Monday 28th. May 2012

Well , the recurring problem with the car cropped up again last Thursday at Ashdown Forest , but the garage couldn't look at it till this morning . The news was not good , I am just waiting to find out how much the parts will be and how hard the repair bill will hit my back pocket . Anyway , leaving the garage I decided to have a look at a couple of reptile sites . The first , a reasonably new one to me , was still in shadow when I arrived , but that soon changed as the sun got up above the surrounding trees . But that did not make any difference to the reptiles , as I did not find a single one . The visit

turned into another insect search , finding some old friends like the Mint Beetle / Chrysolina menthastri (pictured) ,correct ID is Cryptocephalus aureolus or hypochaerides , thanks very much Greg , the first appearance of the 'Thick leg' Beetles and several Harlequin Ladybirds , along with three species that I am struggling with ID for , but more of them later . Beginning to feel like I've forgotten what an Adder looks like , I moved on to the Greensand Ridge . Whilst looking for reptiles , I also checked the Dormouse boxes , expecting as usual at this time of

year , that a good number would be occupied by Tits . And so it turned out , with some boxes still

with eggs , some with very young chicks , and many where the family had fledged already . It was in one such box that I found the first of two Dormice found on site , a male who hadn't even bothered to put in any leaves , just sleeping on the moss and feathers supplied by the previous occupants , the Blue Tits . He did however become very active , very quickly , when I slid the roof over . A juvenile

Grass Snake was the first reptile found , with another two found later on . By the time I found the first Adder , the temperature was well into the 20sC , but it was found under a corrugated metal

sheet , and heavens only knows what the temperature was under there . About two thirds round , it was nice to get out in the open around the edge of the lake , where , in the shallows , large Carp were spawning in good numbers .Lots of damselflies in the vegetation , a single male Banded Demoiselle

blew past me on the wind and my first Broad Bodied Chaser of the year , a male sat out in the Yellow Flag Irises . I had only taken my old camera with me , so when I pointed it at a male Downy Emerald that stopped for a split second near me , I didn't expect the finished article to be in

the frame , never mind reasonably clear . I probably should mention that all but one of the other attempts did evade the viewfinder . On the way to the next refugia , a migrant day flying moth landed

in the grass in front of me , the SilverY , no doubt glad to have got away from the Euro crisis , and a

bit further on , a home grown species , a Small Copper , a female from the size of the individual . The second Dormouse came almost at the end of the visit , and this one couldn't be bothered with any

bedding either , but he didn't have an old nest to get his head down on either , but he was quieter than the first one and just sat with the roof off the box whilst I got a shot . The second Adder , another

male , was much more camera shy than the first , staying well tucked up in thick vegetation . Only

other interest found on site was a predated Pheasant's egg , looks like the work of a Corvid to me , and four Speckled Woods , the first I've seen for a while . And finally , three ID's required ,

Yet another red and black species , about the size of a ladybird . Now IDd as Cryptocephalus bipunctatus or biguttatus , both of which are rare . Thanks to Greg .

Just about as drab as the previous one was colourful . Now IDd as Dascillus cervinus .

Many thanks to Phil / Sharp by Nature for identifying this one as one of the Click Beetles Athous Haemorroidalis ,  apparantly abundant - piles of them ! His joke , not mine . Cheers Phil .

And finally , an unusually shaped specimen . I'm still looking , but any suggestions would be appreciated .