Beetle, Micro Moth, Dragonflies and Damselflies - East Blean Wood 28/05/20

I had a wander along to East Blean wood today on quite a windy day but with some good sunny intervals. It was very nice to be able to have the chance to pay a visit and the variety of greens in the various leaves looked lovely as I made my way along with the sunlight streaming through the trees. 

East Blean Wood

I could hear a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a little further along a Green Woodpecker yaffled. I came across a Longhorn Beetle and on looking it up it appears to be a White-clouded Longhorn Beetle Mesosa nebulosa. It seems unlikely that it is one as they are rare in Southern England and apparently the adults are nocturnal but I have not found anything else that looks like it. 

White-clouded Longhorn Beetle Mesosa nebulosa

White-clouded Longhorn Beetle Mesosa nebulosa

I could hear Chiffchaff singing and a Nuthatch (120) called from a fair way away. I came across a very pretty micro moth Alabonia geoffrella. It really was a little beauty.

Alabonia geoffrella

Alabonia geoffrella

Alabonia geoffrella

Scorpionflies were resting up here and there before flying on hunting sorties. I came across one that had less banding on its abdomen than I have seen before.

Scorpionfly

A Treecreeper (121) was working its way along by spiralling up the trunks of the trees before dropping to the base of the next one. A Heath Fritillary was resting up and its underwing pattern looked lovely in the sunshine.

Heath Fritillary

Blue Tits, Great Tits and Coal Tits were calling away from various trees as I made my way along a couple of Grey Squirrel were chasing each other round. A Norfolk Hawker was on the wing and settled nearby allowing some good views even though it was against a very bright background so I struggled to get the exposure right. They are lovely dragonflies.

Norfolk Hawker

Norfolk Hawker

Norfolk Hawker

I came across what I think is a blue form female Variable Damselfly going from the bar between the eyes, the shape of the pronotum and the size of the blue on S4 and 5.

Variable Damselfly

I started to make my way back and stopped to admire a female Broad-bodied Chaser with the light streaming from behind through its wings. As I moved past it I was able to see it from different angles and it gave some superb views. What a beauty.

Broad-bodied Chaser

Broad-bodied Chaser

Broad-bodied Chaser

Broad-bodied Chaser

I had a look around the car park area. The advantage of it being closed was that the Dragonflies there were able to hunt and rest up without disturbance. I could hear a Tawny Owl (122) calling in the distance which was a welcome sound. Another Norfolk Hawker was resting up and allowed some good views.

Norfolk Hawker

Norfolk Hawker

Hairy Dragonflies were on the wing and, again, allowed some very good views while resting up. They are striking and beautiful dragonflies and it was nice to be able to see both male and female.

female Hairy Dragonfly

female Hairy Dragonfly

female Hairy Dragonfly

Male Hairy Dragonfly

I finished the visit watching Wood Ants around their nest moving sizeable pieces of vegetation with often 2 or 3 appearing to work together when a piece proved to be too big for just one.

Wood Ants

It had been a very enjoyable time spent.

An Admiral, Emperor and a Demoiselle - East Blean Wood 30/06/19

I headed to East Blean wood late afternoon. Unfortunately the weather was changing with building thick cloud and few and far between sunny intervals as well as a cool wind. Still, with the hope that it might improve I had a look to see what I could see. A few Meadow Brown butterflies were flitting around the car park area but I couldn't see any dragonflies. A Chiffchaff was calling away and I could hear both Blue and Great Tits but otherwise it was very quiet. I had a wander up the path for a little way. I could see a Norfolk Hawker hawking for insects in a clearing but I did not see it come down. I came across a beetle I haven't seen before. On looking it up it is a Leaf Beetle, a Clytra quadripunctata. From some views it looked rather like an elongated Ladybird.

Clytra quadripunctata

Clytra quadripunctata

Clytra quadripunctata

I could see some Heath Fritillaries resting up. In the duller light the colour of them seemed more intense. One of them enabled an unusual view of the underside of both the upper and lower wings. It was a bit obscured but nice to see. A mating pair were also resting up. They are beautiful butterflies and I always enjoy watching them.

Heath Fritillary

Heath Fritillary

mating Heath Fritillaries

I caught sight of a White Admiral butterfly but it did not settle and a little further on I could see a Purple Hairstreak high in the canopy. A Harvestman was sitting out on a leaf and appeared to be the same type that I saw the other day but I was able to get a little bit of a closer photo.

Harvestman

With walking not a strong point today I stopped at the large bramble patch I was aiming for and sat and waited to see what came visiting. It wasn't long before a White Admiral flew in and I enjoyed watching it as it moved from flower to flower. They are handsome butterflies.

White Admiral

White Admiral

White Admiral

A flash of orange caught my eye as a mating pair of Comma butterflies landed and remained tucked down in the grass for quite a while. While watching the two Comma's a Lacewing flew across and landed above me. I think that it is a Chrysopa perla.

mating Comma Butterflies

Lacewing Chrysopa perla

A Common Blue Damselfly was sheltering out of the wind and gave the opportunity for some good views. A moth flew out from cover and settled briefly before moving off again. It was a Four-dotted Footman Cybosia mesomella which was the same species of moth I saw the last time I came but this one was not f. flava. It has given a good chance to compare them.

Common Blue Damselfly

Four-dotted Footman Cybosia mesomella

A White Admiral reappeared and gave some nice views of its underwings as it fed, this time, while a second one was feeding further over.

White Admiral

White Admiral

I had seen a couple of Ringlet briefly but then in one of the sunny spells I saw one settle and though a little obscured and not very close I was able to get some photos. It was nice to catch up with some views of them again and my first for this year.

female Ringlet

female Ringlet

I started to head back and came across a teneral Common Blue Damselfly and a Speckled Bush Cricket nymph. I also saw a couple of Large Skipper butterflies.

teneral Common Blue Damselfly

Speckled Bush Cricket nymph

I had a peep around the car park area again in case there was a resting Norfolk Hawker. I did not come across one but I did come across a handsome male Emperor Dragonfly enjoying the sunshine that had finally come out. It allowed some very nice views.

male Emperor Dragonfly

male Emperor Dragonfly

male Emperor Dragonfly

male Emperor Dragonfly

A White Admiral dropped in briefly before moving on. I could hear a Tawny Owl calling.

White Admiral

I was chuffed when a Banded Demoiselle came out from cover and sat soaking up the sunshine and giving some stunning views. They really are stunningly beautiful damselflies and it was a joy to be able to just spend some time watching it. I felt very lucky and it was a lovely end to the visit.

Banded Demoiselle

Banded Demoiselle

Banded Demoiselle

Birds seen this visit include: 2 Chiffchaff, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Wood Pigeons, 3 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat, 2 Blackbirds, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Jay, 2 Wren, 1 Tawny Owl (heard)