Eridge Rocks

Eridge Rocks,  26 April 2018

This part of the High Weald has quite a few sandstone cliffs and outcrops, something we did not have in the Hayes area where I used to live.  That area was mostly on chalk or gravel.  Eridge Rocks consists of about 600 metres of what you see here, a small but impressive cliff.  You can walk out along the bottom, where these photos were taken from, and back along the top. 

Eridge Rocks,  26 April 2018

Today, the Sussex Wildlife Trust led a walk along the rocks and through the woodland they sit in.  It's a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest for the mosses, liverworts, ferns and lichens that grow on the rocks.  Climbers come here too, and you can see their chalk on some of the drier rocks.

I expect it counts as a cheat if you go up that dead tree.

Eridge Rocks,  showing the erosion patterns.  26 April 2018

Erosion has produced cracks in two directions, and a lot of unusual honeycomb patterns on the surface. 

The Victorians loved this place and apparently were known to have dined out here in luxury at least once.  The people who care for the rocks have had to remove a lot of Rhododendron (the Victorians loved Rhododendrons) and now they try to keep the damper rock faces in dappled shade.  This lets the mosses, etc get some light without being shaded out or burnt dry. 

The surrounding woods are full of bluebells.

Woods by Eridge Rocks, 26 April 2018.

Not quite fully out yet, but nearly.  I saw a number of other ancient woodland indicator plants too, such as Redcurrant and

Yellow Pimpernel, Lysimachia nemorum.  Woods near  Eridge Rocks, 26 April 2018.

Yellow Pimpernel, which likes to grow beside paths.

We saw quite a few beeflies, some hoverflies, bumble bees and a couple of butterflies. 

Beefly, Bombylius major.  Woods near  Eridge Rocks, 26 April 2018.

Interesting woods - I'll be back.

Woods by Eridge Rocks, 26 April 2018.

Riddlesdown Quarry, Early Summer

Riddlesdown Quarry, 9 June 2016.

Walking into Riddlesdown quarry in summer is a completely different experience from a winter visit. It is a few years since I had seen it in this season.  I was invited to join Andrew, one of the rangers, for a butterfly walk.  My aim was to photograph anything interesting, not just butterflies!  We did see some of the scarce Small Blues, the main reason for this walk, which I managed not to photograph.

Even before the walk I had taken a couple of shots on a nearby bank. This is Crested Dog's-tail, Cynosurus cristatus.  It's a common grass, but very showy.

Burnet Companion, Euclidia glyphica.  Riddlesdown quarry, 9 June 2016. 

Inside the quarry we soon saw lots of these moths, Burnet Companions, common day-fliers in grassland.  I was pleased to get a close photo, which I had not managed before.  

I saw a couple of spiders ..

Crab spiders, Misumena vatia.  Riddlesdown quarry, 9 June 2016

In the middle of this Oxeye Daisy is a crab spider, Misumena vatia.  Crab spiders are ambushers.  They wait in a flower until an insect comes along, then pounce.  This species can change its colour to yellow, but I have only ever seen white ones, whatever colour flower they are on.  Of course that might just mean that I have missed some well-camouflaged specimens!

The larger one is a female.  The small striped one is a male, which I found wandering around on a different flower.

Jumping spider, Heliophanus species, with prey. Riddlesdown quarry, 9 June 2016

Jumping spiders creep up on their prey and then jump at them.  They are fast.  This Heliophanus has what looks like a small fly.

Brimstone caterpillar, Gonepteryx rhamni, on Common Buckthorn, Rhamnus cathartica.  Riddlesdown quarry, 9 June 2016

Andrew pointed this out to us.  It's the caterpillar of a Brimstone butterfly, lying along the leaf of a small Buckthorn.  This and the related Alder Buckthorn are its only food plants.  The caterpillars were hard to see until we were right up close to them.  Soon afterwards, we watched a female Brimstone lay a single egg on a Buckthorn leaf.   That's it inset into this photo.

Weevil, Tychius schneideri.  Riddlesdown quarry, 9 June 2016.

As well as white Oxeye Daisies, the quarry was full of yellow flowers.  All up the slopes were masses of Kidney Vetch, the food plant of the Small Blue butterfly.  

We looked inside a few of the flower heads, searching for caterpillars, but didn't find any.  It was only a quick look, not a proper investigation.  But I did see this little weevil, Tychius schneideri, which is known to favour Kidney Vetch.

There were many yellow-flowered dandelion lookalikes, and the floor of the quarry had a healthy population of Rock Rose.

