Eyecatching species of insect have been few and far between locally this year, but this one seemed like something distinctive, so I took a few shots. I have had it confirmed as crossocerus quadrimaculatus: otherwise known as Four-spotted Digger wasp. This was recorded on Thurs, 19th Sept. Plenty of common darters (c20), 1-2 brown and southern hawkers, and the odd emerald, blue-tailed and common damselflies also noted.

Summer has started! First odonata of year - 5 Large red damselflies. Also firsts were 1 each of speckled wood and comma, and three green longhorn moths might have been my first for this site (it's a long way to think back)! Other butterflies were 10+ orange tip, 2 small white and 2 peacock. 

Highlights of another insect hunt today were the picture-winged fly Urophora cardui (yet to be fully confirmed, but I'm confident it is), and parasitic wasp Gasteruptiidae species, which appears to have lost its ovipositor, making it hard to be certain exactly which one it is. Otherwise, a good number of ringlet (c20) was the only other notable thing.

Lots to see in the park's 'interior' today in the insect department; beetles included black-headed cardinal, which was a first for the park, and 2 four-banded longhorns. Butterflies included the first small skipper of the year amongst its larger bretheren (i.d. problems begin!), and a ringlet (I saw one in another part of the park yesterday) also nearly new for the year. Moths seen were Clouded silver and a couple of brown silver-line. The most numerous species were the odonata, with hundreds of the 4 expected damselflies, as well as an Emperor male, male and female broad-bodied chaser, and at least one black-tailed skimmer. Best, though were 6 male banded demoiselles along the river adjacent to the keg. I felt fully entertained for the first time this year.

Remarkably, a common darter was sunning itself on a wooden bench in this afternoon's sunshine. It looked in good condition and with no frosts due, it could easily last into December. Don't panic!

A bonus moth day following a 'festival' which took place over the weekend at the farm within the park. A small marquee had obviously been well lit on the nights of the festival, and still contained a few moths, allowing me to boost my park list substantially. Around the awning I found, 2 dun-bar, 2 dingy footman, 1 buff footman, 1 lesser swallow prominent, 1 peppered moth and a heart and dart (which I'm still trying to turn into something more special!). Of the quite poor numbers of butterflies present elsewhere in the park, 3 small copper was about the best sighting. There were various other odds and sods, inc: a tree wasp and a couple of the bug deraeocoris ruber, one the black form. 2 brown hawkers were the only non-damselflies seen in what is a shockingly poor year in the park for odonata.

Oh yes!!! Summer takes off with the sight of 2 large red damselflies making their first flights after the deluge had moved away. Here we go... 

Pretty drab fair. For such a nice day, butterfly numbers were terminal. Only 6 species, inc. small copper, 2 small tortoiseshell, comma, and 2 gatekeepers. Odonata worse than butterflies - 1 common darter, 1 (prob) southern hawker at height. Cream-streaked ladybird was perhaps best sighting, a first for me I feel sure, although I do like the Water cricket, 2 of which were doing their 'moving by farting' thing on a small pond.

Seven species of odonata was probably the highlight. Aside from 4 species of damselfly, there were 3 male broad-bodied chasers, and singles of banded demoiselle (fem) & earliest ever black-tailed skimmer, also a female. All other insects very much as expected, including large skipper, brown silver-line moths, and common malachite beetles.

Chris Harper wrote:

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Near Keg pool noticed a few footprints next to the river. Look a bit like Otter to me but could be Mink. No expert but would welcome any comments. 

Quite dark but an image attached. 

If you zoom in you can see claws

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Hi Chris,

Nothing like an expert on prints, sorry. Something which would have allowed an idea of scale in the picture might have helped those who might know. Still, it's exciting to think that one might still be around (not a mink, obviously)!

12 species of butterfly this p.m. was very decent, but numbers not especially high (e.g. 37 ringlet, 25 meadow brown, 7 comma, 7 gatekeeper, c10 green-veined white). Species of odonata included a female banded demoiselle, 1 black-tailed skimmer, 2 emperor males, 3 brown hawker and 1 southern hawker. Two species of longhorn beetle were seen, 1 agapanthia and 4 black and yellow. A giant rat seen near the weir was less welcome.

Another brilliant insect day, with something new at every turn. Large red, blue-tailed and azure damselflies were a decent start, brimstone the best butterfly. A brown silver-line was a park first moth (for me), but was nothing compared with new beetles common malachite and elaphrus cupreus (also known as copper peacock). A small colony of slender groundhoppers was another species I've never seen before anywhere in the U.K. Other new park records were alder sawfly, narcissus bulb fly, black/red froghopper and sloe shieldbug with others still to be checked against photographs. Not missing the birds at all!!!

A few insects which I've recently identified in the park which have not been recorded before in the area (according to the National Database).

9th August - the leafhopper Evacanthus interruptus (photo below).

Today: Bronze shieldbug (a personal first), and potato leafhopper (apparently quite common, but if nobody records them, then the map is left with a yawning gap).

Also today, a dried up part of the 'swamp' area had many empty shells of what I took to be freshwater clams or mussels. Another victim of the drought.

A complete contrast to my last visit here, with three big surprises! This included two personal odonata 'site-firsts' in the shape of a male Ruddy Darter and, even better, a pair of black-tailed skimmers in tandem (hopefully continuing their presence in the park in future - water permitting!). I'm still trying to compare my photos as I may have taken two different males. As good as these were, my first ever elephant hawk-moth larva, a whopping full-grown example, took pride of place. Absolutely superb. Other finds included one each of blood-vein and phoenix moths, a teneral emerald damselfly and a fly sicus ferrugineus - a strange looking beast.

Four species of damselfly today, and a good number of broad-bodies chasers (5 inc two males disputing an area of swamp near the river bird hide). A hawker type species, which had probably just emerged, flew from near the farm road between the two ponds and off towards Ernocroft wood. Comma, green-viened whites and orange tips were only butterflies.

Yesterday p.m.

1st hawkers of the year seen: 2 brown & 1 southern. Also a broad-bodied chaser female which might have been a first for the park for me.

Butterflies.

5 red admiral, 2 comma, 3 speckled wood, 22 ringlet, 20 meadow brown, 4 large skipper, 1 green-veined white.

Others:

1 tree bumblebee, 5 black & yellow longhorned beetles.

Yesterday p.m.

My second record for site of banded demoiselle. A female hunting from the nearside bank of the canal just where the 'cafe path' meets the road into the park. I did say that removing the trees might be to the advantage of insects, and this is brilliant proof of that. Hope they don't allow too much grow back. Also yesterday amongst other things, 8 brown hawker, 1 southern hawker, first common darter of year. Best butterfly was this years rarity, the red admiral (second of year for county only).