A lovely summer morning, with Field and Meadow Grasshopper singing from the flower-filled meadows, and Skylarks singing from the blue skies overhead.
After a fairly still, humid night, opening the moth trap this morning was a real treat, with a jumble of moths of every colour and shape imaginable. Particularly eye-catching, 3 Large Elephant Hawk-moths, in shades of bright pink and green along with 2 huge Privet Hawk-moths, their black and white wings hiding a pink striped body. A pair of Lappets huddled onto the same section of egg-box – a large moth with an unusual shape and lovely deep chestnut colour, one fluttering onto my hand as I examined him.
Also found, Brown-tail Moth, Buff Ermines, Heart and Darts, Large Yellow Underwings, Common Footman, along with a delicate yellow Brimstone Moth and the extraordinary looking Snout – the wings almost an equilateral triangle, with an extraordinary long ‘nose’ which gives it it’s name. Many more – time for a proper count later in the day!
Away from the trap, 6-Spot Burnet Moths galore in the meadows – their red and black wings blurring to dark pink as they fly, with many of their golden chrysalises attached to grass stems. A Hummingbird Hawk-moth sips nectar from a Valerian flower on the walls of the Castle – really very like a tiny Hummingbird.
Butterflies on the wing this morning included Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Large and Lulworth Skipper, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock.
On the downland, Woolly Thistle is now 4+ feet high, with it’s relative, Burdock almost in flower, while Lady’s Bedstraw, Centaury, Yellow-wort, Eyebright, Red Bartsia and Wild Thyme cover the shorter turf.