Common Rock-rose, Helianthemum nummularium.   Riddlesdown quarry, 9 June 2016.

And, of course, there were many other things.  I have carefully avoided repeating things featured in the previous summertime post linked to at the top.  

Hutchinson's Bank

Wild Strawberry, Fragaria vesca.  Hutchinson's Bank, 24 May 2016.

As you walk onto Hutchinson's Bank from a convenient parking spot, the sides of the path are lined with wild strawberries.  These should be fruitful later on.  The fruits are small, but tasty.  However, I am wary of eating fruits which are positioned where dogs can be walked.

Beefly, Bombylius major.   Hutchinson's Bank, 24 May 2016.

In the chalk cutting, there is what looks like a discarded piece of concrete, though it might have some purpose; this is a well-cared-for spot and rubbish would have been removed.  This Beefly was basking on it.  It might look a bit like a bee, but closer up it can be seen to have a fly's antennae and only two wings.

Beeflies lay their eggs in the holes made by solitary bees, and their larvae eat the bee larvae when the eggs hatch.   That long proboscis is not a sting.  It is used by the fly to eat pollen while hovering above a flower.

Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa.  Hutchinson's Bank, 24 May 2016.

Horseshoe Vetch and the rather similar Kidney Vetch grow here.  These are the larval food plants for Chalkhill Blue and Small Blue butterflies.  The butterflies are only found in association with these chalk-loving plants.

Sainfoin, Onobrychis viciifolia.  Hutchinson's Bank, 24 May 2016.

Along the top path is a stretch rich in Sainfoin, a plant in the pea family that looks similar to a Lupin. 

Woodruff, Galium odoratum.  Hutchinson's Bank, 24 May 2016.

A triangle of woodland at one end of the bank has several ancient woodland indicator species, including lots of Woodruff, its white flowers making light patches in the shadier spots.

Wood Sanicle, Sanicula europaea. Chapel Bank, 24 May 2016.

Across the road is another special site, Chapel Bank.  The path leads through an area rich in Sanicle, another ancient woodland indicator species.

Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus malvae.  Chapel Bank, 24 May 2016.

On a chalk slope on Chapel Bank I photographed this Grizzled Skipper, another butterfly with a limited distribution. 

An unusual feature of Chapel Bank is a swathe of Marsh Thistles on one of the slopes.  When mature they can overtop me, and en masse they can be quite imposing.  At the moment they are still quite immature.  There is a much smaller stand of these plants in Beacon Wood, and even they were impressive.

Bank of Marsh Thistles, Cirsium palustre.  Chapel Bank, 24 May 2016.

Hairy-Footed Flower Bee

Hairy-footed Flower Bee, Anthophora plumipes.   Male.  West Wickham Common, 3 April 2016.

SOme early bees are out and about, and the one with the best name is the Hairy-footed Flower Bee.  It's about the same size as a bumble-bee worker, but it's too early in the year for the workers to be flying, so if you think you see one it might be this.  This is the male, a furry bee of a light buff colour.  This photo shows off the hairy feet pretty well.

Hairy-footed Flower Bee, Anthophora plumipes.   Female.  West Wickham Common, 3 April 2016.

The female is much darker, but has a distinctive light tuft on its leg.

Both these bees are working through a patch of Red Dead-nettle, which is currently in full flower.   Other insects also come to these flowers; this one ..

Bombus terrestris, Buff-tailed Bumblebee.   Queen.  West Wickham Common, 3 April 2016.

is a bumble-bee.  It's a queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee, foraging to feed its first batch of larvae.  It is twice the length of the flower bees and could not be mistaken for one.

There are also some other mid-sized flyers around.  For example, bee-flies; as the name suggests, they are flies, not bees.  I didn't manage to photograph the one I saw on April 3rd, so here is a shot from 2014.

Beefly, Bombylius major.  Churchyard of the Church of St. Mary,  Kemsing, 12 April 2014.

It's the same size as the flower bees, and about the same colour as the male, but those stiffly held wings with the dark band are quite distinctive. 

Mixed Trap Insects from 2015

Nut Weevil, Curculio species.  In my garden light trap in Hayes on 13 August 2015

All sorts of insects that can fly end up in my garden light trap.  You would not think that this weevil could fly by just looking at it, but it certainly can.  It's probably an Acorn Weevil, but there are a few other nut weevils that look very similar.

