Week 32

Temperatures this week have once again been around the seasonal average with the dinner breaks being dry and warm, its also been the last week of the national Big Butterfly Count for this year and its been a disappointing week on site with only 6 species seen and in lower numbers, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Small Skippers, Gatekeepers, Green veined Whites and Speckled Woods being the only ones seen with Red Admiral, Small tortoiseshell, Small Copper, Comma, Small and Large whites missing on previous years

Moths this week have also been quiet with only Brimstone seen on the moth wall

On a better note the Swallow brood are keeping the parent birds very busy with very regular feeding flights and are also being very noisy in the nest, so I should expect these birds fledging very soon, more than likely over the weekend again :-(, Chiffchaff are being heard regular around site with Great spotted Woodpeckers in the wood, this appears to a family group with young birds included.

On the small insect front that have been ID has been Tentredo mesmolas sawflies along with a Green sheildbug, this individual sheildbug being a final instar. Also 2 new insects this week another Shieldbug species this time a Birch Shieldbug, see Britsh Bugs website PRESS making 4 shieldbug species in all, and also a Green Leafhopper (see photo below)

The highlight of the week has to go down to the 4 Common Hawker Dragonflies hunting in the nearby field gracefully picking off the flying insects that came near

Birch Shieldbug

Green Leafhopper

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