Thursday 1st.July 2010

With cloud cover and a stiff breeze this morning , the temperature was down , but , by 0830 , the cloud cleared , out came the sun and the temperature rose quickly . By the time I got to the Purple Hairstreak's master tree up on the Common , the humidity was started to rise as well . I stood vigil for over 30 minutes , and didn't see a single movement , apart from that on the branches bu the breeze . I started recording them on the 2nd. last year and the 3rd. the year before , and I was sure that with the hot weather recently , they would have emerged early this year , but it is not to be . A quick look around two of the glades , revealed 8 Large Skipper ,13 Ringlet and 9 Meadow Brown .
Leaving the Common , I headed for High Elms to do the full butterfly survey . The first record of the day was a Hornet , but then the butterflies started to be found , and two and a half hours later , the result was : Meadow Brown ( including a mating pair pictured - 257 ) , Ringlet (190) ,
Small Skipper ( a real explosion here with 39 , including one female trying to evade the advances of two males , down in the long grass - pictured ) , Marbled White ( 3 , one at one end and two at Burnt Gorse at the other end of the reserve ) , Common Blue ( 2 very tatty remnants of the first brood ) , Large Skipper (7) , Brown Argus (1 , poor showing on first brood , hope second will do better ) , Speckled Wood (5) , White Admiral ( at least 3 seen at same time , several other sightings also , but as they were so mobile , could not be sure that they were all different individuals ) , Dingy Skipper (1 - must still be from the first brood , as possible second brood would not be about till August ) , Silver Washed Fritillary ( positive 2 , possibly more , but once again , being so active , impossible to get a true number , only managed these two shots before he was away again ) , and a single Peacock , that is definitely not from the new brood , and is the only one I have seen for quite a while now . A total of 12 species , and numbers starting to grow on many of them . Whilst on Burnt Gorse , came across Common Centaury-Centaurium erythraea .
After lunch , I had to go into town , and on the way back , had a short visit to Spring Park Pond .

I first checked the Peacock caterpillars , which have reduced dramatically in number , but the odd one or two have grown to full size and hopefully will pupate successfully into adults . Several other webs in various stages of development were also found . With thin cloud starting to close in , the activity on the pond was mainly with Broad Bodied Chasers (7) , including this ovipositing female . See how that earlier vibrant colour has faded now . The BBCs were in continuous battle with a pair of Emperor Dragonflies , and the female was ovipositing too . Damselflies were represented with Large Red , Common and Azure Blue , many of which were ovipositing in tandem . Another quick sighting of White Admiral here too , and a couple of seconds later , a Red Admiral appeared looking for either moisture or minerals . Just before posting , I had a phone cal;l from fellow enthusiast Keith . He had made a quick visit to High Elms after work , and he too was rewarded with White Admiral , a mating pair of Silver Washed Fritillaries and a very fresh White Letter Hairstreak , brilliant .