A good Butterfly year?

Sunny again, 28°, breezy SW.

Another warm one with a warm breeze blowing just enough to keep you relatively cool. Getting bored with this weather now!

A walk out to the Lees and birdwise not a great deal around. The odd Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting along the dyke and ditches and a Kestrel in the area.

A couple of Blackcap and a Chiffchaff at the Bullshole and a Sparrowhawk being hounded by Swallows and House Martins over the meadow and a small flock of Swift wheeling overhead.

Dragonflies: Southern Hawker, Brown Hawker and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Small Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown & Ringlet.

Tony Rayner has recorded 23 species of butterfly in his garden/meadow recently: Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, Large Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Grizzled Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Small Copper, Common Blue, Brown Argus, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Silver-washed Fritillary, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet & Small Heath.

With a few butterfly species recorded earlier in the year Tony has recorded 26 of the 27 butterflies species recorded in the whole of Cholsey this year. that goes to show how important a well managed garden/meadow can be to butterflies and other insects.

Kestrel

Sexton Beetle?

Lunar Spotted Pinion (courtesy Tony Raynor)

Blastobasis adjustella (courtesy Tony Raynor)