Thanks
Dave, the Purple Hairstreaks were a no show that day, before they start reappearing lurking in the Ash trees to confuse us!
Thanks
Wurzel, I’m not sure what type of mite it actually is, a little bit beyond my ID skillset!
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July 2023
Tuesday 18th, part 2. At Denbies, the Chalkhill Blue numbers had built nicely since my last visit and they posed perfectly in the warm, bright cloudy afternoon. Females it would seem were still in short supply.
Brown Argus were readily stumbled across, and Small Skippers were still about here. I found a female of the latter ensuring some will be here next year.
I took a long scenic route around the site, walking along the bottom path and returning back via Steers Field. Here I found some Small Coppers, a Peacock and the briefest glance of what I think was my first Silver-spotted Skipper of the year. I’d already committed to the step that disturbed it, so it was just a split-second glance before it shot off never to be seen again.
A couple of nice moths also drew my attention, both enjoying the Scabious flowers abundant here. A Dusky Sallow
And a group of randy
Nemophora metallica longhorn moths. These may well be awaiting a female to turn up, Scabious flowers being what the larvae feeds on.
An egg laying Comma was amongst the distractions on the return walk (you can see a newly laid egg near the tip of her abdomen)