End of June

After a frustrating week of heavy fog on the Downs, the weather really settled down by the end of June.

Orange moon that rose over Eastbourne  As it got higher it faded to white as its light was scattered less by the atmosphere.

The sea at Birling Gap

Meadow Brown at Knepp

Marbled White at Knepp. I also saw five Purple Emperors and a Purple Hairstreak, both lifetime firsts.

A cricket at Midhurst

Beautiful Demoiselle on the river Rother at Midhurst

At Midhurst I visited the Cowdray walled garden.

A tree with lots of sad eyes in its bark

Honey Bees in lavender

Small Tortoiseshell in verbena

Juvenile Pied Wagtail

Another Meadow Brown, this time near Arlington Reservoir. Briefly saw a Turtle Dove there, my second of the year.

The Pond

Almost exactly two years ago we dug our garden pond. I anticipated that it would increase the biodiversity of the garden and I have not been disappointed.

European Common Frog, Rana temporaria. There is a a big variety of sizes in the pond and the first natural spawn appeared in the spring.

An emerging Southern Hawker dragonfly. One of at least 12 that have done so this June, estimating by the number of discarded exuvia. I remember photographing a female laying eggs in the pond in August 2016, interestingly in the mud around the pond and not in the water.

Cucumber Green Orb Spider, Araniella cucurbitina. Which is living in the leaves of some of the pond plants.

Kittiwakes at Seaford Head

I visited Seaford Head to see the Black-legged Kittiwake colony. This species is declining significantly, but thankfully the colony on Seaford Head near Splash Point seems to be doing really well with probably over 100 pairs nesting.

Weeting Heath

On a visit to Norwich I managed to find the time to stop at Weeting Heath, hoping to see some of the Stone Curlews that breed there.

Eurasian Curlew

Stone Curlew. Hidden, but definitely there.

In the strip of woodland there was a very active feeding station

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Yellowhammer

Marsh Tit

Blackbird

Jay

Bathing Great Tit

At the visitor's centre there was a Moth trap.

Small Elephant Hawkmoth, Deilephila porcellus. 

I think this is an Olive Tree Beauty, Peribatodes umbraria. 

A non-native Campanula

Arundel and Knepp

I heard that the Southbourne stream at Arundel was a good place to see Water Voles. Saw lots of burrows, but no voles.

Mandarin

 Mallard

 Twayblade

 Pike

 Cow Parsley

Treecreeper

Later in the day we drove north to Knepp where I finally saw a Turtle Dove, my fifth attempt this year. Sadly they will get harder to see every year as numbers continue to decline.

Turtle Dove

 Cinnabar Moth

Thick-legged Flower Beetle, Oedemera nobilis, in my garden