Wednesday, 1 Oct 2025
It may be autumn but I can still add some new insects to the year list. This morning’s sighting was a soldier fly, the Twin-spot Centurion (Sargus bipunctatus). Other species photographed include the European Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus), which seems to be very abundant right now, and another Parent Bug (Elasmucha grisea), this one on a […]
Monday, 6 Oct 2025
It looks like ‘Fall’ has started. After some rain and very strong winds in the last few days the ground is becoming covered in leaves. It is a great time of year for spider webs too, as the low angle sun picks them out very well. By far the most common insect […]
Thursday, 9 Oct 2025
Common Banded Hoverfly (Syrphus ribesii) and Batman Hoverfly (Myathropa florea) are still the most numerous hoverflies, but I managed to pick out a Plain-faced Drone Fly (Eristalis arbustorum). Both Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) and Seven-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) are about in good numbers, particularly on sycamore and dogwood leaves. I also found a Cucumber Green […]
Saturday, 11 Oct 2025
Still managing to see some new insects. Today it is the Birch Shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus) and it is my first ever sighting of this species. Other insect photos were of yet another variation to the spot pattern on a Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis), a late Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum) on a still flowering Musk […]
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 […]
Tuesday, 14 Oct 2025
I reached the Downs this morning with a song bouncing round in my head from the year I graduated from university – this will give away my age. I was hearing Maddie Prior singing the opening line from a 1973 Steeleye Span song, “One misty, moisty morning, when cloudy was the weather”. It just described […]
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 […]
Thursday, 16 Oct 2025
Another new species for me this morning on an Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) leaf, the Ash Whitefly (Siphoninus phillyreae). I located a single adult and puparia on the underside of a leaf. Several leaf mines and galls were photographed. These included the hairy galls of the Hairy Beech Gall Midge (Hartigiola annulipes) on Common Beech (Fagus […]
Friday, 17 Oct 2025
Another new insect this morning with a Banded Winter Gnat (Trichocera annulata). It belongs to the Diptera family Trichoceridae, the winter crane flies. However, it is neither a true crane fly nor a true gnat, the names given simply because of a superficial resemblance to members of the other two families. Otherwise it was a […]
Tuesday, 21 Oct 2025
We may be well into October but the new insects keep on coming. I use the term ‘insect’ loosely here, as the first new species today was a Long-horned Springtail (Pogonognathellus longicornis). The springtails were long regarded as insects but are now placed in a separate class. They are hexapods but not insects. Next was a […]
Wednesday, 22 Oct 2025
Jays, usually quite secretive birds that remain unobtrusive skulking around the canopies of oak trees, are much more prominent now and can be seen flying out in the open. They are busy preparing their winter food cache, predominantly acorns, but will also collect beech mast, hazelnuts and sweet chestnuts. There was another new fly added […]
Friday, 24 Oct 2025
There is a distinctly autumnal look to the Downs now. I encountered a large mixed bird foraging party this morning, comprising Great Tit, Blue Tit and Long-tailed Tit. Jays are still very conspicuous as they build up their winter nut stocks. Yet another new species for the Downs, having previously found it at […]
Tuesday, 28 Oct 2025
Leaves are getting yellower and the carpet of fallen leaves is getting thicker. Another bird foraging party today, but this time Goldcrest (Regulus regulus). Unfortunately, I needed my 300 mm lens as the 28 – 135 mm zoom was hopelessly inadequate. I’ll post the image anyway as it the first time I have […]
Thursday, 30 Oct 2025
A very quiet day, not even many flies to be seen. Jays still very active. I concentrated on looking at the undersides of leaves of various tree species. Even that was not particularly rewarding today. On the underside of a Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) leaf I found the larval case of a Coleophora moth, possibly […]