Wednesday 1st. May 2013

First job this morning was the bird survey at Down House . It was chilly to start , but warmed up somewhat during the survey , which was more than could be said for the survey itself . An average count of 21 species , produced nothing special , with just two migrants recorded , two singing

Blackcaps , which could have been over-wintering birds . Three Song Thrushes , this one on one of the formal lawns and a flyover Common Buzzard were about the best of the list . In the Sandwalk

woodland , the parasitic Toothwort - Lathraea squamaria , a member of the Broomrape family , looks as if it is going to have a good year . A look in on the Common on the way home , found the LTTit nest intact , especially after hearing from John that the one we had watched being built on the small reserve has been predated . I almost managed to photograph a female Brimstone egg laying , but she

flew just as I got to the Buckthorn that she was laying on , but her freshly laid egg was attached to the fresh new leaves , a first meal for the caterpillar when it emerges . The female only flew a short

distance before resting , then flew off to continue her laying . After lunch , I headed for High Elms LNR , to do the first full butterfly transect of the year . Once again , recording was very slow , but it was warmer now . Just 25 butterflies were recorded over the 2 hour transect , from just 6 species . Peacock (10) topped the list , with Brimstone (7) , Orange Tip (4) , Comma (2) and singles of

Green-veined and Small White bringing up the rear . I had hoped to find one of the early Skippers ,

Dingy or Grizzled , or even a Green Hairstreak , but it wasn't to be . Whilst on Burnt Gorse , I met up with fellow enthusiast Keith , also hoping for the same species that I was looking for , but at least it gave a chance to catch up , good to see you again Keith . Only other interest found was a small group

of Coltsfoot -Tussilago farara , a member of the Daisy family , much already gone to seed , along the bridle path , I don't remember seeing it in that spot before .