Daisy's Galore

A lovely walk around Stratton Wood this afternoon in the sun and with temperatures hitting 22°C it was very nice indeed. My mission was to find a few Marbled White's and with plenty of wild flowers out I thought it would be an easy task. I failed!! There wasn't a single one to be found and apart from 2 white butterflies, a Large White and a Green-veined, these were the only black and white butterflies to be seen. Apart from the Wiltshire Downs, butterflies in and around Swindon have been very disappointing this year.

However it wasn't all gloom and doom and here are a few images from today:

Daisy's as far as the eye can see.

Not many of these around but my first Small Heath of the year.

And also my first Meadow Brown

In fact all the butterflies and moths on this page are first for me. This a Large Skipper.

Common Blue

Such a beautiful colour

And the underwings of the Common Blue

A day-flying moth. This is a Grass Rivulets (Perizoma albulata) of which there were dozens of them flying about in the undergrowth.

There were also a few of this day flying moth as well. A Burnet Companion (Euclidia glyphica).

Another Burnet Companion showing the yellow on the wing.

It's not often you see Damselflies away from the water, but this Common Blue Damselfly seems quite at home in the woods.

Another view of this damselfly that has a pinkish hue about it.

Sawfly - Tenthredo arcuata

And another Tenthredo arcuata. This one is absolutely covered in pollen.

But manages to lose most of it on lift off.......

False Blister Beetles Oedemera sp. I tried to narrow it down further but ended up Oedemera virescens, Oedemera lurida or Oedemera monticola.
These beetles are found in meadows, gardens, on the edges of forests and usually on flowers, where they feed on pollen. The larvae develop in the soil, in wood or dry plant stems.

False Blister Beetle Oedemera sp.

A male Xanthogramma pedissequum

Green Nettle Weevil, Phyllobius pomaceus

A baby bunny, which having seen me approaching was soon off.

A bit of artistic flair as I attempted to light up this poppy against a dark sky. What I didn't realise at the time, there was a bug inside it.

This is what happens when you accidentally drop your camera in-mid shot. That's why I always wear a strap. My hurt the tum as it bounces off, but at least it won't smash on the ground.

Birds recorded: 2 Buzzard, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Wood Pigeon, 1 Collared Dove, Green Woodpecker (heard yaffling), House Martins heard over the wood, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 2 Garden Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 6+ Blackcap, 10+ Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 20+ Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, 1 Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, 4 Linnet, 2 Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Bullfinch and a Yellowhammer.

Mammals: Juvenile Rabbit and a Grey Squirrel

Butterflies: Large White, Green-veined White, Brimstone, Common Blue, Large Skipper, Small Heath, Meadow Brown

Moths: 6 Spot Burnet, Grass Rivulets (Perizoma albulata), Burnet Companion (Euclidia glyphica)

Damselflies: Common Blue Damselfly

Also: A male Hoverfly (Xanthogramma pedissequum), Green Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus), Sawfly (Tenthredo arcuata) and False Blister Beetles (Oedemera sp.)