A Colourful Visit to Jubilee Country Park

Fat-thighed Beetle, Oedemera nobilis, on a Creeping Thistle, Cirsium arvense.
Jubilee Country Park, 18 July 2012.

Jubilee Country Park is popular just now.  The meadows are flourishing, and that includes the insect life that abounds in them.  The Orpington Field Club visited on 18th July to look primarily for insects.

However, I was with a couple of botanists and we got separated from the entomologists for most of the visit!  Luckily that didn't mean that all the insects stayed with that group.  For example, the green beauty at the top of this post is quite common, but I always like photographing it.

Carcina quercana.  Peleopodid.  Caught by the Tent Peg Lane car park in Jubilee Country Park
on 18th July 2012 and photographed back at home in Hayes.

Yes, I am fascinated by moths at the moment, and it turns out that you can find them anywhere.  I grabbed this one into a little plastic tube before the meeting even started.  Like many small and colourful moths, it looks more or less white in flight.  You have to get it to rest and take a close look to see its real beauty.

At Ray's Pond I saw a damselfly I have not seen before.

Blue-tailed Damselfly, Ischnura elegans, by Ray's Pond.  Jubilee Country Park, 18 July 2012.

Although the early flowers in the pond were over, there were still some of these large buttercups around the edge.

Greater Spearwort, Ranunculus lingua, in Ray's Pond.  Jubilee Country Park, 18 July 2012.

Out in the meadow, some of the grasses were giving a good show.

Smaller Cat's-tail or Small-leaved Timothy-grass, Phleum bertolonii.  Jubilee Country Park, 18 July 2012.

There were many webby nests in the grass full of spiderlings, and wolf spiders were everywhere, carrying their egg-sacs as you have to do if you have no permanent home.

Wolf Spider, Pardosa species, carrying an egg-sac.  Jubilee Country Park, 18 July 2012.

And, of course, there were many butterflies.  This Comma was high in a hedgerow.

Comma, Polygonia c-album.  Jubilee Country Park, 18 July 2012.

It was a colourful visit.  These photos and a couple more are in this web album: Jubilee Country Park, 18 July 2012.