a Mandarin and a Duke with Purple and gold

Mandarin duck, Aix galericulata

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Another trip to the Green Longhorn site this morning paid dividends. Cloud cover was total, but there were plenty of insects on the Wood Spurge. Then a warm glow covered the glade and immediately the Green Longhorn moths appeared and swarmed on a few spurges. I headed to the top meadow and started a search for the elusive Duke of Burgundy. Blue patches of sky drifted in from the north and after five minutes a Duke landed right in front of me. It was a large specimen in pristine condition.

The blue sky disappeared after ten minutes so I headed into Arundel and a walk along the river produced some interesting wildfowl, including a Mandarin Duck.

Ant

unidentified Bee

Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina

various unidentified flies:

St. Mark's Fly, Bibio marci, male

Garden snail, Helix aspersa

Green Longhorn moth, Adela reaumurella, female 

Green Longhorn moth, Adela reaumurella, male

Green Longhorn moth, Adela reaumurella, male

Green Longhorn moth, Adela reaumurella, male

Green Longhorn moth, Adela reaumurella, male

Green Longhorn moths, Adela reaumurella, males

Green Longhorn moths, Adela reaumurella, male

Common Carpet moth, Epirrhoe alternata

Common Carpet moth, Epirrhoe alternata

Small Purple and Gold moth, Pyrausta aurata 

Round-mouthed Snail, Pomatias elegans

Seven-spot ladybird, Coccinella septempunctata

Arundel river:

Horse Chestnut in bloom

female Mallard

male Mallard

Moorhen

Moorhen and chick

Mute Swan with me in retreat

unidentified duck on left, female Mallard on right

unidentified duck