Damselflies at Highdown Gardens

Large Red Damselfly, Pyrrhosoma nymphula

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

Yesterday we had a walk round Highdown Gardens which is always lovely, especially at this time of the year. It has a wonderful variety of garden habitats with a worldwide collection of flowering trees and plants. My favourite spot is the pond which had plenty of damselflies, with many mating pairs - Common Blue and Large Red Damselflies.

  Last week we had a Nut-Tree Tussock moth (Colocasia coryli) on our balcony and yesterday two pugs: a Channel Islands Pug (Eupithecia ultimaria) and a Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata).

Common Blue Damselfly, Enallagma cyathigerum

Large Red Damselflies mating, Pyrrhosoma nymphula

Large Red Damselfly

Large Red Damselfly

Marmalade Hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus

Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta

Nut-Tree Tussock, Colocasia coryli

Nut-Tree Tussock

Channel Islands Pug, Eupithecia ultimaria

Common Pug, Eupithecia vulgata

Celtic Ring Money and a Derbyshire visit

On Thursday I attended a dig near Whitchurch, Hants and was delighted to find a rare artefact, a piece of Celtic gold Ring Money weighing 3.88g. This will go through the Treasure Process with my FLO (Finds Liaison Officer). I also found a gilt Georgian watch winder (18th C).

Georgian watch winder

I then drove to Buxton to attend a dig in Derbyshire. While there I visited the Buxton museum to attend an exhibition of Hoards found in Britain, a fascinating experience. I took photos of the exhibits: https://www.colinknightimages.com/Blog-slideshows/2019/Hoards-a-hidden-history-of-ancient-Britain-at-Buxton-museum/ I also visited Aunt Bea and we had a lovely Italian meal at a local restaurant. The metal detecting was disappointing so I came home early and attended a local dig and found a Roman grot (grotty copper coin).

Derbyshire views:

I think this is a Light Knot Grass larva (Acronicta menyanthidis). I found it on a dry stone wall.

Field Pansy, Viola arvensis in Sussex

Dukes, Dingies & Blues at Kithurst meadow

Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

On Wednesday I visited Kithurst meadow and met Mark, Katrina, Mavis & Alan and others to view the emerging Duke of Burgundy butterflies. Others seen: mating Dingy Skippers, mating Common Blues, Green-veined White, Holly Blues, Green Hairstreaks, Brimstone, Brown Argus. Moths: Common Carpet, Dark Strawberry Tortrix plus a Rove beetle (Aleochara lanuginosa), and a 14-spot Ladybird.

14-spot Ladybird, Propylea 14-punctata

Brimstone, Gonepteryx rhamni

Brown Argus, Aricia agestis

Common Blues mating, Polyommatus icarus

Common Carpet, Epirrhoe alternata

Cowslip, Primula veris

Dark Strawberry Tortrix, Celypha lacunana

Dingy Skipper, Erynnis tages

Dingy Skippers mating

Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina

Duke of Burgundy

Duke of Burgundy

Green Hairstreak, Callophrys rubi

Green-veined White, Pieris napi

Holly Blue, Celastrina argiolus

Rove beetle, Aleochara lanuginosa

Woods Mill walk and a new moth

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

On Monday we wandered round Woods Mill Nature Reserve and enjoyed the variety of habitats, flowers and creatures. We had a new moth on our balcony: White-shouldered House-moth (Endrosis sarcitrella).

Druce's Crane's-bill, Geranium. x oxonianum (Geranium endressii x versicolor) 

Druce's Crane's-bill

Red Campion, Silene dioica

Red-and-black Froghopper, Cercopis vulnerata

Slow-worm, Anguis fragilis

White-shouldered House-moth, Endrosis sarcitrella

White-shouldered House-moth

Green Tigers mating, Orange-tips laying

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

A walk in Rewell wood yesterday was very rewarding: an Orange-tip laying an egg on garlic mustard, Brown Argus, Dingy Skippers, Grizzled Skippers, Pearl-bordered Fritillaries, Whites, Speckled Wood, Common Blues. moths seen: Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata), Speckled Yellows, Treble Bar and a tiny Longhorn which I am in the process of identifying. A bonus was a pair of Green Tiger Beetles mating and a Wasp Beetle.

Green Tiger Beetles mating, Cicindela campestris

Bird's-foot Trefoil, Lotus corniculatus

Brown Argus, Aricia agestis

Bugle, Ajuga reptans

Columbine, Aquilegia vulgaris

Columbine

Common Blue, Polyommatus icarus

Cucumber Green Spider, Araniella species

Dingy Skipper, Erynnis tages

Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea

Germander Speedwell, Veronica chamaedrys

Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus malvae

Ground Ivy, Glechoma hederacea

Hairy Shieldbug, Dolycoris baccarum

Harlequin Ladybird, Harmonia axyridis

Herb Robert, Geranium robertianum

Lesser Stitchwort, Stellaria graminea

Orange-tip egg, Anthocharis cardamines on Garlic Mustard, Alliaria petiolata

Orange-tip egg

male Orange-tip, Anthocharis cardamines

Orange-tip laying egg on Garlic Mustard

Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne on Bugle

Scarlet Pimpernel, Anagallis arvensis

Silver-ground Carpet, Xanthorhoe montanata

Speckled Yellow, Pseudopanthera macularia

Treble-bar, Aplocera plagiata

Wasp Beetle, Clytus arietis

Wild Strawberry, Fragaria vesca

Yellow Archangel, Lamium galeobdolon

Long-horn moth