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

Cheilosia caerulescens - a new hoverfly for the patch

 Cheilosia caerulescens, Hunstanton, 24th March 2021, found on house leeks by Joan Fox

Pallas's Warbler and Red-flanked Bluetail at Holme

 Pallas's Warbler, Holme NWT, 14th October 2020

Red-flanked Bluetail, Holme village car park, 14th October 2020

Blyth's Reed Warbler at Holme

 Blyth's Reed Warbler, Holme NOA, 1st October 2020 - the first for the patch.

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

Holmhurst Track, 27th June

Orange-spot Piercer, Pammene aurana, Holmhurst Track, 27th June 2020 

Ellipteroides lateralis, Holmhurst track, 27th June 2020

Banded General, Stratiomys potamida, Holmhurst track, 27th June 2020

Off Patch: Dingy White Plume

Dingy White Plume Merrifieldia baliodactylus, Narborough NWT, 19th June 2020

Pirri-pirri-bur at Ringstead Downs

While walking my butterfly transect at Ringstead Downs today I noticed a patch of Pirri-pirri-bur Acaena novae-zelandiae on the north-west bank.  I hadn't noticed it previously when it was in flower but the fruits, with their barbed red spines are very distinctive. It is believed that the Pirri-pirri-bur came to this country via wool from Australia and New Zealand in about 1900.

Coleophora albicosta

Coleophora albicosta, Hunstanton, 19th May 2020