Petersfield Heath wildfowl, butterflies and moths

Small Tortoiseshell, Aglais urticae

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

I visited Petersfield Heath on Monday, the first time I have walked around this nature reserve. I enjoyed the variety of habitats: woodland, some patches of heath among the grassland and the lakeside. The wildfowl had young: Canada Geese, Egyptian Geese and Mallards. I found a Dingy Flat-body moth larva on Hemlock Water-dropwort by the lake. A Small Tortoiseshell landed on brambles and a Small Tortoiseshell pupa hung from a heath stem. A Painted Lady flew by in a hurry, Large Skippers appeared and Meadow Browns fluttered everywhere in the grassland. Speckled Woods landed on bracken in the woodland areas. Other moths seen: Nettle-tap, Garden Grass-veneer and a Straw Dot. A Dusky Cockroach showed itself.

Canada Geese, Branta canadensis and
Egyptian Geese, goslings, Alopochen aegyptiacus 

Common Nettle-tap, Anthophila fabriciana

Cytisus scoparius seed pods

Dingy Flat-body moth larva, Depressaria daucella feeding on
Hemlock Water-dropwort, Oenanthe crocata

Dingy Flat-body moth larva feeding on
Hemlock Water-dropwort

Dusky Cockroach, Ectobius lapponicus

Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea

Garden Grass-veneer, Chrysoteuchia culmella

Hedge Woundwort, Stachys sylvatica

Large Skipper, Ochlodes sylvanus

Mallard, ducklings, Anas platyrhynchos

Small Tortoiseshell pupa, Aglais urticae

Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria

Straw Dot, Rivula sericealis

Viper's Bugloss, Echium vulgare

Silver-studded Blues and moths

Silver-studded Blue male, Plebejus argus

to view a gallery  with more photos, click here

On Sunday I visited Stedham and Iping Commons to see the Silver-studded Blues and find some moths. The SSBs were seen in both commons but all were males until I found one female on Iping Common. I was told that mating pairs were seen early in the morning. On the moth front I saw  Clouded Buffs, Common Heaths, Common Waves, Peacocks, an Inlaid Grass-veneer, a Four-dotted Footman and a Marbled White Spot.

Clouded Buff, Diacrisia sannio

Common Heath, Ematurga atomaria

Common Wave, Cabera exanthemata

Dock Bugs mating, Coreus marginatus

Four-dotted Footman, Cybosia mesomella

Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea

Inlaid Grass-veneer, Crambus pascuella

Iping Common

Marbled White Spot, Deltote pygarga

Peacock Moth, Macaria notata

Silver-studded Blue female, Plebejus argus

Silver-studded Blue male

Silver-studded Blue male

Stonechat, Saxicola torquata

Tormentil, Potentilla erecta

Wild rose, Rosa species

Ditchling Common Black Hairstreak and moths

Black Hairstreak, Satyrium pruni

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

Yesterday I visited Ditchling Common and met other butterfly enthusiasts waiting for the Black Hairstreaks to appear. I was lucky, Trevor spotted a pristine one which had come down to roost on bracken and everyone got their shots. I found 8 species of moths and a new leaf beetle - Donacia semicuprea on a reed, plus other invertebrates.

 Afterwards I headed to Cuckmere River for a Sussex Search  & Rescue training evening and my deployment gave my team a wonderful view of the Cuckmere Valley.

Black Slug, Arion ater agg.

Brown Silver-line, Petrophora chlorosata

Clouded Border, Lomaspilis marginata

Cocksfoot Moth, Glyphipterix simpliciella

Coleophora species

Common Marble, Celypha lacunana

Common Nettle-tap, Anthophila fabriciana

Ditchling Common

Ditchling Common

Green Oak Tortrix, Tortrix viridana 

Green Oak Tortrix on oak trunk

ladybird

leaf beetle, Donacia semicuprea

Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria

spider

White-legged Damselfly male, Platycnemis pennipes

Yellow-barred Longhorn, Nemophora degeerella 

Yellow-barred Longhorn