Dukes, Knot Grass and a Garden Midget

Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

I made my second butterfly trip of the year yesterday afternoon, to Kithurst meadow. There were plenty of Brimstones, Green-veined Whites & Orange-tips plus a Holly Blue, a Red Admiral, 3 Duke of Burgundies, Dingy Skippers and some moths: Cinerous Pearls & Common Carpets. A Kestrel hovered overhead.

 The moth season is gathering pace on our Littlehampton balcony. Last night I had 5 species: another Narrow-winged Grey plus Brown House Moth, Garden Midget, Knot Grass and Light Brown Apple Moth.

Cinerous Pearl, Anania fuscalis

Common Carpet, Epirrhoe alternata

Dingy Skipper, Erynnis tages

Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina

Germander Speedwell, Veronica chamaedrys

Green Lacewing, Chrysopa perla

Green-veined White, Pieris napi

Orange-tip, Anthocharis cardamines

balcony moths:

Brown House Moth, Hofmannophila pseudospretella

Garden Midget, Phyllonorycter messaniella

Knot Grass, Acronicta rumicis

Light Brown Apple Moth, Epiphyas postvittana

Narrow-winged Grey, Eudonia angustea

Balcony moths and a garden event

Brimstone Moth, Opisthograptis luteolata

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

Moths are starting to appear on our balcony now that warm weather has returned. I had a Brimstone Moth (above), Yellow-backed Clothes Moth and a Narrow-winged Grey during the past few days.

 On Saturday morning Aunt Bea and Jackie joined me at the Murray Downland Trust annual garden event. This is held in the renowned sculptor Philip Jackson's garden at Cocking. It was very enjoyable, many new sculptures were in the garden and delicious cakes were consumed and bought for later. I purchased some thrift plants for the balcony as they should survive the salty south westerlies, we'll see.

 On Saturday afternoon I had a SusSAR call-out and headed to Haywards Heath to join the search for a vulnerable missing person.

 Sunday was a club detecting day, nothing exciting found by anyone, my best finds were a George V 1920 shilling and a Tudor buckle.

Yellow-backed Clothes Moth

Narrow-winged Grey, Eudonia angustea

Murray Downland Trust garden event:

 

forest bird feeder in East Sussex

metal detecting finds

Burbage Brook and a Grey Wagtail

Burbage Brook

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

While the 'girls' were doing their writers retreat in Sheffield I visited the Longshaw Estate in Derbyshire on April 20th and followed the Burbage Brook, one of my favourite walks. The bilberries were in flower and I photographed a grey wagtail, frog, song thrush and a stonefly.

Bilberries, Vaccinium myrtillus

Bilberry flowers

Burbage Brook

Common Frog, Rana temporaria

Grey Wagtail, Motacilla cinerea

Grey Wagtail

Grey Wagtail

Longshaw Estate

Song Thrush, Turdus philomelos

stonefly