Thursday, 22 May 2025
The Cuckoo has gone silent (or maybe just gone). Batman Hoverfly (Myathropa florea) was out in large numbers today and new insects were a jewel beetle, the Oak Borer (Agrilus angustulus) and having first seen it at Warnham Nature Reserve 9 days ago I have now recorded Scorpion Fly (Panorpa communis) on the Downs. […]
Tuesday, 20 May 2025
The Cuckoo was calling in the same area again today, but still no luck locating him. There were another 4 insects to add to the Downs list today – Common Tenthredopsis (Tenthredopsis nassata), a crane fly (Limonia phragmitidis), Hairy Shieldbug (Dolycoris baccarum) and the Tortoise Bug (Eurygaster testudinaria). Latest appearances among the […]
Monday, 19 May 2025
I have only heard a Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) calling on the Downs twice in the last 10 years, but there was one around this morning. I could locate the general area that he was in but could not see him. Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni), Small Blue (Cupido minimus) and Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) butterflies are still […]
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 […]
Tuesday, 13 May 2025 – Warnham Nature Reserve
Something different today. I spent the morning at the Warnham Nature Reserve, near Horsham in West Sussex. I will just post a gallery of some of the things that you cannot or may not see on Banstead Downs. […]
Monday, 12 May 2025
Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages), Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi), which I finally managed to photograph, and Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) were particularly noticeable today, but the latest to appear and also in good numbers is Small Blue (Cupid0 minimus). Another two insects added to my Downs list are the Black-striped Cranefly (Tipula vernalis) and a click […]
Saturday, 10 May 2025
Both Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi) and Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) butterflies are out in good numbers today, as are Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus). Also my first sighting on the Downs of the Rustic Sailor Beetle (Cantharis rustica). Latest flowers to appear are Common Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris) and Common Sorrel (Rumex acetosa). […]
Thursday, 8 May 2025
It was a good day for insects today. Forest Bug (Pentatoma rufipes), Lucerne Bug (Adelphocoris lineolatus), Common Dance Fly (Empis tessellata) and Plain-winged Spring Beegrabber [Myopa testacea] were seen before adding Buzzing Spider (Anyphaena accentuata?). As there are 3 very similar species in this spider genus, which can only be separated under a microscope, I […]
Wednesday, 7 May 2025
Three more new insect sightings today – Small Yellow Underwing (Panemeria tenebrata) moth, Four-spotted Oak Bug (Dryophilocoris flavoquadrimaculatus) and Wayward Sawfly (Tenthredo temula). I also discovered the larval case of a Coleophora moth on the underside of an English Oak leaf, so possibly C. flavipennella the Yellow Oak Case-bearer moth. The oak trees are definitely […]
Saturday, 3 May 2025
Some very early Small Heath butterflies (Coenonympha pamphilus) are on the wing today, while an English Oak (Quercus robur) tree revealed another type of gall, a Currant Gall caused by the gall wasp Neuroterus quercusbaccarum. These can occur either on a leaf or the male catkins of the oak tree. On a leaf of the same […]
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 […]
Thursday, 1 May 2025
Many of the dandelions now have full heads of seeds – ‘dandelion clocks’. The strong breeze today has them blowing around like snow. Indeed, some paths have sections that look as if there is a light frost or snow cover such is the concentration of the seeds. There are other windblown seeds resembling dandelion seeds, […]
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, 25 April 2025
The first few Common Field Speedwell (Veronica persica), Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) and Bulbous Buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus) have made an appearance. A couple of Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris) trees are in full blossom. Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) are about in their hundreds today. This is probably the most common and numerous bee on the […]
Tuesday, 22 April 2025
What a difference 5 days makes. The trees on the Downs have all leafed and the visual impact of all that greenery is quite stunning. While the trees may be looking very different there is little to add on the wildflower front, with a just few Common Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) and […]
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 […]
Tuesday, 8 April 2025
Despite that first flurry of butterflies two weeks ago there are still no great numbers of butterflies about, but large numbers of Sarcophaga sp. flesh flies have now appeared. Latest flower to appear is Cowslip (Primula veris) widely regarded as one of the heralds of spring. Indeed the ‘veris’ in its scientific name means ‘of […]
Saturday, 5 April 2025
Although another warm and bright cloudless day today there was a very strong wind keeping insect sightings to a bare minimum. I did notice the first hoverflies of the season but as they were not landing for any length of time was unable to identify them. One gorse bush in full bloom hosted a few […]
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 […]