The temperature was already 16C when I parked up in the Golf Course car park , and crossed over into the conservation field side . Almost immediately I recorded a Red Admiral , and from it's jizz , a probable female looking to oviposit , but I could not get near enough for a shot and she was soon away . In the same triangle of uncut grassland was a Small Copper , another female
I think , with the same agenda as the Red Admiral . As it was still morning , Goatsbeard-
Tragopogon pratensis , commonly known as Jack-goes-to-bed-at Noon or Sleep-at Noon , referring to the flower's habit of shutting about midday . Easily overlooked as a Dandelion , but 
the green bracts are always longer than the yellow petals . Later , a pappus or clock , much larger than the Dandelion will be formed . Also , amongst the grass were several Mother 
Shipton-Callistege mi , so called , after the profile of a witch that appears on both forewings . Look for the eye on the left wing , then find the nose and chin of the witch . Just before entering the fenced Conservation Field , I recorded the first of the year Common Blue for the site , and in
the fenced off area , the first Small Heath of the year . Several more male Common Blues were 
recorded in the bottom corner , along with a mating pair of Dingy Skippers , sorry you were working Keith ! The walk up to Burnt Gorse provided the less often seen side of a Speckled 
Wood , normally seen basking with wings open . Burnt Gorse itself produced lots more Dingy Skippers amongst other species , and as I was about to leave , I came across a pair of mating 
Common Blues . He obviously didn't hang about , I hadn't even seen a female till then . As I turned away , I noticed a couple by the bench with binoculars and camera . I asked if they were after butterflies , and Green Hairstreak was the reply , which they had already found . I pointed out the mating Common Blues , and they took their shots . Standing chatting about butterflies , a white flash passed us and landed in the grass . I went over and took an underside shot , as 
vegetation prevented a topside shot . As we had got as good as we could , I thought I would try 
the old finger trick for the first time this year to which the lady asked , ' are you Greenie '?As it happens , they read this blog , and came looking for the Green Hairstreaks that I had mentioned . Oh , the moth by the way is a White Ermine-spilosoma lubricipeda .
Leaving them in the sunshine , I headed for the woodland to check on the Birds Nest Orchids . The number at the original site has doubled , to two , most disappointing . On my way to the new site found by Keith , I found a single under Beech , and lots more White Helleborines pushing through the leaf litter . It is going to be a good year for them . At the new site , 22 counted last visit , a magnificent count of 33 was made , with good chances of more to come , as some are just
pushing through . The oldest ones are now in flower , using the word liberally . As I made my way back to the transect route , I found lots more White Helleborines and , by the side of one of the main paths , 3 more Birds Nest Orchids . The last butterfly species recorded was a single Peacock , on the bridleway back to the car park .In all , 14 species were recorded - Small Copper (1) , Red Admiral (2) , Common Blue (15) , Large White (5) , Orange Tip (2) , Green Hairstreak (2) , Small Heath (1) , Dingy Skipper (24) , Grizzled Skipper (1) , Speckled Wood (5) , Green-veined White (1) , Brimstone (4) , Small White (1) and Peacock (1) .
Before getting in the car , I had a quick look at the dipping pond . Lots of damselfly activity ,
mostly male Common Blues , and lots of Large Reds , either in 'tandem' , or as many were , in the 'praying position' , with the male still clasping the female behind the head , as she inserts her 
eggs into plant tissue , which protects them from predators . Sometimes , she will walk backwards down the stem , and under the water surface whilst doing so .By now , I was well cooked , and headed home for a 'cool' lunch .
before the first adult arrived at the tree with a bill crammed with food , took no notice of me , my camera and tripod , set up below on the path , and started feeding one of the youngsters . This species of Woodpecker would lay 4-7 eggs in a single brood . The male flew off , and a few 
minutes later , the female arrived , with her food for her ravenous brood . She took up position just slightly lower and to one side of the hole , enabling a sighting of one of the racket makers , which looked as big , if not bigger than her . The pair continued backward and forwards with food , and every now and again , the female , after delivering her food , squeezed into the hole to 
do a bit of housework , bringing the rubbish out with her . The incessant racket got louder every now and again , as one of the youngsters ventured to look at the big world outside , still calling 
for more food . I could have stayed all morning , but Carol waiting with the shopping might not be too pleased , so I left the family to it , but I cannot say in peace .
