Pellitory Cosmet Cosmopterix pulchrimella. Lu and I had a stroll down to the seafront this morning. I stopped at some clumps of Pellitory-of-the-wall, in the hopes of finding the striking C.pulchrimella. After a while I realised the tiny 'midges' buzzing around the plants were indeed what I was searching for! They're only about 4mm long but incredibly smart close-up.
Mudbank - still only the one Dark-bellied Brent Goose this morning. Also - 160+ Black-headed Gulls but no sign of any Meds, although many of the Black-heads were very distant so I may have overlooked some. Otherwise just a single fly-over Siskin. Thank God for flowers and insects!
White Beak-sedge. Masses of this out on the pebbled heaths at the moment.
Bog Asphodel with the Pitcher Plant hybrid (Sarracenia flava x Sarracenia sp).
Small Red Damselfly.
Another day, another July Highflyer, but this one has far more brown colouration than I'm used to seeing.
It's been a good few years since I last saw Short-cloaked Moth. It's not a rare species but it's certainly not common in this part of Exmouth at least.
Another species that I feel compelled to photograph - the very common and very lovely Coronet, with its subtle shades of mauve, grey, white and green.
Meadow Thistle.
Heath Spotted Orchid. In my continuing quest to find local Heath Fragrant Orchid, I came across some 'well past it' species. Will have to wait nearly a year to see Heath Spotted and Early marsh Orchids in their prime again, now that we're approaching Helleborine and Lady's Tresses season...
Early Marsh Orchid - the only one, with remaining flowers, that I could find - complete with cobwebs to add to the sense of old age!
The Blackhill Quarry Common Spotted Orchids are going over, but a small number still look really good.
I must make more effort to see Cosmopterix pulchrimella. I know it's found in London & the foodplant is common.
ReplyDeleteApt looking at this post as I was leading a walk at Chobham Common yesterday & quite a few Sarracenias there in one area. Most seem to be S. purpurea but at least one plant of S. flava which I hadn't seen there previously. All in a flowering mass of Bog Asphodel.
Quite a few Silver-studded Blues & like you had Small Red Damselfly & some male Keeled Skimmers. Quite a few other nice insects such as Mottled Grasshoppers, Sand-wasps, Mottled Beefly as well as an Adder that crossed in front of us!
Hi Neil - good to hear from you. Heaths are great places to be at this time of the year aren't they. Sounds like there was loads to see on the guided walk - guessing you had lots of happy customers! If you're looking for C. pulchrimella get close to the plant 'cos they're not easy to see! Far better on the back of a camera than with the naked eye. Think I need glasses. All the very best. Matt
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