Sunday 27th. May 2012

In an attempt to beat the heat , I set off early back to Hutchinson's Bank , in the hope that more Small Blues had emerged , and to get better photos . As I parked , the car thermometer was reading 18C , so I didn't win that one . Much of the grassy areas were still in shadow and wet , but the first butterflies

were just getting up , like this very fresh female Common Blue . In keeping with most of the blue family , the female is brown with a varying dusting of blue . I checked the triangle first , finding just Dingy Skippers , but noticed a butterfly land on the bridleway . It turned out to be my first Painted

Lady of the year . It looked absolutely exhausted an rested for a while , before heading for the side of

the bridleway , where it seemed to find from minerals , no doubt from a passing animal . Failing at the triangle , I went to look at the cut , another hotspot for Small Blues . Within seconds , a specimen

flew past me and landed a little way in front , and I was sure there were more to be found . In fact this was the only one found , and it wasn't till a later look at the triangle that I found my second and final specimen . I followed it for some time waiting for it to rest and open it's wings . Eventually , it

did as asked , but only for a couple of seconds , then it was off again . Trying to follow these tiny butterflies is almost impossible , and I didn't see it again . Other species seen on the visit included

several Brimstones , this female was resting between laying her eggs . Still several male and the odd

female Orange Tip , this male refuelling at Herb Robert before setting off again . At least 3 female

Holly Blues , all looking for Ivy to lay their eggs , but having to use Cornus / Dogwood . I also recorded my first Brown Argus of the year , a tiny , very fresh male , identified as such by the fact

that the orange spots on the topwings do not reach the leading edge of the forewing , as they do in the female , and the blueing on the abdomen and topwing . A single Green Hairstreak , several Grizzled Skippers , and many Small Heath , together with Large , Small and Green-veined White were also seen . A couple of new , to me , hoverflies were also found . I think they are -

a newly emerged , from the wings , Syrphus vitripennis ,

and Meredon equestris , but I stand to be corrected on either .
Before getting out of the sun , I watched a pair of mining bees bringing materials to their nest hole .

Here the bee arrives with the material , pointing towards 2 o'clock ,

and there it goes down the hole . I'm going to leave it there , as this post has taken for ever to upload .