Slightly cooler today and the butterfly numbers continue to increase, although I did not see a single Brimstone. Even without the Brimstone, I managed to see 10 different species. Speckled Wood still patrols the woodland paths and edges, but numbers of Common Blue, Small Heath, Brown Argus and Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus) are all up out in the grassland, especially where there are concentrations of vetches and trefoils. I also had a few each of Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), Small Blue, and Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), first of the season of this one, and single Green Hairstreak and Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).

The underside of an oak leaf offered up a Brown Oak Tortrix (Archips crataegana) and I disturbed a Green Oak Tortrix (Tortrix viridana) from its resting place amongst some grass stems, but it settled back oblingingly.

I rarely get close enough to the usually very skittish Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) to be able to take a photo but got lucky today. If you were wondering why ‘carolinensis’ appears in the scientific name it is because it is an invasive species in the UK, introduced from North America in the late 19th century, where its full English name is Eastern Gray Squirrel.

Brambles were where I found a male Dimorphic Strider (Macropyha montana) sawfly, while sycamore leaves were as productive as usual with photos of Fine-streaked Bugkin (Miris striatus), a final stage larva of Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis), Common Tachinid (Tachina fera) fly and a soldier beetle (Cantharis flavilabris).

Common Stiletto Fly (Thereva nobilitata) and Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn (Agapanthia villosoviridescens) were seen on Hemp-agrimony leaves, while Hogweed hosted a male Spotted Longhorn Beetle (Rutpela maculata) and a male Trivial Plant Bug (Closterotomus trivialis).

To round off the insect photos I found a female Wayward Sawfly (Tenthredo temula) on Common Dogwood.

Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) is beginning to produce fruit, while latest to flower is Broad-leaved Everlasting Pea (Lathyrus latifolius). Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria) has probably been flowering for a couple of weeks already, but I hadn’t been on this path for a while. An undoubted garden escapee starting to produce its small white flowers is Garden Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis).

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