Haycut

I've done just over 60% of the haycut in July (excluding my neighbour's field) which is a change from the 40% I used to aim for. This is partly because everything has come a bit earlier this year and partly because I have a feeling we might pay for the extended period of dry days with an extended period of wet days in August. Whilst in the fields today I saw a tiny Slow Worm and a Painted Lady butterfly - both first sightings for 2025. That takes the 2025 butterfly species list to 16 with 2 more probables (Green-veined White and Holly Blue) neither of which I got close enough to to confirm. For comparison I recorded 16 species in 2023 and only 9 species in 2024.

New hoverfly species

Unfortunately I have not yet made a final id and am trying to get some help. To me it looks like a hoverfly fropm the Parasyrphus genus and specifically either P. nigitarsis or P. malinellus but either would be an unusual find here so I am keen to get an expert opinion. A stunning looking hoverfly whatever its id.

Gatekeeper butterflies

It's been a much better year for butterflies than last year and perhaps the biggest winner are Gatekeepers that are everywhere at the moment. This is one of four right in front of the house this afternoon. Although the douible spot is often cited as the way to distinguish them from Meadow Browns they are a more colourful, sharper flying elegant butterfly whereas the Meadow Brown is blowsy in appearance and flight.

Green-winged orchid introduction??

I am cautious about introducing any species but I have been tempted by Green winged orchids as they were last recorded in the village itself a couple of fields away about 20 years ago. I feel they would have been seen in our fields in the past. Now that this species has been found less than half a mile away I decided to try a reintroduction and was given seed by the owner of the newly discovered plants. I have sprinkled some seed in six places two in the West field, one in the South field and three spots in the East field. Now just to sit back and wait afew years to see if anything transpires.

7-spot Ladybirds

It's been a much better invertebrate year than last year but the biggest increase seems to be 7-spot ladybirds. In fact all the ladybirds I have seen have been 7-spot and that is also surprising. They are everywhere and here is a couple on our ragwort patch. I wouldn't give much of a chance to the aphid currently hiding in the flower next to the topmost ladybird!

New species - Flower Crab Spider (Misumena vatia)

I spotted a tiny but striking spider atop a Spear Thistle flower and went back for my camera but it had gone when I returned so no photo. However the striking pale lemon yellow body together with milky white legs and it sitting on a flower give me confidence it is a Crab Spider known as the Flower Spider or Goldenrod Crab Spider. I do have trouble identifying spiders so it is good to get one that is readily identifiable.

Small Copper

A couple of butterflies to add to this year's list this week - a Gatekeeper which are common enough and the much less often seen Small Copper, one of my favourite butterflies. Checking up I see that I have only recorded it in five of the 14 years we have been here. Certainly the long hot dry spell is racking up the butterfly count this year. This is an old photo of a Small Copper.

Another ex grass snake

This the third time I have found a dead grass snake - all of them largish adults. It is perhaps good news that they clearly are resident here despite lack of suitably sized ponds around although next door has a small one. I have also seen live ones it's fair to say. This one had bad injuries and the obvious explanation is that I had been cutting the field earlier a few metres away. Next doors cat was also around and there are other candidates as I did see an animal run away from the site of the snake but couldn't tell what it was - cat, stoat??

Ragwort patch mini-habitat

Looking at the translocated Cinnabar Moth larvae I had a chance to notice the comings and goings on the Ragwort patch. The first thing I spotted was three tiny Cinnabar larvae in addition to the original six (not four as previously stated). They must have been translocated as eggs or very tiny caterpillkars that I hadn't spotted. I also had regular vists from two Hoverflies, both of which had been recorded before - The Marmalade Fly (Episyrphus balteatus) and the Glass-winged Syrphus (Syrphus vitripennis). The latter can be difficult to distinguish from S. ribesii but between the excellent Hoverfly book and Steven Falk's photos online the ID becomes clear. There was also a mining bee but so far no ID on that. Another difficult area is Mining Bees! Photo of the male Glass-winged Syrphus clearly showing the colouring on the rear femur that distinguishes it from S. ribesii.

Cinnabar Moth larvae

I leave some Ragwort to flower to accommodate Cinnabar moth larvae but I haven't seen any of the distinctive caterpillars for a few years although I did spot an adult in flight last July. Whilst at a friend's house in the next village I was shown scores of the caterpillars so I was able to take four and restock our site. They are now happily feeding away from the crowded Ragworts where they came from.