Alice Holt Forest 10 July

 A second visit. This time focused on Lodge Inclosure.

Starting at the Butterfly Conservation reserve at Bentley Station.

This male Golden-Ringed Dragonfly was patrolling a small area and often resting on docks. A couple of Brown Hawkers were also present. And a Purple Emperor flew through.

A nice patch of Betony by the path...

Zig-Zag Clover

I dread to think how many Speckled Wood photos I have taken

This Hornet was doing the dragonfly thing: it came down to the surface of a pond to drink (presumably).

Alice Holt Forest in early July

The first of a couple of visits to the forest. The "big" butterflies are the obvious main draw - Silver-washed Fritillary, White Admiral, and Purple Emperor. However there is plenty more to be found.

3 July: Straits Inclosure. We walked the fields from Country Market where there was a field of Flax in flower:

In the woods themsleves Large Skipper...

 A Purple Hairstreak which had come down from the tops of the oaks...

And some more obscure stuff - Red Legged Shieldbug in Alders by a pond - presumably this was responsible for binding the leaf edges together.

A pair of Hoverflies - Helophilus Pendulus:

The commonest (or most visible) of the Long-horn Beetles: Rutpela Maculata

A much scarcer long-horn: Arhopalus Ferus (probably - there is another very similar species). This very large - perhaps an inch long excluding the antennae. The highlight of the day.

But this Speckled Bush Cricket came close...

Bramdean Common 2 July 2022

Peacock caterpillar along the track from West Tisted...

In Bramdean Common woods... an intriguing orange fly. Unable to find this one in my general Insect field guides - but with 7000 species of fly in the UK then not all can be shown. (And they have a limited appeal)

Silver-washed Fritillaries are now on the wing in numbers in suitable woodlands....

In the meadows, wild basil...

Numbers of Small/Essex Skippers were in the meadow. Those which I put the effort in to identify were all Essex Skippers. The tips of the antennae are completely black.

A single example of Clouded Yellow - a rare migrant. As always, impossible to get a photo of the upperside of the wings.

Greywell 25 June 2022

 Along the upper reaches of the River Whitewater.

The dark U shape on the first segment of the abdomen tells us this is a pair of AzUre Damselflies.

Large Red Damselfly...

There were a couple of the fairly large longhorn beetle leptura quadrifasciata in the willows...

Umbellifers provided close views of Marmalade Hover-flies...

Lots of Water Figwort in flower....

With a Sedge Warbler still singing in one patch...

Marsh Helleborine...

Marsh Fragrant Orchid coming into flower...