Green Hairstreak and Purple Bar

Green Hairstreak, Callophrys rubi

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On Monday I completed my Mill Hill transect with the following results: 15 Adonis Blue, 1 Brimstone, 10 Dingy Skipper, 2 Orange-tip, 12 Small Heath, 1 Grizzled Skipper, 1 Green Hairstreak, 1 Red Admiral, 1 White. Adonis and Small Heaths are building fast, I saw many more Dingies after the transect was completed, including aerial combats. I also saw Mother Shipton, Treble-bar and Purple Bar moths. The slope is getting covered by yellow Horseshoe Vetch, an essential food plant of the Chalkhill Blue, Adonis Blue and Dingy Skipper. A Kestrel  hovered overhead.

photo notes: the Green Hairstreak above was shot into the sun so the colour was forced from the Raw file using Lightroom. Shot with Nikon D90, Sigma 180 macro lens unless otherwise stated.

Adonis Blue, Lysandra bellargus

Dingy Skipper, Erynnis tages
Lumix FZ45

Dingy Skippers mating, Erynnis tages

Dingy Skippers mating, Erynnis tages
Canoon G9, flash

Canon G9

Lumix FZ45

Lumix FZ45

Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus malvae

Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa
Lumix FZ45

Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa
Canon G9

Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus

Mother Shipton, Callistege mi

Purple Bar, Cosmorhoe ocellata

Treble-bar, Aplocera plagiata
Lumix FZ45

view from Mill Hill

Roman Sestertius, a soldier and a Duke

female Orange-tip, Anthocharis cardamines

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On Sunday morning I attended a club dig, and was pleased to find a Sestertius. This Roman bronze coin is 3cm in diameter and weighs 15.6g. The sestertius (semis-tertius) means "2½", the coin's original value in asses. It is a combination of semis "half" and tertius "third", that is, "the third half" (0½ being the first half and 1½ the second half)". An As or Assarius was an early Roman coin.

I also found two tombac buttons and part of a pewter spoon. I saw two Large Red Damselflies land on a hedge. A fly unwisely did a fly-by and paid the price. In the blink of an eye one of the damsels had it and landed on a leaf to consume its morsel. I saw male and female Brimstones, Whites and two Holly Blues, my first of the season, and a Dance Fly.

I then called in at a Duke of Burgundy site and met Neil with little Mia who acted shy but gave me a wave when they left. Apart from the Duke I saw a Grizzled Skipper, female Orange-tip, Speckled Wood, Drab Looper, Speckled Yellow and Treble Bar moths, plus a Soldier beetle.

photos taken with Nikon D90, Sigma 180mm lens unless otherwise stated.

female Large Red Damselfly, Pyrrhosoma nymphula with fly
Lumix FZ45

Dance Fly, Empis tesselata on Garlic mustard, Alliaria petiolata
Canon G9

Dance Fly, Empis tesselata on Garlic mustard, Alliaria petiolata
Canon G9

Drab Looper Minoa murinata on Wood Spurge

Drab Looper Minoa murinata
Canon G9

Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina
Canon G9

Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina
Lumix FZ45

Duke of Burgundy on Bugle
Lumix FZ45

Lumix FZ45

Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina
Lumix FZ45

The front two vestigial legs of this male show well here. The female has six fully functional legs.

Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus malvae

female Orange-tip, Anthocharis cardamines

female Orange-tip, Anthocharis cardamines

female Orange-tip, Anthocharis cardamines

Soldier beetle, Cantharis lateralis

Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria

Speckled Yellow, Pseudopanthera macularia

Speckled Yellow, Pseudopanthera macularia

Treble-bar, Aplocera plagiata

Pearls, Grizzlies and Muslin

Speckled Yellow, Pseudopanthera macularia
Nikon D90, sigma 180mm lens

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On Saturday I returned the Muslin Moth moth to the woodland where I found her. She had laid many eggs at home and when I put her on some bracken she soon started climbing down and underneath a leaf. I hope she had more eggs to lay.

I then headed up the track and met George, a retired bee expert. He informed me there were some Grizzled Skippers back along the side of the track. I located four of these and photographed one nectaring on Bugle. There were many dozens of Pearl-bordered Fritillaries flying around and Speckled Yellow moths everywhere.

female Muslin Moth, Diaphora mendica
Canon G9

postscript - I originally mistook this moth for the similar White Ermine.

Brown Silver-line moth, Petrophora chlorosata
Nikon D90, sigma 180mm lens

Brown Silver-line, Petrophora chlorosata
Canon G9, flash

Grey Gorse Piercer, Cydia ulicetana
Nikon D90, sigma 180mm lens

Green-veined White, Pieris napi nectaring on Bugle
Nikon D90, sigma 180mm lens

Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus malvae on Bugle
Nikon D90, sigma 180mm lens

Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus malvae on Bugle
Nikon D90, sigma 180mm lens

Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne
Nikon D90, sigma 180mm lens

Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne
Nikon D90, sigma 180mm lens

Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne
Nikon D90, sigma 180mm lens

Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne
Nikon D90, sigma 180mm lens

Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne
Lumix FZ45

Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne
Lumix FZ45

Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne, female rejecting male
Nikon D90, sigma 180mm lens

Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne, female rejecting male
Nikon D90, sigma 180mm lens

Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne, female after rejecting male
Nikon D90, sigma 180mm lens

two Speckled Yellows, Pseudopanthera macularia on Bluebell
Nikon D90, sigma 180mm lens

Soldier beetle, Cantharis lateralis on Wood Spurge
Nikon D90, sigma 180mm lens