Those Adonis can't be far away down in Kent, Goldie. However, I know Denbies can be quite an early site for them but this is the first time I've seen one in July even here.
Thank you, Buggy - I knew it would have a name! I'm glad you didn't have far to wade through that list to find it.
Monday July 24th: poor weather again, but a bit of sunshine at the end of the day tempted me out locally once again. Just a few minutes from home, I found a female Speckled Wood wandering in and out of the grass at the bottom of a hedge, looking for somewhere to lay.
Not far above her, apparently oblivious, was a male. They really are distinctly different.
Despite the fact that the new winter Commas are appearing, there are still fresh
hutchinsoni examples going strong.
Further on I started to worry as the path edges had been severely mown, taking lots of nettles and nectar sources away. However, next to the river, it was obviously too risky for the tractor to do so much, and a good stretch of fleabane and below it, trefoil, was untouched. As if the underline the fact, I found two new Common Blues,one of each sex.
Interestingly, they paid little heed to each other.
A quick dash into the main meadow area revealed a Small Copper - there has to be a colony based near here somewhere but I haven't tracked down where it is yet.
Here is a general view of the area where they have turned up recently, though I saw none here in the spring.
A female Red Admiral basking between egg-laying bouts completed the outing.
One thing was especially noteworthy today - the sheer volume of ripe blackberries.
Why anyone is paying good money for these in a supermarket right now beggars belief. I could fill a £2 punnet in 30 seconds.
Dave