Beetle, Dromius quadrimaculatus.  In my garden light trap in Hayes on 9 August 2015

Beetles in general can fly.  I saw a few of this small spotted one.  Their wings are protected by the tough wing cases, which are normally all you can see.

Hawthorn Shieldbug, Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale.  In my garden light trap in Hayes on 13 June 2015

This is a true bug, from a group called shield bugs or stink bugs.  It has sucking mouthparts and this one lives on Hawthorns.  I have a couple of hawthorns in my tiny garden so I see quite a few of these.  Bugs are a type of beetle, and in this group you can see the ends of the wings, which are not completely covered by the wing cases.

Orange Ladybird, Halyzia sedecimguttata.   In my garden light trap in Hayes on 18 June 2015

I also see plenty of ladybirds, including my favourite, this Orange Ladybird.  I like the generally translucent appearance, and the way the white and yellow spots are clearly on the top surface of the transparent shell, looking as though they have been dotted on with a paintbrush.  They feed on mildew and sometimes small aphids, so should be encouraged.

Leafhopper, Ledra aurita.  In my garden light trap in Hayes on 23 August 2015

I also see leafhoppers, another group that sucks plant sap.  This Ledra aurita is the oddest-looking one, with those big projections on its thorax that make it look like a tiny dinosaur.

Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria.  In my garden light trap in Hayes on 13 July 2015

This was my biggest surprise of the year - a Speckled Wood butterfly!  I set my trap before it gets dark, so maybe it flew in during the last of the twilight.  But a butterfly attracted to light?  That sounds wrong.  Yet I did see another butterfly come to a light trap at night when out with some mothers on Keston Common.  That was a very bright light trap.  It's unusual, but not unheard of. 

Kelsey Park Insects

Midge, probably Chironomus luridus.  Kelsey Park, 28 August 2015.

There are usually two bat walks in Kelsey Park (Beckenham) each year.  You have to book for them because they are so popular; the best bat walk in the area, because there you can see Daubenton's bats skimming over the water. For the last three years I have put out my moth trap during the August walk to see what might be around.

Results have been very varied. Even on good moth nights, the walk is usually finishing before many moths have arrived.  This year, an extra walk was put on to cope with demand, but the second was on a cool damp night and almost nothing turned up in the trap (but there were plenty of bats over the lake).

However, during the first August walk I saw the usual flush of midges large and small.  This was one of the larger ones.  It's not a biter - no long proboscis is visible. The name I have attached to it is only tentative. A similar creature was identified as this last year.

We also had some Caddises.

Caddis, Speckled Peter, Agrypnia varia.  Kelsey Park, 28 August 2015.

This black-and-white Speckled Peter was the prettiest.  You can expect to see lots of Caddisflies around water because that's where their larvae live.

Water Boatman, probably a Callicorixa species.  Kelsey Park, 28 August 2015.

This is another sign of nearby water; a beetle, actually a true bug, called a Water Boatman because of the way it uses its legs to swim around under the water.  They look rather like oars.  Most people don't realise that these creatures also fly around at night.  We had several in the light trap.

Forest Bug, Pentatoma rufipes.  Kelsey Park, 28 August 2015.

Forest Bugs also tend to come to light.  These are also true bugs, but have nothing to do with the nearby water.  They live in trees.

While looking around I also saw this Harvestman on a Scots Pine.

Harvestman, order Opiliones.  Kelsey Park, 28 August 2015.

Harvestmen are related to spiders, but have only a single body segment, whereas spiders have two.  I often see them when trapping at night.  They don't usually come to the light, but they are always wandering around so I see them coming and going.   Most species have long legs, some much longer than this, though a few are more compact.  They are one of the groups of creatures called Daddy Long-legs.  Craneflies and some spiders also get that name.

Next time I will show some actual moths!

Insects and Flowers

Beetles, Byturus ochraceus, in a Bulbous Buttercup flower.  Darrick Wood, 11 May 2015.

 Just two photos this time.  I was pleased to get this shot of these tiny beetles.  Usually I find them with their heads buried in their food, which you can see that some of these are doing.  But one of them has its head clearly visible.

I am fairly sure of the species name, but not completely confident, so my apologies if it is incorrect.

Hoverfly, Sphaerophoria species, female, on Meadow Saxifrage, Saxifraga granulata.  Darrick Wood, 11 May 2015.

I love hoverflies on flowers.  They provide great contrast in forms, textures and colours.  You can tell this Sphaerophoria is female because there is a gap between the two compound eyes.  It's not possible to identify the species from a photograph.  It's eating the pollen from the stamen of this Meadow Saxifrage - you can see its tongue reaching out.

