Tuesday 25 May 2010

The weather was a lot cooler today, but still sunny, and it was a lot more comfortable to be out and about in. Unfortunately though, I only had just over an hour to get out this afternoon, so I decided I would go over to the Tree Nursery and track down some Butterflies that can be found along the boundary hedgerow.

Being short of time i'll leave you with the pics of what I found, but of note birdwise, a KESTREL was hunting above me for much of the time I was out.

Some of the pics can be enjoyed more by clicking on them to enlarge them :-)


Above. This Female CHAFFINCH had yound nestlings to feed.

Below: two pics of a Common Argus Butterfly - my first this year.


Next a photo of another Small Copper, this one looks to have been beaten about a bit, it was in an aerial battle with another when I saw it.

The next two pics are of a Common Blue Butterfly - which refused to open it's wings ! Edit: The top one is in fact another Brown Argus ( cheers Greenie!)

Below: A wildflower interlude Oxeye Daisy

There were also some Damselflies about, but I think i'll wait for some advice from Greenie or dean before coming to any ID conclusions :-)
Edit: Top Damsel is in fact an Imm. Large Red, the lower one is a female Common Blue ( Thanks again Greenie)


Also found along the hedgerow were two moth species, the first I havn't a clue what it is! But the second may be a Silver 'Y'
Edit: The first Moth is a Burnets Companion ( Thanks Josh)


Oh! I seem to have put the Oxeye up twice!













10 comments:

Josh Jenkins Shaw said...

First moth its Burnets Companion.

Brown Argus, not Common ;)

Anonymous said...

Josh beat me to it, with the Burnet Companion. Warren.
That Brown Argus is as fresh as fresh can be.

PS : I`ll leave the Damsels to Greenie ;-)

Warren Baker said...

Cheers Josh,
another winged thing ID'd Lets hope I remember it :-)

Greenie said...

Warren ,
Great BA shots , as Dean said , really freshly emerged .
No problem with the second Common Blue shot , but the first is in fact a BA . Both underwings are very similar , but if you look at the 'boomerang' shaped mark , left of the 5 black spots , there is no other marking between it and the body on the forewing . The Common Blue has a conspicious spot between the 'boomerang' and the body . The fore and hind wings need to be open as in your shot to make the ID . I'll try and remember to post a comparison shot .
Your first damselfly is a recently emerged Large Red , in the process of colouring up .
Your second is a blue form female Common Blue .
Nice Burnet Companion and migrant Silver Y shots .

Warren Baker said...

Cheers Greenie,
Every year you tell me about the ''boomerang and spots'' on the common Blues, but I keep fogetting to check it out before Iding :-)

Adam said...

Nice Brown Argus photos Warren - nice to see Silver Ys migrating back in, hopefully to be joined by some Hummingbird Hawkmoths and Clouded Yellows?!
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Kerry said...

Very interesting about the Brown Argus: I would have thought that a Common Blue, and they are indeed hard to tell apart for non-experts like myself. Some great pictures as always, though for some reason I couldn't open the second image in a larger size: blogger playing up again?

kirstallcreatures said...

Lovely butterfly pics Warren. The Common Argus is on my list for this year and the Burnet's Companion is striking. Think of the Oxeye Daisy as a floral form of punctuation. Best wishes, Linda

Jann said...

I saw three American kestrels today myself but no photos of it (but plenty others)...love your butterfly photos! And the lovely chaffinch. The oxeye daisy grows wild here, always a cheerful, welcome sight! They aren't in bloom yet.

ShySongbird said...

I had exactly the same problems with the Brown Argus ID last year on my visit to Watlington Hill but thankfully Greenie put me right :)

Lovely photos again and you are seeing more butterflies there than I have so far this year. Also cracking pic of the Chaffinch!

I'm growing Oxeye Daisies in the garden this year and trying to grow more and more wild flowers...I could do without the Ground Elder though :(