Bathed in a Yellow Wash

At this time of year, the pasture meadows on Pevensey Levels are covered in buttercups and the ditches are lined with yellow flag iris. It is as if the landscape has been bathed in a yellow wash.

 The Wall (Lasiommata megera) has not reached the numbers of last spring and I have only seen them one or two at a time. The butterfly of the moment seems to be the Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) whose numbers are steadily increasing daily and the Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) is also doing well.

 

 

 

 

Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus)

 

 

 

The Small Heath only ever settles with its wings closed but this one is showing a glimpse of upper forewing.

 



A mating pair.

 



 

 

Wall (Lasiommata megera) (female)

 

 

Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) (mating)

 

 

Water Stick-insect (Ranatra linearis)

 

Having only seen my first ever linearis a few weeks ago, I spotted another one as I was checking the ditches this week. 

 

 

Fen Raft Spider (Dolomedes plantarius) (female)

 

This female is heavily pregnant and it wont be long before she will construct a silken sac in which to lay her eggs.

Dragonfly Encounters

Whilst working in the wood last weekend, Carol and I stopped regularly for tea breaks and to watch three or four Downy Emerald Dragonflies (Cordulia aenea) hawking the woodland edge. This lovely species looks black in flight and it holds its abdomen in an upward tilt making it easy to identify. Frustratingly, it spends much of its time hawking well above head height but occasionally it will descend to rest on lower branches or bracken fronds and only then can you see that it is actually an iridescent dark green colour with bronze highlights.

 

 

Downy Emerald (Cordulia aenea) (male)

 

 

 

 

 

Back on Pevensey Levels this week, I spotted a Hairy Dragonfly (Brachytron pratense) in the act of emerging from the nymph. This process never ceases to take my breath away.

 

 

Hairy Dragonfly (Brachytron pratense) (emerging from nymph)

 

 

 

...and from the moth-trap this week...

 

Peppered Moth (Biston betularia) (male)

  

A Wealden Woodland Glade

The display of bluebells spread out across the woodland floor has pretty much been at its peak this week and it has been a real joy to stand in a scented glade and watch male Pearl-bordered Fritillarys (Boloria euphrosyne) patrolling back and forth in search of females. Dragonflies hawk along the woodland edge in search of prey and occasionally take a rest in the late afternoon sunshine.

 

 

Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne) (female)

 

 

 

Pearl-bordered Fritillary (B.euphrosyne) (males)

 

 

 

Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa) (female)

 

 

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) (male)

 

 

Dark-edged Beefly (Bombylius major)

 

 

My first Hawkmoth of the season was attracted to the garden light-trap earlier this week.

 

 

Lime Hawkmoth (Mimas tiliae) (male)

 

Emerging Dragons and Giant Spiders

At this time of year, I find that I am drawn back to Pevensey Levels more and more. The water channels are erupting with new life and new species are appearing almost daily. During the last week, I have seen five species of Damselfly on the wing and the emergence of good numbers of Hairy Dragonfly (Brachytron pratense) has been evident by the number of exuviae I have seen along the ditch margins.

 

 

Hairy Dragonfly (Brachytron pratense) (newly emerged female)

 

 

 

The Fen Raft Spider (Dolomedes plantarius) is now beginning to venture out from the margins as the males start to look for a mate. This rare spider is one of our largest species but can sometimes be difficult to spot amongst the waterside shadows. 

 

 

Fen Raft Spider (Dolomedes plantarius) (male)

 

 

Fen Raft Spider (D.plantarius) (females)

 

Life in the Water Channels

I don't normally see the Fen Raft Spider (Dolomedes plantarius) on Pevensey Levels before the end of May but I saw my first one of the year nearly two weeks ago. That individual was too far away to photograph but yesterday I came across a handsome female resting amongst the ditch-side foliage and looking like she had recently undergone a skin-shed.

 

 

Fen Raft Spider (Dolomedes plantarius) (female)

 

 

 

The Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) has been on the wing for the last two weeks and numbers are steadily increasing but yesterday I saw my first Variable Damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum) of the year, with half a dozen seen on the wing.

 

 

Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) (teneral female)

 

 

Variable Damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum) (female)

 

 

Drinker Moth (Euthrix potatoria) (mid-instar larva feeding on grass sp.)