Enter the Dragon

Whilst the (new) garden list has been getting longer year on year since I first started recording in August 2016 my sightings of Odonata have remained few and far between.

It took nearly two years before I got my first record - a single azure damselfly (Coenagrion puella) on the 9th June 2018. Needless to say I was more than made up to break my duck! Then, by some natural coincidence I was to get my second record of this species exactly a year later on the 9th June 2019.

This sighting was swiftly followed by a new species record on 1st July 2019 - when a single blue-tailed damselfly (Ischnura elegans) went to roost in the long grass of the "wildflower patch".

As if this wasn't excitement enough, by the end of August I was over the moon to capture the image of a male common darter (Sympetrum striolatum) as it patrolled the back garden looking for a vantage point / territorial perch .. first stopping on the handle of a hand fork, that had been pushed into the ground in order to hold down the edge of some wildflower turf .. then alighting on the blueberry bush .. where it posed obligingly for some time.

Three weeks later a second common darter has appeared , this time a female, who spent time on the miniature apple tree, allowing me to get close enough for some (almost) frame-filling shots.

.. "For we're all jolly fellows that follow the plough .." (A Slight Return)

Square Spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa L.) .. emerging wings

I admit to being a little confused when I first found this specimen running around on the patio, and initially wondered whether it was the non-flying female of a moth sp.?

However, it soon transpired to be a square-spot rustic that was in the process of pumping it's wings up having recently emerged from it's cocoon. Over the next 2.5hrs - I watched it's progress with fascination - before witnessing it's maiden flight as it disappeared into the night.

Precious metals and green gems

Fairmile Tryptich

Pearl-bordered fritillaries (Boloria euphrosyne L.), Rewell Wood, West Sussex

My first visit to this site for pearl bordered fritillary, resulted in some pleasing record shots of this species whilst nectaring on a patch of bugle (Ajuga reptans).

Good Friday on Butser Hill

Our primary target for the Good Friday was always going to be Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina). With reports of the species emergence coming in thick and fast from other well known Hampshire sites - nobody was reporting from Butser Hill.

A search along the hedgerow at the bottom of the hill adjacent the green lane produced plenty of butterfly sightings - most notably grizzled skipper (Pyrgus malvae) - but didn't turn up a Duke.

So we turned our attention to Rakes Bottom - where only last year, I had been shown an area in the southern end of the feature, by a couple who had recorded first sightings of Duke there for the past six or seven years.

We were not to be disappointed, finding at least two - if not three - newly emerged Dukes who were most obliging (as always) for photographs.

Duke of Burgundy

In the vicinity of the Dukes was a pair of green hairstreak (Callophrys rub), seemingly faithful to a single hawthorn (Cretaegus monogyna) whilst engaging in territorial dispute.

green hairstreak

grizzled skipper

early purple orchid

Other butterfly species seen on the wing: peacock (Aglais io), speckled wood (Pararge aegeria), holly blue (Celastrina argiolus), red admiral (Vanessa atalanta), orange tip (Anthocharis cardamines), small white (Pieris rapae) & small tortoiseshell (Aglais urtica).

It's that bee fly time of year again!

I caught my first sighting of the year of dark-edged bee fly (Bombylius major) on Monday 18th March - at Whiteways Countryside Site, Bury Hill in West Sussex. I counted three individuals on the wing.

dark-edged bee fly 18th March

It took me until the following Sunday 24th March - before I clinched my first garden record of the year with two individuals being recorded front and back garden respectively.

dark-edged bee fly 24th March garden record

A walk to St Hubert's Church, Idsworth on the same day produced multiple sightings of B. major using the hedgerows or gardens along the route. The following day as I walked the holloway that is Mill Lane to Halnaker Windmill - I counted three B. major en route.

dark-edged bee fly Mill Lane, Halnaker
25th March 

Working from home today, I had an opportunity to keep one eye on the garden, and noted during a screen break - that a dotted bee fly (Bombylius discolor) was exploring the plant pots and weeds on the overgrown patio. Camera in hand I captured some record shots for iRecord - and doubled my days count of this species - when a second hove into view.