Early High Elms

Conservation Field, High Elms, with cowslips, 21 April 2015.

High Elms Country Park looks bare at this time of year because so much has been mown or grazed.  This has mixed results, but it does allow a lot of early flowers to flourish where they might otherwise become overgrown.  This is what they call the Conservation Field, taken with my iPhone, full of cowslips.  This composition isn't great, being pretty much bare in the middle ground, but I wanted to get a cowslip in focus.

Cuckoo Wood with bluebells.  High Elms, 21 April 2015.

Here's a similar shot of a beautiful bluebell wood, also part of High Elms.  The iPhone is limited as a camera, but very good for taking photos that you can then email to someone straight away.  But I also had my proper camera with me.

Common Dog-violet, Viola riviniana.  Burnt Gorse, High Elms, 21 April 2015.

Violets are flourishing just now; in fact some of them are already over or hard to find.  The chalk meadow at Burnt Gorse has Hairy Violets, a chalk-loving species, but when I went on 21st April I could only see hundreds of these Common Dog-violets.  Their distinguishing features are: a light coloured, notched spur behind the petals; pointed sepals; leaf-stalks not noticeably hairy; and large sepal appendages, one of which you can just see here sticking up where the flower stalk joins the flower.  There are four common wild violets, some of which can be hard to tell apart unless you check all these details.

Bee-fly, Bombylius major.  Burnt Gorse, High Elms, 21 April 2015.

This Bee-fly was just interested in whether it had nectar.  It is a fly that looks and acts like a bee, though bees do not have that long sharp-looking snout.  They are a pleasant sight, buzzing about in Spring and hovering by flowers.  This shot shows that the fast-moving wings may be holding it up, but it is also positioning itself and perhaps being steadied by its legs; so it's not a fully committed hoverer like a hoverfly.

Some common flowers are about in the woods.

Garlic Mustard, Alliaria petiolata.  High Elms Country Park, 21 April 2015.

The young leaves of Garlic Mustard are usable as a salad plant.   It's also called Jack-by-the-Hedge, which accurately tells you where else you can find it.

Herb Robert, Geranium robertianum.  High Elms Country Park, 21 April 2015.

Herb Robert grows all over this area, mostly in woods and hedgerows.  At the back left is a rosette of Wood Avens leaves. They are also very common and will flower later.  In fact, there is some in the previous photo too.

Toothwort, Lathraea squamaria.  High Elms Country Park, 21 April 2015.

Toothwort only grows near trees, usually Hazels, because it is a complete parasite.  It has no chlorophyll of its own.  It is a very early flowerer and its season is almost over.  This specimen only has a few open flowers left, and most of those I saw were completely finished.

Last Summer's Predation

Spider, Tegenaria species, predating Pale Mottled Willow, Paradrina clavipalpis.
Near my garden light trap in Hayes on 21 June 2014.

Some of last summer's spiders were quite active.  This Pale Mottled Willow moth had been resting in the crack between the garage door and its jamb.  When I opened the door, it fell to the ground, right into a few strands of web that this Tegenaria spider had spun just under the door opening.  Sensing that something had fallen in, it ran out and grabbed the moth.

Well, the spider was happy, and this also shows off the very light underwings that are typical of the moth.

Jersey Tiger, Euplagia quadripunctaria, being eaten by Garden Spider, Araneus diadematus.
Near my garden light trap in Hayes on 16 August 2014.

Jersey Tigers are large and colourful moths that used to be scarce here, but now arrive in some numbers over a period of three to four weeks every year.  This orb web spider clearly appreciates the way they come to the light of my trap.

Harvestman, Leiobunum rotundum.  Male.  In my garden light trap in Hayes on 7 June 2014.

I also get Harvestmen in my trap.  They are arachnids, related to spiders, but different in several important ways.  I am showing this one because ..

Nursery Web Spider, Pisaura mirabilis.   Male.  Eating a Harvestman, a male Leiobonum rotundum.
In my garden light trap in Hayes on 19 May 2014.

Spiders like them too.  A trap full of insects naturally attracts predators, but some of them are more at risk than they would probably like, were they capable of liking things.

(This Nursery Web Spider would have started with eight legs, but has lost two.  I quite often see spiders with missing legs.  The spider at the top of the page and the harvestman in the photo above have both lost a leg.  It doesn't seem to slow them down.)