Hi Lee, so the hail found you too did it? I'm not sure of the species, but your mystery flower is one of the fumitories. I'm on clay here, so don't get to see too many fumitories hence I'm pretty useless on telling one from the other unless I've a wildflower guide in one hand and I'm laying on my be...

Hiya Wurzel, I think your amorous beetles are Green Dock Beetles, Gastrophysa viridula . And that male Orange-tip is simply stunning! Very catching wingtips indeed. I've just the one day off work this Easter break. Typically the weather is complete pants :cry: but I'm enjoying your Diary. I'll defin...

Apologies All that this sighting pertains to a moff, but.... a single Small Magpie Eurrhypara hortulata in my hallway last night. The flight phenology tables indicate that June/July are the usual months for the adult stage of this species. So, either a freak (possibly indoors bred) occurence, or thi...

Despipte the -4C start to the day, by late morning I was seeing butterflies in central Croydon. First a male Holly Blue, then three male Orange-tips. Glad they survived the sudden temperature drop!

Gibster.

Large Tortoiseshell also seen and photographed at Porthellick, St Marys on Isles of Scilly yesterday.

Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust put it on Twitter as a "tortoiseshell butterfly", and Sami notified them of the correct identification!!!!

Gibster

Welcome aboard, Stevie69. :) Without knowing details its tricky to say with any certainty, but your wife's "Small Blue" could well be a Holly Blue - ie a butterfly that is both small and blue! Small Blues are amazingly tiny, smaller than many moths in fact. But it's been a crazy early seas...

OK, this is truly horrific. If you don't like splatter gore movies then you WON'T want to click on this link. It shows a bumblebee in obvious distress which dies and is given an autopsy. There's... something ....within!! Yukk. Seriously, you've been warned! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c5xQ_lCJPU...

Well you could try Conops ceriaeformis? http://diptera.info/photogallery.php?photo_id=6623


PS Does ChrisC actually stand for Chris Conopid?

A couple of colourful birds on the lake, however, which I believe are a Shelduck and an Egyptian Goose. Happy to be corrected by the experts, mind! Definitely NOT an Egyptian Goose! Seems to be some sort of hybrid Ruddy x Cape Shelduck thingie. Kinda pretty I guess, but ought not to be allowed, lol...

Can't honestly say I've ever felt particularly sorry for a spider before...but being dragged arse-backwards to your slow doom.... :shock: On a happier note, Water Ladybirds are often found in Typha sheaths around ponds, especially when overwintering (though they dull their colours during the cold ti...

A liberal sprinkling of humour amongst the nitty gritty. Luvin yer style mate, keep it up (and the bee IDs of which I'm useless and need the tips!)

Av a goodun,

Gibster.

Just emailed the Surrey macro-moth recorder regards Light Orange Underwings in Surrey. Apparently they've been recorded at Bookham Commons and Wimbledon Common this year too. I have no idea why the moth has suddenly started to colonise new sites, but it has! Also seen on Epsom Common yesterday were ...

Mikhail wrote:Your moth appears to be the rarer of the two Orange Underwings to judge by the slightly feathered antennae. So Light Orange Underwing Archiearis notha. I take it there is Aspen in those woods? Misha Thanks.Yes,plenty of Aspen.I am informed this is the only Surrey site for this moth. S...

I've just read this article regards the crucial identification of the ant species required for the Large Blue to complete its life cycle. Scientists have developed a fast, cheap and reliable technique that vastly improves the chances of successfully reintroducing the endangered Large Blue butterfly ...

And so am I...I've just 'found' this thread and I enjoyed reading it!!!

More please, and of the birds too!

Gibster.

Added Small White to my butterfly yearlist today, a female prospecting the delights of a weedy flowerbed in 'delightful' Thornton Heath (which is even more built up than nearby Croydon, fair amazes me that butterflies can survive in these massively urbanised areas!) Also seen a short whoile later wa...

So...(confused)...your mom must've been VERY old indeed when she had you, Susy?

Jack, you should also visit Colley Hill at the top of Reigate Hill (the carpark is about 150metres from the M25 turn off for the A217) The terrain is level since you are already on top of the ridge and the fort has been fully restored. They play re-enactment war games every so often which must be qu...

Ten mile stroll between Kingston and Epsom via the Hogsmill River corridor finally added Peacock to the year, several in fact including sparring males. Just one male Brimstone, plus several Commas including an egglaying female and a single Small Tortoiseshell. No Whites yet, but a total of 18 contac...

WRT the waders, my view now is they weren't Snipe. These birds were slightly larger than thrush size and the feature I remember most was a white wing bar on pointed wings. Hiya Phil, if the birds you flushed were Redshanks, the most memorable thing would have been the ungodly alarm calls they would...