Explore the diverse flora and fauna on the Downs from season to season through personal observations and photographs

Friday, 1 Aug 2025

Good numbers of Brown Argus and Small Copper around this morning. Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown are increasing, and the large ...

Saturday, 2 Aug 2025

New insects added today were Jersey Tiger (Euplagia quadripunctaria) moth, a possible Common Furrow Bee (Lasioglossum calceatum?) and Parent Bug ...

Sunday, 3 Aug 2025

Only one new insect today, one of those tricky to identify ichneumon wasps, a pimpline ichneumon which I believe might ...

Wednesday, 6 Aug 2025

Two new insects today, a female Marjoram Wasp-Sawfly (Tenthredo thompsoni) and a Red Bartsia Bee (Melitta tricincta). These bees stay ...

Friday, 8 Aug 2025

Latest insect added to the year list is the Rufous Grasshopper (Gomphocerippus rufus), several of which were seen at different ...

Saturday, 9 Aug 2025

Another two insects added today with Acorn Weevil (Curculio glandium) and Wall Mason Wasp (Ancistrocerus parietum). I also added a ...

Sunday, 10 Aug 2025

Although I have seen it before, at Warnham Nature Reserve in West Sussex and on Park Downs only 2 miles ...

Monday, 11 Aug 2025

Butterfly numbers generally are dwindling, although Small Copper numbers have increased again. Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown still dominate, but there ...

Tuesday, 12 Aug 2025 – Park Downs

Having been alerted to the presence of several Silver-spotted Skipper butterflies at Park Downs, another of the Banstead Commons Conservators ...

Thursday, 14 Aug 2025

Butterfly numbers greatly reduced. Small Copper is now the dominant species. A few Brown Argus (Aricia agestis), Small White (Pieris ...

Friday, 15 Aug 2025

New insect today another one of those very confusing ichneumon wasp males that all look very similar. My best guess ...

Sunday, 17 Aug 2025

New insects added were the caterpillar of the Fox Moth (Macrothylacia rubi) and a female Willow Emerald Damselfly (Chalcolestes viridis) ...

Tuesday, 19 Aug 2025

A migrating Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) spent a good part of the day searching for insects, spiders and worms from ...

Thursday, 21 Aug 2025

Today I was invited to take part in a search with someone from Butterfly Conservation UK and from the Banstead ...

Friday, 22 Aug 2025

Two new insects today, a Mother of Pearl moth (Patania ruralis) and a Silver Birch Aphid (Euceraphis betulae), as well ...

Saturday, 23 Aug 2025

There are two reliable locations for seeing the Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea) dragonfly and I was fortunate to see it ...

Monday, 25 Aug 2025

Very few butterflies on the wing. A few Gatekeeper and Speckled Wood, a single Large White and some distant unidentified ...

Wednesday, 27 Aug 2025

Butterfly numbers are dwindling. Just a few Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) and Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) to be seen ...

Thursday, 28 Aug 2025

Only Speckled Wood and Small Copper butterflies to be seen today. Some of the Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) took a ...

Saturday, 30 Aug 2025

A surprisingly large number of Small Copper still, which is by far the dominant butterfly, with a few Small White ...