New species - Field Grasshopper

It only took me a couple of days to add another Orthopterid to the species list - this time the Field Grasshopper to add the Meadow Grasshopper I found earlier in the week. I had to capture it momentarily to get the photo so please ignore the background and blurring.

New Species - Essex Skipper

My suspicions have been confirmed by a butterfly expert and I can add the Essex Skipper to our buuterfly species list. It seems that contrary to what my butterfly book says the Essex Skipper is found in South Wales and so it is not surprising that we have them here as well as Small Skippers. The photograph above shows the black undersides to the antennae that are the giveaway that it is an Essex Skipper and not a Small Skipper. That makes it 17 species of butterfly this year on site.

New species - Meadow Grasshopper

I hadn't realised how similar some of the common grasshopper species are and how wide the colour variations are but this is a Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus)according to Google images at least. The policy of leaving some grass uncut each year seems to be paying off in terms of inverterbrate numbers. I shall be looking to see if I can spot at least one more Orthopterid this month.

Red-tailed bumblebee

Having picked up some bee identification sheets I thought I ought to make a start. So here's my first ID - a Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius). Excuse the lack of sharp focus - I was having camera issues yesterday.

Small Copper

One of my favourite butterflies has made its appearance at last this year - the Small Copper. That makes 16 species (or perhaps 17 depending on how the Essex Skipper ID pans out). Apologies the picture was overexposed so the colours are not accurate. It does have a new-agey vibe about it though.....

Slow worm

I posted a picture of the end part of the tail of a slow worm a while back. Now I have a proper picture of a slow worm so it is time to reprise this particular lizard. Found whilst haymaking hiding in the cut grass.

More butterflies

I hate to drone on but it has been stupendous here for butterflies this year compared to the last two summers. Assuming that the skippers I have seen are all Small Skippers ( and I am still reviewing that as one or two of the photos have me leaning towards an Essex Skipper but that is still to be confirmed) then we are at 15 species so far but it is the quantity rather than the diversity that is so impressive. I am a little concerned that a large number of meadows locally have been cut already due to the extended heat but here most of the fields will only be cut when the flowers have seeded and the butterflies have laid their eggs. For the record the species are Tortoiseshell, Orange Tip, Speckled Wood, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Small Skipper, Marbled White, Large White, Comma, Small White, Gatekeeper, Green-veined White and Peacock. Pictured is a Small Skipper on Greater Bird's-Foot Trefoil.