Friday, 5 Jun 2026
Four days since my last excursion onto the Downs, during which time there has been some much-welcomed rain. Hogweed flowers on which I was photographing insects at waist height just those four days ago are now eye-level! I spotted my first Common Swift (Apus apus) of the summer over the main grassland, at least 4 […]
Tuesday, 26 May 2026
I headed out this morning at 08:45 with the temperature already 24°C and probably heading for a new UK record high temperature for the month of May. The current record was set only yesterday, 34.8°C at Kew Gardens, just 10 miles away as the crow flies. Despite the early hour, a line from one of […]
Tuesday, 7 Apr 2026
A beautiful, cloudless sunny day with only a light breeze. Heading for over 20°C and the hottest day of the year so far, and the first day that I have ventured out in short sleeves without a jacket or sweater. These conditions have brought out the butterflies again after 12 days absence, not that there […]
Wednesday, 15 Oct 2025
The day dawned looking much the same as yesterday. Since my objective today was to get better photos of the dogwood aphids in better light, I delayed my departure hoping for brighter weather later and was lucky to be able to set off in early afternoon with the sun occasionally breaking through. Back at the […]
Sunday, 12 Oct 2025
It is becoming more difficult to find something new. I will turn my attention to the leaf mines that are becoming more prominent as leaves dry out and search for any aphids that produce new offspring during the autumn months. That said, first new insect today was a Lauxaniid fly, possibly Tricholauxania praeusta? I got […]