Wildlife Circus

Large skipper   burnet companion Now onwards is the best time to go out butterfly watching: Kingston Cemetery is one of the top local sites  for sheer diversity of species with lots of browns; including good numbers of ringlets, which have made a come back locally  as well as meadow browns (although they won't like the hot dry weather to come next week). Large and small skippers are showing well, now that the grass has been left to grow long. pupating caterpillar  Burnet companions are a dayflying moth - a confusion species for dingy skippers - especially when they are found on their food plant (birds-foot trefoil). A migratory painted lady butterfly was a random sighting in the old part of the cemetery last weekend. It was seen whilst admiring a caterpillar pupating on the branch of an elm, only  recently planted by members of the Cemetery Wildlife Group (see earlier post). Unfortunately, it is not thought to be a white-letter hairstreak where Lon...

  Last Saturday Kingston Wildlife Day  was attended by almost 100 people. First on the scene were participants on a Duke of Edingburgh Award Scheme (left) who helped make sure the paths were in order for our visitors. In combination with Kingston University, there were regular walks  looking at the wildife interest; including coils of slow worms under the mats at the sports field.   The barbeque, was deliciously crafted by Tariq, especially the baked bananas and ice cream. The  bird walk provided information on  three recently - fledged kestrels that have bred in the barn this year. Children were shown the disused nest of a song thrush, which requires a lining of mud; wet mud is available at the nearby pond. During all the walks clouds of butterflies were noted, included the marbled white but also gatekeeper, small copper, red admiral, comma etc.   At the end of the day there was a walk to the Tolworth Apple Store, almost invisi...

Scything workshop TCFMM Butterflies did not do so well in the wet early summer period, but the sunshine in the past week has bought them out. The highlight is the white-letter hairstreak seen across the Surrey boundary near Ewell Court Park; this species can be found in selected places along the Hogsmill by the keen-eyed. The change in grass-cutting regimes has assisted grassland species, although skippers have been hard to find. Tolworth Court Farm Moated Manor has been especially good for marbled whites :) ornamental carp with chub We have been undertaking a reptile survey at TCFMM, which so far has not priduced any reptiles, but short tailed voles, pygmy shrews and woodmice have enjoyed constructing their nests under these refuges. This ornamental carp was spotted underneath the bridge along the A240-along  with a chub with the dark tail-, which can just be seen in the photograph. At the next bridge - the one with the passing places that leads to Riverhill- we r...