Fairmile Bottom Pearl

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I visited Fairmile Bottom again yesterday. Sunshine was in short supply but I managed to see a few butterflies and moths: a Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Brimstones, Small Heath, Grizzled Skipper, Hemp-agrimony Plume, Mint Moth, Silver Y, Speckled Yellow.

Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne

Bugle, Ajuga reptans

Burnet Rose Rust, Phragmidium rosae-pimpinellifoliae

Early Purple Orchid, Orchis mascula

Germander Speedwell, Veronica chamaedrys

Germander Speedwell

Green Shieldbug, Palomena prasina

Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus malvae

Hemp-agrimony Plume, Adaina microdactyla

Leaf beetle, possibly Altica species

Mint Moth, Pyrausta aurata

Nettle Weevil, Phyllobius pomaceus

Silver Y, Autographa gamma

Small Heath, Coenonympha pamphilus

Pearl-bordered Fritillary season

Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne

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A return visit to Rewell Wood today proved fruitful as I joined 3 other enthusiasts to witness the orange flying circus that is the Pearl-bordered Fritillary season. They fluttered around a scallop that was created for them a few years ago. It was not necessary to go into the clearing - some settled by the path. Everyone was careful not to trample on the leaf litter which contains the pupae which will emerge soon. I spotted a female Orange-tip attempting to lay on garlic mustard, but couldn't find any eggs. Brimstones also fluttered around.

I then visited Fairmile Bottom where the grazing regime has created large swathes of cowslips.

Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Orange-tip female attempting to lay on Garlic Mustard

Cowslips, at Fairmile Bottom

Deer Tick, Ixodes scapularis

Green-winged Orchid, Anacamptis morio

tiny Hairy Shieldbug, Dolycoris baccarum

Hazel Leaf-roller Weevil, Apoderus coryli

Lesser Celandine, Ranunculus ficaria

Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Pendulous Sedge, Carex pendula

Primroses, Primula vulgaris

Primroses

unidentified sawfly

unidentified sawfly

Wild Strawberry, Fragaria vesca

Bluebell woods and Grey Gorse Piercers

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Today I visited Rewell Wood and found plenty of bluebells, with stitchwort, red campions, garlic mustard, wild strawberry and bugles. A tawny owl flapped across the woodland and a buzzard cruised overhead. I found plenty of the tiny Grey Gorse Piercer moths on the gorse.

Early Mining Bee, Andrena haemorrhoa

Bluebells and Red Campion

bluebells and stitchwort

buzzard

Cuckoo Bees, Nomada species

garlic mustard

Grey Gorse Piercer, Cydia ulicetana

Grey Gorse Piercer

Grey Gorse Piercer

primroses

red campion

ride widened for Pearl-bordered Fritillary butterflies

wild strawberry

Butterflies on cowslip meadow

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I visited Kithurst meadow this morning and was delighted to see 9 species of butterflies: Peacock, Speckled Wood, Orange-tip, Dingy Skipper, Holly Blue, Common Blue female, Brown Argus, Small Heath and Small Blue. The cowslips were wonderful.

Brown Argus, Aricia agestis

Common Blue female, Polyommatus icarus

Cowslips

Dingy Skipper, Erynnis tages

Forget-me-nots, Myosotis species 

Peacock, Inachis io

Small Blue, Cupido minimus

Small Heath, Coenonympha pamphilus

Wood Violet, Viola riviniana