Linacre Insects - 13th July 2025

 After the ringing session on Sunday, I stayed on at Linacre to enjoy the sunshine and go looking for some insects. I wasn't disappointed, and managed some very good numbers of butterflies (17 species, including a new one!), 3 new moths, 1 new ladybird species, 4 species of odanata and lots of hoverflies and bees.

First the butterflies. Species seen were: Purple Hairstreak (2, maybe up to 4 seen on oaks below the bottom reservoir on 12th), Meadow Brown ( a minimum of 32), Gatekeeper (9), Peacock (2), Large White (13), Small White (3), Green-veined White (6 feeding/drinking on mud on the top reservoir, Comma (7), Painted Lady (1 in the ringing site), Small Copper (2), Small Tortoiseshell (1), Speckled Wood (2) Ringlet (1), Red Admiral (1), Holly Blue (1 - my first Linacre record of the year), a single Brimstone (my first Linacre sighting this year), and the brand new species, Essex Skipper (seen feeding with a 6-spot Burnet moth).

Essex Skipper (black antennae) and 6-spot Burnet

Brimstone

The new moths seen were a single Ghost Moth (found in the ringing site) and a Dingy Footman (seen in vegetation by the middle reservoir. 

Ghost Moth

Dingy Footman

A couple of 6-spot Burnet moths were also seen in the field by the top reservoir (second record for Linacre) and a single Cinnabar Moth caterpillar was also spotted.

Odanata (dragonflies and damselflies) were represented by the first Brown Hawkers of the year (3), another hawker species (Migrant or Southern), a single male Blue-tailed Damselfly and 20+ (minimum) Common Blue Damselflies, including several pairs "in cop" (mating).

Common Blue Damselflies

The new species of ladybird seen was a 14-spot, found on one of the ringer's hats!! A single Black and Yellow Longhorn Beetle was also found in the ringing site.

Last, but not least, a single Greylag Goose was seen on the top reservoir.

Greylag Goose

Large Blue - Lifer!

 At the weekend, Jayne and I were down in Bristol, so, on the way back, we decided to pop into the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust's Daneway Banks nature reserve, to see some butterflies.

We arrived at about 11am, to  a mixture of clouds and sunshine. Our first species were Ringlet and Meadow Brown that were both present in good numbers. We carried on, adding Marbled White and Large Skipper 6-spot Burnet moth, Small Heath and Small Blue to the list. 

Our target species, Large Blue, was however, a little harder to find! Eventually, after about an hour on site, Jayne spotted a "blue" butterfly, which I managed to get onto as well. I grabbed a few photos, and was able to confirm a female Large Blue!! Unfortunately, in my rush to get a photo, I didn't pay attention to the settings, and the few shots I got weren't very well focused! 

Large Blue

Warham Camp - 31st July 2023

 Jayne and I went across the Warham Camp this afternoon. It was overcast, and spitting with rain, but we still managed to see a few species of butterfly.

The key species was Chalkhill Blue, and we saw them straight away. Unfortunately, due to the weather, we only saw about half a dozen, and they kept down in the long grass. I eventually managed to get a few photos.

Chalkhill Blue

Other species seen were: Holly Blue (1), Common Blue (1), Essex Skipper (1), 6-spot Burnet (1),Yellow Shell (1), Wall Brown (1) and a single male Banded Demoiselle.

Wall Brown

There were only a few birds about: Red Kite (2), Marsh Harrier (2), Skylark (heard singing) and Yellowhammer (1 heard).

Lindrick Dale - 2nd July 2023

 On Sunday, I went across to Lindrick Dale to see if there were any butterflies. It was 18 degrees, overcast and quite windy, but I did still mange to see a few of the regulars.

The first butterflies seen were Marbled Whites, with c.20 in total. Dark Green Fritillaries were also about, but only 4 were flying. Other species seen were: Small Heath (1), Ringlets (4), 6-spot Burnet (1) and Meadow Browns (c.10). Unfortunately, no Silver-studded Blues were seen.

Marbled White

Dark Green Fritillary

Two species of orchid were also seen: Pyramidal and Common Spotted.

Lindrick Dale - 2nd July 2022

On Saturday, Jayne and I had our annual trip to Lindrick Dale, near Worksop. It was about 20 degrees, with quite a lot of  cloud cover and also quite windy, but, we still managed to spot the butterflies we'd gone to see, and two species for us there as well!!

First up, the "usual suspects", namely Dark Green Fritillary (c.10), Marbled White (c.5), Silver-studded Blue (just 2, one male and one female), Meadow Brown (c.5), Ringlet (3) and Gatekeeper (1).

Dark Green Fritillary

The two new species were a single 6-spot Burnet, and, most surprising, a pair of mating Silver-washed Fritillaries!!

Silver-washed Fritillaries

In addition to the butterflies, Jayne also noticed this gall on a rose plant, that turns out to be a Robin's Pincushion, also known as a bedeguar gall. This is created by the gall wasp, Diplolepis rosae, that lays an egg in the rose's bud in spring. The larvae then develop inside the gall, before emerging as adults, next spring to begin the cycle again.

Robin's Pincushion

Linacre - 22nd July 2020

I had a couple of hours at Linacre this afternoon. When I arrived at 12.30pm it was grey, overcast and just 17 degrees. I started down at the bottom reservoir where I was very lucky to see a Kingfisher fly up from the river, over the wall and along the water. Also on the water were 20+ Mallards and a breeding plumaged Black-headed Gull. This gull was a very unexpected sighting, as the first ones don't usually return until September or October! One adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was also present on the top reservoir.

Black-headed Gull

About half way round, the sun came out, and so did the insects! 8 species of butterfly were seen: Large White (1), Small White (2), Green-veined White (1), Ringlet (2), Meadow Brown (c.10), Gatekeeper (2), Comma (2) and Peacock (1). A new species of day-flying moth, 6-spot Burnet Moth (3), was also seen, as were 2 species of damselfly: Common Blue Damselfly (c.3 pairs in cop and ovipositing) and Blue-tailed Damselfly (1 male and 1 female of the "rufescens" form).

Common Blue Damselflies in cop

Blue-tailed Damselfly (female)

Other insects seen included my first Volucella pellucens (Great Pied Hoverfly) of the year (2), 2 Black and Yellow Longhorn Beetles and several species of bumblebee and droneflies.

Great Pied Hoverfly

Black and Yellow Longhorn Beetle

Isle of Wight Butterflies - 31st July 2016

This morning Jayne and I spent a couple of hours at the National Trust's Afton Down reserve near Freshwater, on the Isle of Wight.

Afton Down

We went to see if we could catch up with some butterflies, including one that I've never seen before, Small Blue. As soon as we arrived, we spotted the first "blues" of the day, the Chalkhill Blue. There were dozens of these butterflies flying around, all over the hillside, including many mating pairs.

Chalkhill Blue (male)

Chalkhill Blue (female)

Chalkhill Blue (mating pair)

Along with these butterflies, we also spotted 1 Small Blue, a female that was egg laying on Kidney Vetch (thanks Jayne!), 3 Dark Green Fritillaries, 1 Marbled White, dozens of Meadow Browns, 10+ Gatekeepers, 2 Large Whites, 2 Red Admirals and a three species of day-flying moths; 6-spot Burnet,Yellow Shell and Silver Y.

Small Blue (egg laying)

Small Blue

We also walked down to Compton Chine, where we had another couple of 6-spot Burnets, dozens more "blues", and  a single Small Copper. All in all, a very good few hours!