B. discolor 27th March garden record

At the end of the working day as the temperature dropped - I noted a B. major roosting on a plant pot in the receding sun line.

B. major 27th March garden record

More reptiles on the chalk

Another survey on chalk grassland in West Sussex managed to record six adder (Vipera berus) and four common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) - the latter resolutely refusing to hang about for a photograph. I am still outstanding my first slow worm (Anguis fragilis) of the year on site?

five of the six adder recorded

First reptile survey of the year

Sunday's successful reptile hunt at Hazleton Common - motivated me to get out mid-week in suitable conditions, to carry out the first reptile survey of the season on a small chalk grassland site, in West Sussex.

In keeping with the last couple of years survey effort - the first Adder (Vipera berus), a male was recorded close to the suspected hibernacula. Itis already starting it's spring shedding. I will try to remember to check again next week to see if I can find the slough? A second male was also noted basking on the edge of a scrub block in the middle of the grassland.

.. "Go Wild in the Country .."

"Wild, Go wild, Go wild in the country
Where snakes in the grass are absolutely free"

Dave Barbarossa, Leigh Gorman, Malcolm McClaren & Matthew Ashman 1981

With the shift in day time temperatures over the past week - I have been very keen to get some early reptile sightings under my belt - and have consequently made two visits to Hazleton Common, in the hope of catching up with the local populations.

Conditions on Sunday 17th Feb looked good over the late morning and lunchtime - but despite extensive searches in known "hot spots" I drew a blank for reptiles. However, I did get my first year's sighting of newt spp. with at least three animals being seen in one of the smaller of the three ponds - probably Lissotriton helveticus - although I was not entirely convinced when reviewing the pretty dreadful record shot?.

Sightings of brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) and comma (Polygonia c-album) added interest along with several bumblebees.

Returning today for a couple of hours in bright sunshine with temperatures heading north of 14 deg C before mid-day I was more than confident that we would find our quarry. The usual areas on the northern half of the site drew a complete blank - despite the warm air temperature the artificial refugia were cold and damp to the touch - the leaf litter and dead bracken surrounding them feeling much warmer.

Early on - we struck lucky and found a grass snake (Natrix helvetica) basking in a recently cleared area within the bramble (Rubus fruticosus).

Grass snake

In the southern half of the site - we failed to find any more reptiles on our first sweep of the usual areas. So explored the ponds again for newts and this time found them in all three of ponds. The western pond being most productive with double figures being seen beneath the murky surface - a couple of dodgy record shots later, and I remain reluctant to take them to species.

As we headed back - I rechecked the margins of vegetation around a refugia - and found a second snake, inadvertently flushing it as I took a photograph. On the briefest of views I identified it as a grass snake, and it was only at home later - reviewing the picture that I realised that it was a melanistic adder (Vipera berus), which was subsequently verified by Mark one of the local Horndean Parish Rangers.

Adder

On this second visit the numbers of brimstone on the wing had increased with at least six individuals seen, singles of peacock (Aglais io) were also noted at Hazleton Common and Dell Piece West.

Fossil Hunting - a return to Bracklesham Bay

sharks teeth (eight found)

Gharial (a crocodilia type animal) - UPDATE: broken shark tooth

I was advised on the day, by another fossil hunter re: the above Gharial tooth - apparently the short spur towards the base is one of the identifying features.

Update: During a visit to Bracklesham Bay on 23rd November 2019 - I got talking to two of the local fossil hunters, who had many years of experience fossil hunting along the Bracklesham shoreline. I took advantage of their expertise and asked for some clarification regarding the "gharial tooth" pictured above. Tim took one look at the photo and instantly recognised it for what it is - not a gharial tooth  - but the broken off root spur of a shark tooth.

Unknown (see below)

When I first found the above fossil, I thought it might be a piece of fossilised wood? However, as it dried out at home the repeated impressions in the upper surface suggested a jaw bone of some animal? Or perhaps a very small part of a ray tail? I have yet to properly identify it - and will update when I have that information.

I thought possibly a fish vertebrate? But again, will update when further information is known.

Bibliography

Bone, D. (2016) The geology and fossils of Bracklesham and Selsey Limanda Publishing, Chichester