Monday 17th. June 2013

An unexpected brighter spell this afternoon , though still windy , so I had a visit up on the Common . I had the place to myself , so was able to take my time having a good look around .

On the heathland area , Common Green Shieldbug / Palomena prasina .

Several migrant SilverY day flying moths .

Another day fling moth , the Beautiful Yellow Underwing , the yellow just showing halfway down the abdomen . Personally , I think it should be renamed , the Joseph moth .

Adult Brimstones were recorded , and the next generation is growing , very quickly .

The warmer temperature seemed to encourage a hatch of Garden Chafer / Phyllopertha melolontha .

Also scurrying around amongst the ground vegetation another black and yellow insect , this time the longhorn Wasp Beetle / Clytus arietis . It kept climbing up the vegetation and trying to take off , but

landing within a metre .

I decided to give it a helping hand , or should that be finger .

Harmless to us , but to a small meal ?

A total of 11 Small Heaths were recorded , including two females , one pictured . The females are larger than the males and don't get involved in the aerial battles , they just wait for the successful male to come to them .

In one of the glades , the first recorded Small Copper for the site this year . Obviously very recently emerged , but already damaged . Could have been caused by the recent high winds .

Just before getting back to the car , another Black-tailed Skimmer . From this angle would suggest an immature male , going by the anal appendage and the short segment 10 .