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 Daisy (Bellis perennis) starting to appear.

The Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) is still the dominant butterfly, but there are increasing numbers of European Peacock (Aglais io) to be seen. Other insects seen today were again large numbers of a Syrphus sp. hoverfly and several ground beetles probably of the sun beetle Genus Amara, like this one that flew in through the open window of my study yesterday, which I believe is a Social Sun Beetle (Amara familiaris). I also added to my tally of bee species on the Downs with a first record of Gooden’s Nomad Bee (Nomada goodeniana) sitting on the leaf of a Lime tree (Tilia sp.).

Nature note for the day

Many people do not bother to give a bee a second glance, some may be able to distinguish a ‘bumblebee’ as different to the others. But did you know that there are over 270 species of bee in the UK? They range in size from bees so small at around 5 mm that they can be mistaken for flies, to some queen bumblebees that can reach about 22 mm. I have so far recorded almost 30 bee species on Banstead Downs, but only 13 of these have been identified beyond doubt. There are many similarities between species within the same family and only detailed photographs from different angles together with notes on flight date, location, habitat, flowers visited and behaviour will help separate them. Given that the colour of a bee fades with age that adds a further complication so bee identification is not for the faint-hearted.

Don’t let that put you off. Stick to bumblebees. 

There are 6 common bumblebees that you will see on Banstead Downs. All are shown in this useful guide from the Woodland Trust.

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