unlike the posted last weekend . A single Orange Tip and 3 Large Whites were also recorded , and whilst there , Common 
skimming the water , but unfortunately I had the 100mm. lens on , and they were some way 
off . Around the banks , 
Mustard/ Jack-by-the-Hedge plant . As she hovered around the three flowering stems , I thought , yes , she's going to lay . But , she never did settle or lay , and flew off much to my annoyance . After she had gone , I examined the three sets of flowers , and found an Orange Tip 
egg on each of them , further enforcing the 'cannibalistic caterpillars' statement . If you remember , when I saw the other female lay her egg and then found it , it was white , but as the eggs mature , they turn this orange colour . This particular plant is growing on a large felled tree trunk , so is easy to find , and I will try and post the caterpillar , and possibly the chrysalis , when they appear . No sign yet of the Little Grebe family , and bad news for the female Mallard , as she has only one ducking from her original 12 . One of the young Coots seems to be gone as well . Most likely cause for all losses would be Grey Heron , the Kelsey Park 
beyond him amongst the Lilly pads , a female . Another movement close by turned out to be a duckling . It took 10 minutes of stalking to get a shot of all three , and when I did get it , the male looked as if it had been pulled through a hedge backwards . The species usually has a single brood of 9-12 , the nest being in a hole in a tree . The last time I saw a female on the lake , she had about that number of young with her , but I only saw her the once , and that was a couple of years ago . Perhaps this pair have encountered the Heron or Fox ? That might also explain the state of the male , trying to defend his family .
managed site , the first thing found on the track were several Glow Worm larvae , and Keith found an unusual centi/millipede type specimen that neither of us had seen before . When we arrived at the spot where I had seen this species before , there was no sign , but within a short time , we started to find them a bit further along the slope . A small butterfly , about the size of a 
Small Copper , resembling a Fritillary , especially the Heath Fritillary , but smaller , and 
distinguished by it's fast , whirling flight . It's rarity is comparable to the Woods White that we found yesterday . Both sexes are very similar , but of interest , the male uses just four legs , whereas the female uses all six . Some say it is so that they can run faster than the males ! We saw between 10-15 , all males , but failed to find a mating pair like yesterday . 
across one of the gardener's friends , a Lacewing-Chrysopa septempunctata , who will happily chomp away on aphids . Other Butterflies recorded on the site included , Red Admiral , Speckled Wood , Green Hairstreak , Dingy Skipper , Brimstone , Orange Tip , Large and Green-veined 
White , Peacock and my first female Holly Blue of the year , identified by the much larger dark 
markings on the forewings . Several Wood Ant nests were found , and these individuals were dealing with a fly that they found or caught along one of the paths . Birds seen/heard included my first Turtle Dove of the year , Blackcap , Garden Warbler , Common Whitethroat , Willow Warbler , Chiffchaff and 3 Raptors . Moths recorded included Mother Shipton , Speckled Yellow , Double Purple Bar , and two Pyrausta species , purpuralis and nigrata . Eventually , it got so hot that the Duke of Burgundys retired to the shade , and we started back towards home , making a stop at New Hythe , to see if we could find a Water Vole . Entering from the Water Treatment gate , apart from hearing a Nightingale , we found a pair of Soldier Beetles-Cantharis rustica , 
living up to one of their common names - Bonking Beetles . Near the Diver's Bridge , we spotted a couple of Hairy Dragonflies and an Emerald Damsefly , along with Large Red , Azure and 
Common Blue Damselflies . The Common Blue can be identified by the 'golf ball on tee' marking , on the first segment behind the thorax , and the last two segments all blue . We walked the side of the ditch up to the scrub area without finding a Water Vole , but serenaded by 2/3 Nightingales as we did so . On the scrub area , we found a probable Dingy Skipper and another
specimen of the moth found yesterday at Dorking , which I still think is a Treble Bar . Walking back to the Diver's Bridge through the Hawthorns in full flower on the other side of the ditch , we
found 3 Grizzled Skippers amongst the grass . The walk back to the car failed to find a Water Vole , but it was a very pleasant end to the day .
