By my reckoning this is Day 50 without rain – well a couple of spits and spots that didn’t last more than a minute hardly counted. Even the brambles are taking strain. These usually hardy plants have wilting, even dropping leaves, as their survival mode kicks in to ensure that all available resources are channeled into ensuring that their berries ripen and seeds become available for dispersal.

The only insects on the wing seemed to be butterflies, moths, hoverflies and tachinid flies, which saved the morning from being just a long, hot walk.

Meadow Brown is still well ahead in the numbers game, ahead of (surprisingly) Holly Blue, which seems to have had a surge in numbers. Next, also having an apparent surge in numbers was Small Heath. All of the others seen were well into single digits – Brown Argus (Aricia agestis), Small Copper, Small White (Pieris rapae) and Chalk Hill Blue. Numbers of the last one now greatly down. So, only 7 species seen, the lowest since early summer.

Moths noted were a Common Purple-and-Gold (Pyrausta purpuralis), which I first recorded on 24^th July, then just a rather tatty, unconvincing specimen, and Straw Grass-veneer (15^th July).

Hoverflies recorded were Black-tailed Aphideater (Eupeodes luniger), Common Drone Fly and Tapered Drone Fly.

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