Thursday 4th. July 2013

Got out yesterday and today , even though the weather wasn't brilliant . Had a look around Burnt Gorse and the Orchid Bank yesterday , and apart from finding the first site Ringlet , found these few bits of interest ,

for the second year running , we seem to have been invaded by the Dutch , to be precise , Dutchmen's Pipes , Yellow Birdsnest / Monotropa hypopitys . I counted well over 100 of these saprophytes , which feed on decaying matter , do not contain chlorophyll , hence their straw colouring . If last year was anything to go by , this is just the start of the invasion .

Another of the large hoverflies was found , this time Volucella bombylans .

On the Orchid Bank I found four more Fly Orchids , and was surprised to find two of them still in flower .

Close by , a Green-legged Sawfly was giving me a menacing look .

And even though Summer hasn't started , fungi like this Larch Bolete / Suillus grevillei , is making things look Autumnal .
Today I did the bird survey at Down House , and finished with a respectable , for the site , 23 species .Only migrant recorded was a Blackcap , but it was good to find Skylark , Bullfinch and Yellowhammer on the visit . On the butterfly side , I was hoping for Marbled White , Dark Green Fritillary or Small Copper , but finished up with just Meadow Browns and Ringlets .

The moth Yellow Shell was found tucked down in the grass .

In the Sandwalk woodland , 6 Violet Helleborines were found , hopefully more will have emerged on my next visit . No sign yet of last year's robust specimen .

At the bottom of the large meadow , a female Roe Deer jumped from the long grass as I approached , but just after the cricket ground , I found this male grazing . I only had the 100mm. lens with me , so I

got as close as I could before I took this shot . A split second after the shutter went , so did he , barking back at me once he was in cover .

A look in at Keston Ponds on the way home found Downy Emerald , Emperor , Black-tailed Skimmer , and Red-eyed (pictured) , Azure , Common Blue and Large Red Damselflies . Fish were still spawning , I think they were Tench this time .

After lunch , a look around a very quiet Common , did find this Robber Fly / Asilidae-Laphriinae sp. having his . Just Brimstone , Meadow Brown , Small Heath and Common Blue on the wing , and several more Brimstone caterpillars were found , but still no chrysalis .

A different colour amongst the grass in the glades with this pink form of Yarrow / Achillea ptarmica , a member of the Daisy family .