Tuesday, 22 April 2025

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 […]

Friday, 25 April 2025

The first few Common Field Speedwell (Veronica persica), Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) and Bulbous Buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus) have made an appearance. A couple of Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris) trees are in full blossom. Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) are about in their hundreds today. This is probably the most common and numerous bee on the […]

Saturday, 26 April 2025

Only one new sighting today, a rove beetle scuttled across the path right in front of me. No photo as it disappeared quickly into the long grass on the verge and definitely no ID.                                           […]

Monday, 28 April 2025

Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni), Peacock (Aglais io) and Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) butterflies are all now present in large numbers, as is the Dark-edged Bee-fly (Bombylius major). New today were Raspberry Beetle (Byturus ochraceus) swarming all over the dandelion flowers in one area, a Small Green Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius roboretanus) that landed conveniently on the back […]

Tuesday, 29 April 2025

Latest addition to the butterfly list is Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages), while I saw my first ever Common Heath (Ematurga atomaria) and Muslin moths (Diaphora mendica). A shield bug seen on hawthorn blossom turned out not to be a Hawthorn Shield Bug but rather a Common Green Shield Bug (Palomena prasina). Yesterday I saw only […]