I managed just a couple of short walks this weekend, Saturday afternoon with my wife produced mainly insects not loads but just a few, Four Spotted Chasers, Common Blue and Large Red Damselflies as well several Oak Green Tortrix moths about 8 Small Tortoisehells 2 Large Skippers and 2 Common Blues.
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| Common Blue |
Yesterday morning was pretty overcast I spent some time sitting by the lake and was pleased to find that the REED BUNTINGS had been successful and at least 2 young birds were flitting around in the willow that male had been singing from earlier in the season, they stayed well within it's confines and in half an hour I only managed a couple of brief views. A GARDEN WARBLER gave a couple of agitated calls from low in the willow to. Not much else moved while I was there, a HERRING GULL flew east and a JAY swooped through and 2 CHIFFCHAFFS were the most vocal. A walk through the wood didn't produce loads either apart from again really good numbers of young BLUE and GREAT TITS, only one NUTHATCH called and I didn't hear the usual Long Tails or Marsh Tits. I did come across a nice Common Spotted Orchid which I thought had disappeared over the last couple of years, there are only 2 places in the wood they grow and there are 2 plants in one place and only one in the other, so their hold here is pretty tenuous! There were few small areas that held Ragged Robin and hopefully the Honeysuckle will have helped the White Admirals this year as there is quite a lot of it in the wood. I did have one record bird count, 20 GREYLAGS were with 6 CANADAS in Park Field. I'll look forward to an early start in the morning.
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| Honeysuckle |
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| Common Spotted Orchid |
6 comments:
Nice. The Common Blue butterfly and Orchid are terrific, well done.
Looks like the weather will be cheering up tomorrow Alan, should be something of interest about.
Alan ,
Just proves , there is always something of interest about , regardless of the weather .
Hi Bob, Thanks, it's always nice to find an Orchid ;-)
Hi Warren, It was a little miserable out there but still good to be out as ever, still hoping for that next new bird for the year :-)
Hi Greenie, It was sort of nice that the birds weren't so much to the fore, as I was taking in a few other bits more than maybe I would have.
I haven't been able to persuade a Common Blue to open its wings so far this year. There don't seem to be many butterflies about at all here at the moment, the wind doesn't help though.
Lovely to see the Orchid.
Hi ShySongbird, The butterflies here are a bit thin on the ground, although there were a few Meadow Browns out at the weekend, the wind certainly makes it difficult to find them.
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