Early spring in the Downs

 Comma, Ringstead Downs, 25th March 2021

Dark-edged Bee-fly,  Ringstead Downs, 25th March 2021

Red Dead-nettle, Ringstead Downs, 25th March 2021

 

Whitlow Grass, Ringstead Downs, 25th March 2021

Lesser Celandine,  Ringstead Downs, 25th March 2021

 Cliff Mining Bee, Andrena thoracica, female, Ringstead Downs, 25th March 2021

 Black Oil Beetle, Meloe proscarabaeus, Ringstead Downs, 25th March 2021

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

Some more recent Hunstanton beasties

 The hoverfly Melanostoma scalare, female, Ringstead Downs, 11th April 2020

The hoverfly Helophilus pendulus, female, Old Hunstanton, 12th April 2020

 The hoverfly Epistrophe elegans, male, Old Hunstanton, 12th April 2020

Holly Blue, Hunstanton garden, 12th April 2020

 The hover flu Eristalinus aenus, Old Hunstanton, 15th April 2020

 Bluebell Rust, Uromyces muscari, on bluebell, Hunstanton garden, 20th April 2020

Box Bug, Hunstanton, 20th April

The hoverfly Eupeodes luniger, female, Hunstanton, 20th April 2020

Rose Rust, Phragmidium mucronatum, on Dog Rose, Old Hunstanton, 20th April 2020

Tawny Mining Bee Andrena fulva, female, Hunstanton, 20th April 2020

Two bugs and an Orange Tip

Corizus hyoscamii,  Ringstead Downs, 19th April 2019

Box Bug, Ringstead Downs, 19th April 2019

Orange Tip, Ringstead Downs, 19th April 2019

More butterflies

Following on from Andy's amazing early morning at Ringstead Downs I was staggered to have a White-letter Hairstreak land on a buddleia flower next to where I was working in my garden in Hunstanton on 1st August. Unfortunately no camera or phone to hand before it flew off.  Also one sighting of a Silver-washed Fritillary in Zone 6 of the Downs butterfly transect on 2nd August - but not able to take a photo. On the transect today (7th Aug) I had 4 records of a Silver-washed Fritillary in 3 different zones.  There were at least 2 individuals as one was extremely tatty (the only one I managed to get a photo of!)

Silver-washed Fritillary (very tatty!)

Also on the 2nd Aug I had a Dark green fritillary on the butterfly transect at Holme Dunes.

Dark Green Fritillary

 

 

Butterflies have clearly enjoyed the hot weather. There have been many more Common Blues at both Ringstead and Holme, but as last year no appearance of Chalkhill Blues.

 

Common Blues in Hunstanton Community Orchard

 

Small Copper in Hunstanton Community Orchard



Red Admiral in Hunstanton Community Orchard

An unexpected early morning butterfly bonanza in the Downs

White-letter Hairstreak, Ringstead Downs, 26th July 2018

Painted Lady, Ringstead Downs, 26th July 2018

Silver-washed Fritillary, Ringstead Downs, 26th July 2018

This morning I made what I anticipated would be a quick 7 am visit to the downs to try to find a Purple Hairstreak. I found one, taking moisture and/or minerals from the ground along the main path but it flew off too quickly to be photographed. Much to my surprise I went on to find about 10 White-letter Hairstreaks behaving in the same way (the first on patch for me - and I don't think anyone else has seem them here for decades), a very smart, fresh, Painted Lady, the first of the late generation of Wall, flying with Meadow Browns, Gatekeepers and a few Ringlets and, amazingly, at least three Silver-washed Fritillaries - as far as I'm aware, the first for Ringstead Downs and only the second record for the patch after Robert found a tatty individual on the buudleja at the NOA a couple of years ago. Whatever next ?

Off Patch: some nationally rare, scarce and smart beasts from a foray in Dorset

Golden-ringed Dragonfly, Ballard Down, 8th July 2018

Heath Tiger Beetle, Studland, 9th July 2018

Small Blue, Durlston Head, 10th July 2018

Purbeck Mason Wasp, Hartland Moor, 10th July 2018

Cryptocephalus primarius, near Swanage, 11th July 2018

Rose Chafer, Durdle Door, 11th July 2018

Shiny Dor Beetle, Hartland Moor, 11th July 2018 

Large Marsh Grasshopper, Hartland Moor, 11th July 2018

Cliff Tiger Beetle, Eype, 12th July 2018

Heath Bee-fly, Studland, 13th July 2018

Mottled Bee-fly, Studland, 13th July 2018

Black Deerfly, Hartland Moor, 13th July 2018

Small Purple-barred, Stoborough Heath, 13th July 2018