This afternoon, only brief snatches of sunshine were had, as heavy cloud and light showers moved in, but it still felt very warm and humid. I decided I would walk through the Tree Nursery, up the side of the Pub Field maize crop and do a circuit of Migrant Alley.
The Tree Nursery was surprisingly good for Buterflies, considering the cloud cover, Common Blue, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, as well as Red Admiral, and Brown Argus were all seen on the wing. Above me a SPARROWHAWK flew low over, quite how it managed to still be flying I don't know, it had moulted so many primary feathers!
As I walked up the side of the maize crop in the Pub Field, a large buterfly flew up, circled round, and settled back from whence it came, allowing me to id it as a Painted Lady, my first this year. A little further on, a small uncultivated patch of ground was alive with more butterflies, here at least 3 Small Coppers were seen to add to the already mentioned species.
A circuit around Migrant alley, and a half hour skywatch, was best remembered for the HOBBY that flew over, but other birds included the ROOKS, JACKDAWS and CARRION CROWS, a few WOODPIGEONS, a SKYLARK, 3 PIED WAGTAILS and two COMMON WHITETHROATS in the Tall Hedge by my skywatching seat. Few flyovers were noted, just LESSER BLACKBACKED, and HERRING GULL, also a STOCK DOVE. The local SWALLOWS were much in evidence, alot of them this years young, and higher up at least 30 SWIFTS were feeding.
Below is a photo of the small uncultivated area adjacent to the Maize crop, mostly long grasses and Thistles, but good for butterflies. UNTIDY = WILDLIFE!
Below is my first Painted Lady Butterfly of the year
Next a couple of Small Coppers
A Common Blue
and 3 Brown Argus photo's - a male I believe. Or is it a female Common Blue! Is that a spot I see below the boomerang shape mark on the forewing ??Edit: Thanks Greenie for confirming my suspicions, Female Common Blue it is :-)
8 comments:
Warren ,
Well done with the Peregrine .
Not so well done with the 3 male Brown Argus shots , as they of a female Common Blue . Check the spot below the 'boomerang' .
Nice clean Painted Lady , and one of your Small Coppers has blue spots on the hindwing .
yea, I realsed too late about the spot greenie. I can never remember which way round it is!!!! SPOT = BLUE right ive got it...........
Lovely set of pics Warren, I haven't seen my first Painted Lady of the year as yet, so good to see one on your blog. Female Common Blue shots are fab, Linda
Super butterfly pics whatever they are Warren! Especially given the light conditions.
Nice butterfly pics Warren!
That first shot of the female common blue is absolutely stunning!
Yeh, nice Painted Lady, Warren. This time last year we were seeing nothing else but them.
Lovely butterfly shots Warren, you're doing way better than I am w/ those! Congrats on the peregrine showing up, and the painted lady...and the #60.
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