Adonis Blues make a comeback

Adonis Blues mating, Polyommatus bellargus

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

Yesterday I took advantage of the sunny weather to do my Mill Hill transect: Adonis Blue 55, Brimstone 7, Common Blue 2, Dingy Skipper 7, Grizzled Skipper 3, Peacock 4, Red Admiral, Small Heath 12, Speckled Wood, Wall 2. This was the best Adonis count in May since 2012. I also found the following moths: Common Nettle-tap, Plum Tortrix, Silver Y, Cinnabar (Tyria jacobaeae), Common Carpet, Treble-bar plus male and female Azure Damselflies. I then headed to Kithurst meadow and saw Duke of Burgundies, Dingy Skippers, a Carrion Moth and a Satin Grass-veneer. The past two evenings we have been visited by Shuttle-Shaped Darts and a Bright-line Brown-eye.

May 15:

Bright-line Brown-eye, Lacanobia oleracea

Bright-line Brown-eye

Shuttle-Shaped Dart, Agrotis puta

Mill Hill, May 16:

Azure Damselfly ♀, Coenagrion puella

Azure Damselfly ♂

Common Nettle-tap, Anthophila fabriciana

Plum Tortrix, Hedya pruniana

Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria

Kithurst meadow:

Carrion Moth, Monopis weaverella

Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina

Satin Grass-veneer, Crambus perlella

Snail-killing fly, Trypetoptera punctulata

Littlehampton:

Shuttle-Shaped Dart