A good array of insects over the Cemy.

Sunday 9th July 2023.

Starting to look a bit greener in the Cemetery after the rain of late.

The weather played a big part this afternoon, for the early showers this morning disappeared and bright sunshine interspersed with overhead heavy clouds brought out a large number of butterflies around Highland Road Cemetery this afternoon. It was most definitely T-shirt weather as I slowly made my way anti-clockwise, checking not just the birds, but also the plants and insects I came across today.

Above, Common Field Grasshoppers were seen and heard in good numbers today. Below, there were several Small Skipper butterflies on the wing today.

Above, Meadow Brown butterflies were skipping low over the grass with a few attracted to the Buddleia.

There were hardly any dog-walkers today for it seemed I had the whole place to myself (wishful thinking) and taking my binoculars along, I wanted to check the top of the trees for any possible Hairstreak butterflies. Many years ago, I found a White-letter Hairstreak fluttering about on the grass in the late summer and I have always thought they could possibly breed here. I shall keep my eyes peeled in future at the top of the trees.

Above, a Buff-tailed Bumblebee enjoying the Buddleia and below, a Drone Fly nectaring.

Above, the micro moth, Straw-barred Pearl on a Yarrow plant and below, several Swifts were seen overhead low over the trees.

Butterflies took priority today as a lot of the Buddleia were in bloom throughout the Cemetery. But first, there were the birds seen and heard today that included the following:

• Great Black-backed Gull
• Herring Gull
• Black-headed Gull
• Mediterranean Gull
• Wood Pigeon
• Feral Pigeon
• House Sparrow
• Robin
• Wren
• Goldfinch
• Greenfinch
• Carrion Crow
• Swift
• Blackbird

A Yellow-legged Mining Bee nectaring on Smooth Hawk's-beard flowers and below, a pair of Great Black-backed Gulls flying over the Cemetery.

Though most of the birds were passing over or just fleeting glimpses, the Blackbirds at least showed well, busy searching for food among the graves! Butterflies were in very good numbers here in the Cemetery this afternoon, most enjoying the many Buddleia flowers and allowing me a close approach to them. The following butterflies were seen this afternoon:

• Red Admiral
• Painted Lady
• Small White
• Holly Blue
• Meadow Brown
• Peacock
• Comma

By far, both Red Admiral and Painted Lady were the most numerous butterflies of which were in double figures, plus I also got to see my first Straw-barred Pearl (Pyrausta despicata) of the year, with several seen as I walked on the grass and disturbed them. Thankfully, they did not fly far and allowed me some reasonable photos. Other insects seen today included Common Field Grasshoppers, which were abundant around the graves, picking up their striations calling within the grass.

Above, a Painted Lady and below, a Peacock butterfly.

Above, a pair of Hornet-mimic Hoverflies sharing the same Buddleia plant and below, a Holly Blue butterfly on the Bramble flowers.

The impressive Hornet-mimic Hoverflies (Volucella zonaria) were also abundant today and again, allowed me to get fairly close to grab a few photos of this amazing insect. Drone Flies were also in numbers too as well as the Syrphus species of Hoverfly. I also saw a large Dragonfly species, but all too briefly and can only assume it was one of the Hawker species. All in all, if you are an entomologist, I think you would have been in ‘Seventh Heaven’! Going back to birds, the big species at the moment is the adult Roller at Brading Marshes on the Isle of Wight. I was lucky enough to see the Roller at Broxhead Common in May 2013, but to see another one would be something else. I am glad some of the ‘Lazee Birders’ made the trip to see the bird. Birding pal, Geoff Farwell, took a walk around Farlington Marshes today and saw 2 Common Sandpipers, 20 Avocets, 2 Southern Hawker dragonflies, Common Darter and a Red-eyed Damselfly. He also watched an Emperor Dragonfly catch and devour a Red Admiral butterfly.

Above, this Buff-tailed Bumblebee was by my back kitchen door this afternoon.