Saturday, 30 Aug 2025
A surprisingly large number of Small Copper still, which is by far the dominant butterfly, with a few Small White and Meadow Brown. New species added were a Sycamore Moth (Acronicta aceris) caterpillar, Diamond-back Marble (Eudemis profundana) moth, Oak Borer (Agrilus angustulus) beetle and Sallow Gall Midge (Iteomyia capreae) galls on Salix sp. leaf. […]
Wednesday, 27 Aug 2025
Butterfly numbers are dwindling. Just a few Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) and Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) to be seen. New insects were Large Tiphia (Tiphia femorata) wasp and a Lauxaniid fly, possibly Meiosimyza rorida. Nature note for the day I think most of us associate holly with Christmas, with wreaths and […]
Thursday, 14 Aug 2025
Butterfly numbers greatly reduced. Small Copper is now the dominant species. A few Brown Argus (Aricia agestis), Small White (Pieris rapae), Speckled Wood and Gatekeeper still present. New insects added were Large Rose Sawfly (Arge pagana) and an unexpected passenger on my shorts after walking along the edge of the sheep enclosure, a Castor Bean Tick […]
Saturday, 9 Aug 2025
Another two insects added today with Acorn Weevil (Curculio glandium) and Wall Mason Wasp (Ancistrocerus parietum). I also added a female Kite-tailed Robberfly (Machimus atricapillus) and an adult Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) to my image gallery. The purple fruits of the Common Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea), sometimes referred to as dogberries, are now ripening. They look […]
Sunday, 3 Aug 2025
Only one new insect today, one of those tricky to identify ichneumon wasps, a pimpline ichneumon which I believe might be Apechthis compunctor? After many sightings of nymphs earlier in the summer I have now seen an adult Speckled Bush-cricket (Leptophyes punctatissima). Other photographs included a female Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria), a male Kite-tailed […]
Wednesday, 30 Jul 2025
Another very overcast morning after a few overnight rain showers, which didn’t stop me adding several new insects to the list for this year. A moth, two flies and two wasps – Dingy Footman (Collita griseola), grass fly (Meromyza sp.), Snail-killing Fly (Trypetoptera punctulata), Yellow-tipped Darwin Wasp (Ichneumon stramentor) and Oriental Chestnut Gall Wasp (Dryocosmus kuriphilus) […]
Monday, 28 Jul 2025
Good numbers of Brown Argus present today, outnumbered by Small Copper, which are in much greater numbers than recent days. Insects added today were Tiger Ichneumon Wasp (Ichneumon xanthorius), a tiny (+/- 5 mm) Orthocentrus ichneumon wasp that landed on my watch strap, European Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus) and Kite-tailed Robberfly (Machimus atricapillus). Also photographed were […]
Sunday, 27 Jul 2025
A very overcast day and I was out much earlier than usual so not too much activity. Despite the conditions I did find one new insect on a bramble stem, the Tarnished Plant Bug (Lygus pratensis) and another on a sycamore leaf, a mosquito, a Culex sp., possibly the Southern House Mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus?). Also […]
Friday, 25 Jul 2025
Two days of heavy showers has seen a lush greenness return to the Downs. Chalk Hill Blue (Lysandra coridon) still predominates, but I have a first ever sighting anywhere of Purple Hairstreak (Favonius quercus). A rather worn specimen but still a Purple Hairstreak! Other new sightings were a female ichneumon wasp (Ichneumon suspiciosus?), a female Red […]
Tuesday, 22 Jul 2025
Chalkhill Blue is still present in amazingly large numbers. New sightings included Wavy-barred Sable (Pyrausta nigrata), Tortoise Shield Bug (Eurygaster testudinaria) final stage nymph and Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax). On an English Oak (Quercus robur) the galls of the Knopper Gall Wasp (Andricus quercuscalicis) were found, as well as the egg sacs of the Sputnik Spider […]
Monday, 21 Jul 2025
Some good heavy rain in the past 2 days but the ground has been so dry that all was soaked up leaving the paths only slightly damp. No muddy puddles anywhere. At least that awful straw colour of the grass is returning to green with much new growth stimulated by the rain. A week since […]
Friday, 11 Jul 2025
As I mentioned on 1st July it is becoming a much more uncommon sight to see a Song Thush, but this morning I had a pair on the path ahead of me near the south-eastern corner. There has been a major eruption of Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra coridon) butterflies. Particularly along the northern edge of the […]
Friday, 4 Jul 2025 – Polesden Lacey
Just for a change of scenery, I paid a visit today to the National Trust property of Polesden Lacey near Great Bookham in Surrey. I am posting only those species that I have not seen on Banstead Downs and in the case of the first two, may never see on the Downs. […]
Saturday, 28 Jun 2025
Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus) and Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) are now the most numerous butterflies. New insects for this year’s Downs list are the flies Common Splay-wing (Phania funesta) and Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria), an ichneumon wasp (possibly genus Trychosis, cf. T. legator), a possible Yellow-legged Mining Bee (Andrena flavipes?) and the very photogenic (and […]
Thursday, 26 Jun 2025
Latest butterflies to put in an appearance are Large White (Pieris brassicae), Green-veined White (Pieris napi) and Comma (Polygonia c-album). Other insects photographed were Ornate-tailed Digger Wasp (Cerceris rybyensis), Common Tachinid (Tachina fera) fly, Roesel’s Bush-cricket (Roeseliana roeselii) and Dimorphic Strider (Macrophya montana) sawfly. On a leaf of a Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra) I came across what I think may be […]
Thursday, 12 Jun 2025
Not seen since 5th April one of the resident Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) swooped low enough near me that I was able to get a decent photo with just a 135 mm lens. A second wave of Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) butterflies seems to be starting, and there were also large numbers of Speckled Wood (Pararge […]
Monday, 9 Jun 2025
Marbled White (Melanargia galathea) butterflies are starting to appear, while it was yet another good day for other insects. New sightings were 7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata), Common Marble moth (Celypha lacunana), a leaf-curling sac spider (Clubiona lutescens), Variable Tenthredo (Tenthredo livida) and a Lauxaniid fly (Minettia inusta). On a large stand of as yet non-flowering […]
Saturday, 7 Jun 2025
The first Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) of the summer on the Downs put in appearance this morning – well the first I have really noticed anyway. There was also a small flock of 6 or 7 Common Swift (Apus apus) swooping low over the main grassland area hawking insects. The insect list continues to swell. […]
Saturday, 31 May 2025
Only had an hour this morning for a quick sortie onto the Downs, but had only just arrived when I got a photo of another new insect species, a rove beetle (Staphylinus dimidiaticornis?) that scuttled across the path ahead of me (which is why the photo is not totally in focus – it was moving […]
Friday, 30 May 2025
A much better day weatherwise today, and with that two new additions to the Down’s butterfly list for the season – Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) and Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina insularis). Other insects photographed were Mint Moth (Pyrausta aurata), Dimorphic Strider (Macrophya montana) sawfly, Violet Black-legged Robberfly (Dioctria atricapilla) and Large Spearhorn (Chrysotoxum cautum) hoverfly. […]