Grizzlies and a Speckled Yellow

Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus malvae

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

Yesterday morning we visited Arundel WWT where we had lunch and I took some videos.  Click to a title view:

  Water Vole feeding

  female Mallard preening

  nesting Mute Swan with Sedge Warbler calling

  nesting mute Swan with Cuckoo and Sedge Warbler calling

In the afternoon I visited Rewell Wood and found 3 fresh Grizzled Skippers and two in one area were continually meeting and fighting. The Wood Spurge was home to dozens of Small Purple and Gold micromoths and Hairy Shieldbugs. Other butterflies seen: Green-veined Whites, Orange-tip, Peacocks, Brimstones, Speckled Wood. I found my second Speckled Yellow moth of the year. On my way home I stopped at Lobbs Wood and found three of the local population of Speckled Woods.

Hairy-footed Flower Bee, Anthophora plumipes

Green-veined White, Pieris napi

Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus malvae on Bugle

Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus malvae

Hairy Shieldbug, Dolycoris baccarum

7-spot Ladybird, Coccinella 7-punctata on Wood Spurge

tiny 14-spot Ladybird, Propylea 14-punctata (3mm)

micromoth - id needed please!

Small Purple and Gold, Pyrausta aurata

Small Purple and Gold micromoths, Pyrausta aurata,
on Wood Spurge, Euphorbia amygdaloides

Small Purple and Gold, Pyrausta aurata

Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria

Speckled Yellow, Pseudopanthera macularia

Woodruff, Galium odoratum

Dukes and Brimstone courtship

Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

Yesterday morning a visit to a local Duke of Burgundy site failed to find any, but an afternoon visit to Kithurst Meadow provided two fresh Duke of Burgundy butterflies, a Dingy Skipper, a Burnet Companion, Green-veined Whites and a Peacock.  Two male Brimstones were trying to persuade a female to succumb to their charms. Bluebells and Early Purple Orchids were in flower and the meadow is covered with cowslips. Neil and young Mia joined me and we watched a Duke resting on the grass until it flew up to roost in the trees at around 3:45pm.

Bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta

Brimstone courtship with 2 males, Gonepteryx rhamni

female Brimstone receiving attention from two males

Ray Cannon has published an interesting article about "wing walking" behaviour: https://rcannon992.com/2019/07/31/courting-brimstones-wing-walking/

Brimstone roosting under leaf - well camouflaged

Bugle, Ajuga reptans

Burnet Companion, Euclidia glyphica

Dingy Skipper, Erynnis tages

Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina

Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina

Early Purple Orchid, Orchis mascula

a Nomad bee, possibly Nomada flava

There are over 25 species of cuckoo bees in the UK. They are cleptoprasites of Andrena bees in whose nests they lay their eggs. Their larvae kill the eggs and larva of the host bee and eat their pollen stores. Thanks to Jamie for the id.

mushroom - id needed!

Green-veined White, Pieris napi on Bugle

Green-veined White, Pieris napi

Purple and Gold, pearls and a rainbow

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

On Thursday I visited Rewell Wood where I found a Small Purple and Gold micromoth, a Speckled Wood and a Red-tailed Cuckoo Bumblebee. The female bee takes over the nest of a Red-tailed Bumblebee and assumes the role of the queen.

On Saturday at Kithurst Meadow I found a micromoth, Falseuncaria ruficiliana and a few Green-veined whites. At Rewell Wood there were plenty of Pearl-bordered Fritillaries and Early Purple Orchids were flowering and I saw my first Speckled Yellow of the year.

In the evening we spotted a rainbow out to sea with a kite surfer dancing in front of it.

Rewell Wood:

Small Purple and Gold, Pyrausta aurata

female Red-tailed Cuckoo Bumblebee, Bombus rupestris

female Red-tailed Cuckoo Bumblebee, Bombus rupestris

Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria

Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria

Kithurst Meadow:

Cowslip, Primula veris

bowl by Kithurst Meadow with Cowslips

Saturday at Rewell Wood:

Bracket fungus with snail

Bugle, Ajuga reptans

Early Purple Orchid, Orchis mascula

Early Purple Orchid, Orchis mascula

fungus, id needed

Kithurst Meadow:

Cowslips, Primula veris

micromoth, Falseuncaria ruficiliana

micro grasshopper (1 cm)

Green-veined White, Pieris napi

Hairy Shieldbug, Dolycoris baccarum

hoverfly

micro beetles mating

female St. Mark's Fly, Bibio marci

This fly emerges around St. Mark's Day, 25 May.

Rewell Wood:

Bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta

Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne

Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne

Pheasant egg, Phasianus colchicus

Primrose, Primula vulgaris