Tuesday 16th. August 2011

Just a quick post on the results of the Dormouse and Reptile survey carried out today , up on the Greensand Ridge , with assistance from fellow blogger Phil/Sharp by Nature and fellow nature enthusiast Terry Laws . As things turned out , the extra hands were well used , and appreciated .

Dormice over the two sites amounted to 6 adults , 4 of which were mothers with young . We had almost all stages of development of the youngsters , 3 a few days old , still hairless and eyes still closed . 3 with hair but still with eyes closed . 3 with eyes open and with a good week or more to go before they left the box , pictured . And finally 4 four that almost exploded out of their box when the lid was removed like 'Jack-in-the-Boxes' , and will probably leave the box any time now . In all a total of 19 animals , which was where the extra hands came in very useful . The only other occupants of the boxes were several Copper Underwing moths .

The Reptile survey produced 4 Adders , 2 adult females , one pictured , one adult male , and this immature male .

A couple of interesting plants were found on the way round , the first being what I think is a white form of Common Hemp-nettle/Galeopsis tetrahit , the usual form being pinkish purple .But , as ever , I stand to be corrected . The other one looked like a white form of Bittersweet/Solanum dulcamara , but I believe it to be Black Nightshade/Solanum nigrum , another first for me .

All in all , a great day with great company .

Monday 15th. August 2011

As I set off this morning , I wondered if it would take one , two or three sites to find the elusive Brown Hairstreak . My first stop was at the site of one of the railway lines that was axed by a certain Dr. , many years ago . Now known as the Downs Link , and still lined with Blackthorn bushes , I arrived at what would have been the forecourt in brilliant sunshine . No sooner had I got out of the car , a Bullfinch flew over calling , and perched some distance away . I reached for the camera and moved forward , quite expecting the bird to fly off before I took a few steps , but it didn't . I got as close as I could , and after some preening , the bird even came more out into the open , as if wanting me to take a shot in all it's glory . But , I had other species on my mind , and set off searching the Blackthorn bushes along the way . On the sunny side of the track , the temperature was already around 20C. , but very few butterflies were seen . Even a large area of Common Fleabane/Pulicaria dysenterica , reputedly loved by butterflies , failed to attract a single specimen . A lot of walking later , not a single sighting of a BH , and just the odd Common Blue , Sm.Copper , Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper were seen . In a small garden near the coach that houses a display of the golden years of the old line , I got distracted by two , maybe three Hornets that were trying to make a meal from the many insects feeding on the flowers . I was amazed by the ease that the smaller insects evaded the attempts of the Hornets , and consequently , how much effort the Hornets were putting into attempting to catch their meals . Also in the garden , Evening Primrose/Oenothera biennis , and a fruit tree that is not seen much these days ,

Medlar . After over three hours without a sighting , I set off for my second site , still with the weather holding , but with the minus of being quite noisy . More searching of Blackthorn , along the banks of a small river . Whilst in a small glade , along the bank , I met a couple out walking . They asked what I was photographing , and when I said butterflies , they told me that they had just joined Butterfly Conservation . We chatted butterflies , and just as they were about to go on their way , a small orangey butterfly flitted down and landed on some Bramble fruits . A quick look and it was camera out . I got just four shots , and it was off again . I never saw the topwing , but I think this pristine specimen was a female . The couple left well happy having seen their first BH . Carrying on searching , I came across this tiny yellow and black Ladybird . It is a 22-spot Ladybird/Psyllobora 22-punctata . Also found feeding on the umbellifers was the large hoverfly Volucella zonaria . Before long , the wind picked up and that brought in the cloud , but short bright periods still managed to shine through , and it was in one of these , as I was making my way back to the car , when I saw what I thought was a moth landing on a stand of Creeping Thistle . A closer look confirmed that it was in fact a second BH , this one quite worn , and after this one being chased off by a wasp , a possible third specimen arrived a few minutes later . This one had it's own way of dealing with the wind , whilst it nectared on the flower heads . Just before leaving the Thistles , I noticed a fly that reminder me in colour of the ground beetles found yesterday , black and orange . I've had a quick look at some images , and am leaning towards the family Tachinidae , the family that Rob/The Living Isle , has been doubling up on in a recent post . Any other suggestions would be appreciated .

Tomorrow , Dormice and Reptile Survey , up on the Greensand Ridge , with guest surveyor , Phil/Sharp by Nature .

