We had some amazing weather during July, never getting too warm but it certainly had its moments. It was also the month we finally began seeing some insect action, but still very much reduced in comparison to previous summers and very worrying.
However, we did see the return of some familiar friends such as the common hoverfly Myathropa florea and the Springtail Orchesella cincta and many more besides. But as always it’s the new comers we like to report and we had three beauties this month, starting with a new butterfly.
A Large Skipper (Ochlodes venata) was spotted on the 14th July and a couple of times since. Skippers are often confused with moths due to the way they hold their wings. This is our second new butterfly species of the year and 16th species altogether.
Then on the 29th and numerous times since, there was the very impressive Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea). A large insect by any standard and one that is reproducing in the Garden, seen here laying her eggs on some pond deadwood.
Last but not least, after a few years of not knowing, we finally (we think!) confirmed our third Amphibian species as the tiny Palmate Newt. Several video clips of this species are now available on our New Pond Project Page, click HERE.
And to top it all off, we got to film a Wren from relatively close up, shame they are so tiny.
One thing we were surprised about was how little the pond level dropped during the warm periods of July, which is encouraging. Overall, not a great deal to report this month but the Garden is looking fantastic, just needs a few more visitors.
DC: 31/07/2024
Wildlife Garden 