Aug 2011
Butterflies
15/08/11 15:09 Filed in: Sightings
Had a very good walk on the Rifle Range this morning seeing a good range of butterflies, 13 species in all, but not in large numbers:
Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Small White, Large White, Small Heath, Brimstone, Wall Brown, Small Tortoiseshell, Brown Argus, Small Copper, Common Blue, Speckled Wood & Brown Hairstreak.
Also saw a Grass Snake & some Slow Worms under a felt. Swallows & House Martins were flying above.
The popularity of our Brown Hairstreak Reserve is again apparent as there were at least eight people watching & taking photographs of a couple of females as they laid eggs on blackthorn growing around the perimeter.
Slow Worm
Brown Hairstreak
Brown Hairstreak laying Eggs
Brimstone
Wall Brown
Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Small White, Large White, Small Heath, Brimstone, Wall Brown, Small Tortoiseshell, Brown Argus, Small Copper, Common Blue, Speckled Wood & Brown Hairstreak.
Also saw a Grass Snake & some Slow Worms under a felt. Swallows & House Martins were flying above.
The popularity of our Brown Hairstreak Reserve is again apparent as there were at least eight people watching & taking photographs of a couple of females as they laid eggs on blackthorn growing around the perimeter.
Slow Worm
Brown Hairstreak
Brown Hairstreak laying Eggs
Brimstone
Wall Brown
Wasp Spider
14/08/11 15:56 Filed in: Sightings
Here’s a photo of a Wasp Spider taken on the Rifle Range by Simon Birnstingl:
These striking spiders were first recorded in the UK in 1922, and have, so far, spread as far north as Cambridge. They live on flying insects and grasshoppers and need fairly long grass in which to build their nests. Males are much smaller than females and some don’t survive the mating experience, being eaten by the female!
These striking spiders were first recorded in the UK in 1922, and have, so far, spread as far north as Cambridge. They live on flying insects and grasshoppers and need fairly long grass in which to build their nests. Males are much smaller than females and some don’t survive the mating experience, being eaten by the female!