Sunday 14th. August 2011

After an early visit to the local tip followed by helping a friend with a job , I headed off up on the Downs to see if I could find any evidence of breeding amongst the Adder population , now that the females should have given birth to their live youngsters by now . It wasn't long before I found my first Adder , a male , curled up on the side of an ant hill . He saw/scented me first though , and before I could lift the camera , he was off into the vegetation behind . Being in no rush , I sat down and waited , and after a few minutes , he slowly made his way back . Once he had settled , I slowly made my way without disturbing him again . Some 10/15 minutes later , I came across a refugia , and on top were two male and one female Adder , but before I could get a shot off , the Grass Snake that was already on the move , disappeared into the vegetation on the right . The female is front left , with the two males to the back . Another female , a very striking specimen , was found further on , and not to be outdone , a striking male posed for a portrait .In all , 11 Adders , but not a single new born were found , along with 3 Grass Snakes , 7 Slow Worms , and this Common Lizard , which seems to have made it's home in a joint in a kissing gate . The same kissing gate provided a close up of this Robber Fly of the Asilidae family , a nasty piece of business if ever there was one . It catches it's prey with those long legs , injects a concoction into it , which starts to break down the tissues , them sucks up it's meal like having a milk shake . Still plenty of colour around , and just starting to add to it are the Autumn Gentians / Gentianella amarella . They will soon be joined by swathes of similarly coloured Devilsbit Scabious / Succisa pratensis , a member of the Teasel family . Most are still in tight bud form as above , but , in a couple of sheltered corners , I found a few specimens that had already flowered . As normal , I did a butterfly count on the way round , and was well pleased with the final total of 12 species recorded on the day . The most numerous species were Meadow Brown , and with one more counted , Chalkhill Blue . Once again , Brown Argus showed very well with 36 recorded . I thought I was going to get a shot of a mating pair when these two were found , but obviously the male , behind , was doing something wrong , as the female suddenly flew off , leaving the male looking somewhat lost . Only 6 Speckled Woods recorded , but this one was getting stuck into Autumn's harvest , feeding on ripe Bramble fruit . Almost at the end of the visit , I turned over a piece of wood , and found two of these beetles feeding on a dead Slow Worm . I remember finding one once before , but never managed a shot that time . I got a few this time , but once disturbed , all they wanted to do was to dig themselves into the ground to get away from my intrusion into their world . When I got home and searched on Google , I got very excited with a report of a rare beetle , looking very similar , being found after not being seen for 50 years . But , it was not to be , as that one lived in Fens and ate water snails , but it was a relation . From what I can make out , it is a ground beetle , Panagaeus bipustalatus , without a common name . From what I have read , it is normally nocturnal , so I was lucky finding these two during the day . The rare relation has the grand name P. crux major , the crux for the black cross on it's markings , and the major for being larger .

Very quiet for bird today , with the only unusual event being a skein of Geese , flying over noisily. I estimated 50ish at the time , and when I enlarged the shot on the computer , they turned out to be 48 Greylags .

Saturday 13th. August 2011

After taking Carol shopping , the drizzle stopped and the skies lightened , so I had an hour up on the Common before lunch . I headed straight for the heathland area , and was welcomed by the Heather/Calluna vulgaris and the Bell Heather/Erica cinerea both in flower , and the aroma that they provided was heady . That aroma had attracted a host of insects , the most numerous of which were Honey Bees , like the one pictured , filling their pollen sacks before heading back to their hives . Many of the Buckthorn bushes looked like they had been damaged with their branches lying horizontal on the ground , but it was the weight of the berries that had brought them into such positions . Around the edges of the heathland I found several specimens of Golden Rod/Solidago virgaurea , looking very different from the Canadian version that the White-letter Hairstreaks were nectaring on at High Elms . Also found , amongst the Heather , a few patches of Dwarf Gorse/Ulex minor , easy to pick out at the present time , as it's larger relation U.europaeus is not in flower , and is obviously much larger . A few butterflies were recorded , but nothing special .

After lunch , with the weather still holding , I set off for Burnt Gorse at High Elms . As is often the way , cloud closed in , but it was still very humid . As I entered Burnt Gorse the lime loving Carline Thistle/Carlina vulgaris , a member of the Daisy family was found , at present with green leaves , and a flower that looks as if it had already gone over , but was in full flower . Soon the leaves will match the flower . Just four Silver-washed Fritillaries were recorded , three males in reasonable condition , and this female that couldn't be so described . Three very fresh Brimstones , all males , were found arguing over nectaring rights , when there were enough flowers to satisfy 300 . The Hemp Agrimony around the site did not produce any White-letter Hairstreak sightings , nor did the Canadian Golden Rod , but the former did attract 2 Comma and 2 Peacock butterflies . The last three species will not mate this year , as they will over-winter as adults , and will mate when they emerge to the warmth of the sun next Spring , hopefully .

Thursday 11th. August 2011

A catch up on the last three days will not take long , but a few bits of interest were found . On Tuesday , up on the Greensand Ridge , whilst strimming a footpath , I found what I think is Common Hemp Nettle/Galeopsis angustifolia , but would be pleased to hear if that is a wrong ID . At the end of the footpath , in a damp shady area , Touch-Me-Not Balsam/Impatiens noli-tangere was also found . Well named , as like other Balsams , any thing or person brushing against a seed pod , would cause it to explode , throwing the contents some distance , and ensuring the spread of the species .

Yesterday was a chainsaw re-fresher course , and obviously little wildlife stayed around the area . But a few very tatty Silver-washed Fritillaries visited the Hemp Agrimony growing in the glade that was bathed in sunshine for most of the day . Not the greatest of conditions for being kitted up in protective equipment , but at least it's done for another three years .

Today after a dull, windy and cool morning , the afternoon didn't get much better , but I had to get out for an hour , so set off for the Farm lake . Nothing new on the water , but the owner told me that up to three Cormorants have been seen . That could sort out the Rudd problem . There was nothing to be found in the exposed areas , but , where there was some protection from the wind , I thought I had found the male of the 'odd Wasp' found on the last visit , but it turned out to be Ichneumon suspiciosus . Apart from one Large White , the only species seen was Gatekeeper , with several females found sheltering . I did find a small aberrant male , but nothing like the specimen I failed to find at Hutchinson's Bank recently . Lots of hoverflies were seen , mainly Marmalade/Episyrphus balteatus , but I did spot one individual which I don't think I have comes across before , Sphaerophoria scripta . Apologies for the shot , but the vegetation was mobile at the time . The last one , I'm not sure about , but am hoping that it is Eristalis horticola , but as always , I stand to be corrected .