before it disappeared over the tree line , and would be interested in what readers make of it , especially that long tail .
headed off along a broad ride , and within 5 minutes we had found our first specimen . A small and delicate butterfly with a slow , fluttering flight . There was hardly a breath of wind along the ride , and more butterflies were found , some feeding on the Greater Stitchwort , and some still at rest . In an open area , we also searched for Pearl-bordered Fritillary , which I had seen many years ago on the site , but did not find any , they probably needed some sun to encourage them
out . We found two pairs of Wood Whites courting , facing each other , and flicking their wings , whilst touching 
antennaes . Then Keith followed a pair across the open space , and within a couple of minutes , they were coupled . We also recorded Orange Tip , Dingy Skippper , Brimstone and Green-
veined White . Also found was this Cardinal Beetle-Pyrochroa coccinea . The Nightingales sang all the time we were on the site as did the Cuckoo . Several Wood Ant nests were found , and at one we stood and listened , and we could hear the Ants at work a couple of metres away . By lunch time , with no change in the weather , we decided to try our luck at another of my favourite sites on the Downs , high above Dorking . By the time we arrived , the cloud was thinning a bit , and more importantly , the slope was out of any wind . The most obvious 
emergence seen on our arrival was that of the 6 Spot Burnet moth , and they were all in pristine 
condition . A flash of metallic blue was our first sighting of a male Adonis Blue , looking similar to the Common Blue , but having the black lines crossing the outer white fringes of the wings . There weren't large numbers of this species , as the first brood is usually considerably smaller than the second , which will be on the wing mid 
August to September . Just one female was found and she was in pristine condition too . Other species recorded were Green Hairstreak , Grizzled Skipper , Large White , Small Heath , Peacock
and just before leaving a couple of male Common Blues , without the black lines crossing the white outer fringe , bringing the day's tally to a round dozen . Apart from the Burnet moths , Mother Shipton , Burnet Companion and I think Treble Bar , although neither of us managed to 
get a shot of it , were also seen . Lots of Soldier Beetles were seen , along with this Rose Chafer-
Cetonia aurata , and a couple of Leaf Beetles-Cryptocephalus hypochaeridis , I think , who seemed to be enjoying themselves .
Dormouse loosely , as at this time of year , many of the boxes are in fact homes to Tit families . 
Of the 50 boxes at the first site , 23 were occupied by Blue Tits , with eggs in some , newly hatch
youngsters in others , whereas , one of four Great Tit nest found , had young with first feathers 
coming through . Also found was a single Wren's nest , but no sign of any Marsh Tit nests in their usual area , where springs keep things damp . Another nest found , but not in one of the boxes , was a large stick construction , in the same tree where we disturbed a Common Buzzard when we last did the survey . Whilst there , we could hear the birds calling over the fields beyond the woods , but never sighted any of them . Will have to visit the area again soon . Also in another area , I heard a very strange repeated call that I couldn't identify , but later heard a Tawny Owl calling from the same area , and wondered if the earlier call had been a youngster . Despite all 
the bird interest in the boxes , the very first box opened had this portly male asleep inside , and , very close to the Common Buzzard's nest , some fresh Hazel leaves in this box , hid these two 
others , oblivious to anything happening , in their torpid state . They turned out to be a male and
a female , both weighing 13 gms. , so this box just might support a family in a short while , if we are lucky . The wetter parts of the site also had large drifts of Ransoms or Wild Garlic-Allium 
ursinum , in full flower , and with the Dogs Mercury-Mercurialis perennis , the woodland floor was completely carpeted . Still no sign of the Scarlet Elf Cup and I don't think it will show now that the weather is warming up . Two fungi , both of the Polyporus family that were found , were
P. squamosus-Dryad's Saddle or Scaly Polypore , specimens of which can grow to up to 60cms. across , and the chestnut coloured P. badius . 
