Saturday 2nd.May 2009

Just two visits today . The first , up on the Common , to see what was happening . Not a lot was the answer . The usual birds were calling , but when I got to the Orchid Glade , a flash of green shot off in front of me and landed on a Buttercup , my first record of Green Hairstreak on this part of the Common . In the softer morning sun , the colour was not bleached out , as it can be later in the day in stronger sunshine . As I took several shots of it , a Blackcap was in full flow on the edge of the glade . Down on the heathland area , it was good at last to see evidence of the Brimstone eggs having hatched , with holes in the adjacent Buckthorn leaves . So the Long Tailed Tits and Chiffchaffs didn't get them all , and as the caterpillars tend to feed at night , hopefully they will make it .

I then set off to do the full Butterfly Transect at High Elms Country Park . Perfect butterfly weather , but as we are in that 'in between' time , when the overwintering species are tailing off and the other species just starting to emerge , it was a quiet start . Still not much colour amongst

the grass , with the exception of Cowslips , but Common Vetch is starting to push through here and there . Because I was doing the full transect , I was concentrating on the grassland areas , but even when I got close to scrubby areas , just the odd insect was recorded . The first of two day flying moths flew up in front of me on the Conservation Field , this one being a Burnet Companion , so called because it is usually found in the same habitat as Burnet moths . Also on this field , I recorded Grizzled Skipper , and as this is about half a mile from Burnt Gorse , where I recorded them recently , there must be another colony of this tiny butterfly around here , albeit small . Crossing the road , I headed up towards Burnt Gorse , and on the way , came across a male and female Orange Tip , and he only had one thing on his mind . He tried and tried again to mate with her , but she was not having it , lifting the end of her abdomen every time he came near her . Eventually , much to my annoyance , he gave up . and she settled to feed on Herb

Robert . Along the same track I recorded Speckled Wood and this male Green Veined White ,

nectaring on Dandelion . Very close by I found an insect , much photographed last year , this being the first time I have seen one this year . It is the male Scorpion Fly , identified as a male by the orangy Scorpion type tail , which the female does not have . By the time I reached Burnt Gorse , it was really warm , but the Green Hairstreak males were still duelling . One did settle for a short time to allow a shot , perched on a Wayfarer leaf , their preffered perch .

Amongst the grass , Dingy Skippers have increased to an estimated dozen , but being so active , impossible to be sure , and 3 Grizzled Skippers were also recorded . The only new species

recorded today was a very freshly emerged Small Copper . On my way to the Orchid Bank , a second moth was found . This one I believe is a Green Carpet . Had it not taken flight in front of me and seen it land , I would never have spotted it in the vegetation . On the Orchid Bank , I recorded another 2 Green Hairstreaks and 2 more Dingy Skippers amongst other species . Before leaving , I went to see if any more flowers had come out on the two Fly Orchids . I had trouble finding the plants , as some 'Richard Cranium' had stepped on them , by the looks of it , to look at a couple of Twayblades that were growing behind . I have put a couple of splints to try and keep the two plants upright , and all I can do now is to hope for the best that no one else does the same thing . The second plant has produced it's first flower , but whether they will survive , we'll have to wait and see . This is what the trampler seemed to be looking at behind the Fly Orchid .

Exactly 50 butterflies were recorded , covering 11 species , and whilst walking around I saw/heard 19 species of birds , nothing to write home about , but they filled in some of the quieter moments .