited local 3 sites and found 9  micro moths. At Climping I found a Sulphur Tubic (Esperia sulphurella).

At Worms Wood Common Nettle-taps (Anthophila fabriciana) on the nettles plus a Red Admiral and several Orange-tips flying along a track.

At Rewell Wood late afternoon I saw 3 Pearl-bordered Fritillaries, a Dark Strawberry Tortrix (Celypha lacunana), a Common Sweep larval case (Psyche casta) and a Brassy Twist (Eulia ministrana). I also found 4 unidentified micro moths.

Climping:

Common Banded Hoverfly, Syrphus ribesii

Common Nettle-tap, Anthophila fabriciana

Garlic Mustard, Alliaria petiolata

Herb Robert, Geranium robertianum

Red Campion, Silene dioica

Sulphur Tubic, Esperia sulphurella

Tree Mallow, Lavatera arborea

Worms Wood:

Dock Bug, Coreus marginatus

Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta

Yellow Pimpernel, Lysimachia nemorum

Rewell Wood:

Brassy Twist, Eulia ministrana

Common Sweep larval case, Psyche casta

Dark Strawberry Tortrix, Celypha lacunana

Grey Sailor Beetle, Cantharis nigricans

Hairy Shieldbug, Dolycoris baccarum

unidentified micro moth

unidentified micro moth

unidentified micro moth

Roe Deer, Capreolus capreolus

weevil, Polydrusus tereticollis

The rare Spurge Marble moth, Brown Argus and Common Blue

Brown Argus, Aricia agestis

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

The recent good weather has given me great moth sightings, including some rarities. Our Littlehampton balcony had Brown House Moth, Rusty Dot Pearl, and Diamond-back Moth which I also saw in Rewell Wood. We had a great invasion of the latter from the continent a couple of years back. Rewell Wood on May 21st had Thistle Bell, Silver-ground Carpet, Drinker larva and the rare Spurge Marble: http://bit.ly/2KNCHFp. 

 Afterwards I visited Kithurst meadow and found a Duke of Burgundy flying at 4:40pm. Also lovely specimens of Brown Argus and Common Blue. Moths seen at the site were Dark Strawberry Tortrix and Plum Tortrix.

Rewell Wood:

Drinker larva, Euthrix potatoria

a sad Peacock, Inachis io 

Roe Deer, Capreolus capreolus

Silver-ground Carpet, Xanthorhoe montanata

Spurge Marble, Lobesia occidentis

Thistle Bell, Epiblema scutulana

White Crab Spider with bee, Misumena vatia

from Wikipedia: 'These spiders may be yellow or white, depending on the flower in which they are hunting. Especially younger females, which may change color "at will".'

Kithurst meadow:

Brown Argus, Aricia agestis

Common Blue, Polyommatus icarus

Common Blue

Common Blue

Cranefly with Red Mites, Trombidium breei

Dark Strawberry Tortrix, Celypha lacunana

Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina

unidentified micro moth

Plum Tortrix, Hedya pruniana

unidentified spider

Wasp Beetle, Clytus arietis

White Crab Spider, Misumena vatia

Littlehampton:

Diamond-back Moth, Plutella xylostella

Brown House Moth, Hofmannophila pseudospretella

Rusty Dot Pearl, Udea ferrugalis

Ichneumon species