Farringdon, Shortheath and Bordon Parade Ground 8 June 2019

The perimeter of the Solar Farm near Farringdon (near Alton) is a rich wild-flower habitat.
The last of the spring butterflies are still present with Orange Tip still hanging on....

while the first of the summer butterflies are now starting to appear. Meadow Brown and Large Skipper here.

This spectacular long-horn beetle had a body approx 2cm long. It is "Golden-bloomed Grey longhorn beetle" Agapanthia villosovridescens.

Then via Hartley Mauditt pond where four species of dragonfly: Emperor, and Azure, Blue-tailed and 10+ Red-eyed Damselfly - as normal the latter sat on lily pads.

On to Shortheath Common where the wild cranberry was in flower - and there was even a cranberry berry:

Pondskaters on Shortheath Pond. A Common Tern arrived as we were leaving.

This diving beetle (?) was on the edge of the pond

The Bordon Parade Ground area had an excellent variety of day-flying moths.

Long horn moths:

Numerous Cinnabar:

5-spot Burnet Moth of some sort:

Burnet Campanion:

And the pick this Mother Shipton:

The same site also held a few interesting butterflies, with Green Hairstreak and Brown Argus the pick:

A briefly confiding Bullfinch:

Chawton Park Wood 8 June

A day dodging showers in Chawton Park Wood.

Common Spotted Orchid:

A rather battered Common Blue:

Nightjars at Kingsley and Shortheath Commons

A fine evening till dusk at Kingsley Common on 5 June was rewarded with a total of three Nightjars, with two churring males and a female. A lovely red sunset and a fine new moon added to the atmosphere.

A brief video of a flying Nightjar...

On the 7th June I checked out Shortheath Common where a churring Nightjar was present - it sang from various sites on the reserve. It was warm enough for a few Field Crickets to be singing at dusk. At the pond, a Noctule Bat was hawking quite low over the water. 

Kingsley Pond at dusk: