Off Patch: Seven from Courtyard Farm

Gatekeeper, Courtyard Farm, 13th July 2020

Eucosma hohenwartiana, Courtyard Farm, 13th July 2020

Common Stiletto, Thereva nobilitata, Courtyard Farm, 13th July 2020

Stripe-legged Robberfly Dioctria baumhaueri, Courtyard Farm, 13th July 2020

Large Scabious Mining Bee, Andrea hattorfiana, Courtyard Farm, 13th July 2020

 Brassy Longhorn, Nemophora metallica, Courtyard Farm, 13th July 2020

Forester, Adscita statices, Courtyard Farm, 13th July 2020

A walk at Ringstead Downs

I visited Ringstead Downs today to walk my weekly butterfly transect.  This year there are carpets of sweet-smelling Lady's Bedstraw but some plants such as Small Scabious seem to be less abundant than previous years.  I found 3 small plants of White Horehound and about 25 small plants of Basil Thyme in flower.

Basil Thyme

Ringlets are very numerous at the moment, especially in the long grass on the south-east bank. Also good numbers of Meadow Brown and Small/Essex Skippers.  This week I had 5 fresh Commas on the transect.  Last week I found a Comma perched on a dead Pheasant amongst the scarab beetles.

Comma

Today, although quite common, it was nice to see an Ear Moth feeding on Small Scabious (difficult to photograph as the flowers were blowing in the wind).

Ear Moth