Sunday, 14 Sep 2025
Exactly 2 weeks since my last walk on the Downs. My wife and I have been away for a while. What a difference in 2 weeks. Summer is gone and with it most of the insects. I walked for an hour, much needed exercise after the short holiday, and my tally of insects was – […]
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. […]
Thursday, 28 Aug 2025
Only Speckled Wood and Small Copper butterflies to be seen today. Some of the Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) took a liking to some rotting apples beneath a Crab Apple tree. New species added were a leafhopper (Arboridia ribauti) on a Wild Cherry leaf, a Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis) and a possible Banded Comb-Footed Spider […]
Sunday, 17 Aug 2025
New insects added were the caterpillar of the Fox Moth (Macrothylacia rubi) and a female Willow Emerald Damselfly (Chalcolestes viridis). This is my first species of damselfly recorded on the Downs and together with the Southern Hawker dragonfly only the second member of the Odontata. I discovered an Apple Leaf Miner moth (Lyonetia clerkella) leaf […]
Sunday, 10 Aug 2025
Although I have seen it before, at Warnham Nature Reserve in West Sussex and on Park Downs only 2 miles from here, this morning I recorded European Hornet (Vespa crabro) on the Downs for the first time. Although I watched it darting round for a few minutes, it did not land anywhere so I was […]
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 […]
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 […]
Thursday, 3 Jul 2025
We had 2 hours of rain yesterday morning but still need a lot more. On the butterfly front there were good numbers of Common Blue, Small Copper, Green-veined White, Marbled White, Brown Argus and Speckled Wood. Coup of the day was locating two Striped Shieldbug (Graphosoma italicum) in a patch of Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium). […]
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 […]
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 […]
Wednesday, 28 May 2025
A second Eurasian Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), one of the summer migrant birds, was noted this morning. It was very windy again today, but some good overnight rain meant that in the more sheltered areas there was still a lot of insect activity. Yet again there were lots of Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) butterflies on the […]
Saturday, 17 May 2025
Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni), Small Blue (Cupido minimus) and Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) butterflies are still around in good numbers. The Common Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) continues to support a wide variety of insects, with all of these seen within a few metres of each other – Cinquefoil Strider (Macrophya annulata), Flecked Strider (Macrophya blanda), Red-thighed Macrophya […]
Friday, 2 May 2025
The Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) is now blooming across the Downs, the May blossom adding a touch of colour to the otherwise green hedges and woodland. In the grassland areas the latest flowers to appear are Star-of-Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum), Tormentil (Potentilla erecta) and Bird’s-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus). On the leaf of one as yet non-flowering Salad […]
Monday, 28 April 2025
Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni), Peacock (Aglais io) and Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) butterflies are all now present in large numbers, as is the Dark-edged Bee-fly (Bombylius major). New today were Raspberry Beetle (Byturus ochraceus) swarming all over the dandelion flowers in one area, a Small Green Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius roboretanus) that landed conveniently on the back […]
Friday, 11 April 2025
A few more butterfly species around today, with one sighting each of Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria), Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) and Small White (Pieris rapae). Sighting of the day, however, after 11 years of walking on Banstead Downs was my first Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvae). It was seen in an area that I know supports […]
Thursday, 20 March 2025
During the past 3 weeks or so I have watched the spring flowers coming into bloom on my regular walks into Sutton town centre. First were the crocuses, followed by the daffodils. Then the first of the wildflowers, Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna) the earliest flowering member of the buttercup family, a day or two before […]