Highgate Common 20th June 2011 part 1

I'm going to be splitting this trip into two sections as it is quite long. Here is part 1, enjoy!

I went for another walk over Highgate Common this morning in search of the Longhorn Beetle (Agapanthea villosoviridescens) we found last week. However, trying to find one bug in a large area didn't turn out so well and I failed to re-find it. I decided instead to just go on a long walk across the Common and photograph whatever I came across instead.

I did find some butterflies in the same area. There was a Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus), Small Heath  (Coenonympha pamphilus) and some Ringlets (Aphantopus hyperantus) flying around.

Polyommatus icarus

Polyommatus icarus

Coenonympha pamphilus

Aphantopus hyperantus

There was also a species of Grasshopper present that I managed to photograph, but I haven't managed to ID it yet and a female Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum).

Enallagma cyathigerum

Unknown Grasshopper 

I also took the opportunity to photograph the Tree Pipits (Anthus trivialus) and Whitethroats (Sylvia communis) that we saw last week.

Anthus trivialus

Sylvia communis

I then went-a-wondering towards one of the small ponds on Highgate. However, just as I got there a dog decided to take a bath. The owner of the dog was also quite happy to let it drink the stagnant water, no wonder the dog started to have a coughing fit!

Despite this disturbance I did manage to get a photo of an Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella). There was some kind of large blue dragonfly patrolling the pond but it never landed for me to get a photo, thus I'm not sure of the species.

Coenagrion puella

The White Water-lilies (Nymphaea alba) were out in flower and I managed to grab a quick photo before said dog arrived on the seen.

Nymphaea alba

After the quick trip to the pond I decided to hunt down some bees again by visiting the "bee beaches" and natural bare soil to the north and west.

On visiting one of the bee beaches I was very pleased to see my first Bloody-nosed Beetles (Timarcha tenebricosa). I thought at first that I was seeing an oil beetle, but the realised on closer inspection that it I had caught two Bloody-nosed Beetles mating. Two for the price of one :)

Timarcha tenebricosa

Timarcha tenebricosa

I was hoping to see a black mining bee (andrena nigrospina) but it looks like I'll have to put in some more leg work on that one. I'm told it's still early in the year for them so hopefully further visits might be more fruitful.

Look out for part 2...