When I arrived at the first site , the sun was once again very watery , and everything was still very wet from the overnight rain . As I entered at the bottom of the slope , nearly every butterfly that I saw was a female Common Blue , not a male in sight . Some Dingy Skippers were also recorded , and some of them were now living up to their name , Dingy . I was just photographing a Common Spotted Orchid , when a small flash of silver caught my eye , and fortunately , I managed to follow it's flight to where it came to rest . My suspicions were
confirmed , a very fresh emerged male Small Blue , the smallest butterfly in Britain . The 
underwing is very similar to the Holly Blue , but the colour and the size identify this superb little insect . I recorded the species on the site last year , and was glad to see that they had made it through the hard winter . Just a singleton here , but I recorded two other singletons on other areas of the slope ,and as I said , they have obviously only just emerged , so I look forward to finding more on future visits . A second Orchid species then caught my eye , one of just a pair of
Man Orchids , growing where the ground vegetation was less dense . As I walked through that vegetation , I put up several Burnet Companion , Silver Y and Mother Shipton , all day flying 
moths , and several of these , which I believe to be Yellow Shell , if it is not , I'm sure that it will 
be corrected . The first of six Brown Argus recorded , all males was the next species found , this one must have been on the Fosters last night . In the shorter sward , a movement revealed a 
Green Hairstreak , still in very reasonable condition , sorry Warren .Leaving the first site , to return later , I headed for the second site , a short distance away . Here , refugia have been laid , and I started turning them over . The odd Slow Worm , a male Adder in the grass close by to the refugia , then the jackpot . I turned over the tin , camera in hand , to find 1 female Adder , 2 male Adders and two Slow Worms , all underneath together . I had the 100 mm. lens on , and holding the tin in one hand , camera in the other , I couldn't get far enough away to get all the subjects in the viewfinder . Consequently , a photo of three
Adders , none of them with a head and no sign of the Slow Worms , but it was the best I could do at the time . The light/dark brown one is the female , the black/dirty white one , bottom left , a male in breeding colours , and the black/pinky brown one in between , I would say was a non breeding male . I can assure that they all did have heads , and I got a shot of each one individually , which I have sent to the man who can recognise each one by the head patterns . 
Another tin revealed a couple of Common Lizards , both good sized adults , and each very different in colour , this species being very variable . Butterflies were much fewer on this site , but the slope was much more in the breeze , but 17 Common Blues and another Green Hairstreak , sorry again Warren , I won't post a shot of this one , were recorded . Heading back to continue with the first site , Speckled Wood was recorded . I had recorded good numbers of Small Heath , 15 in total , and on this section of the slope , I found at least 5 specimens that I am
sure were females , from the size , and from their 'jizz' . A disturbed male heads off at speed and disappears into the grass , whereas these specimens , fluttered a few metres and settled again , and newly emerged too , by the look of them . The far end of the slope provided the third and 
fourth species of Orchids , a few Twayblades , and lots of Fragrant Orchids , many still in bud , but many more like those above , in full flower . The refugia did not only produce reptiles , a few 
insects were also found , like this Lesser Stag Beetle-Dorcus parallelopipedus . In all , 11 species of butterfly were recorded , the most numerous by far was the Common Blue , with 230 specimens on this , the first site . One of those eleven species provided the last find of the visit ,
when I recorded 3 pristine , freshly emerged Large Skippers , all in a very small area .And finally , one for the detectives . I've found this beetle a few times recently , and have
searched each time for it's identity , but have been unsuccessful . Any ideas ?Since posting , I have done more searching , and found out that it is a Red-tipped Flower Beetle- Malachius bipustulatus . Should have known that with it sitting on a flower !
nymph , as it still is at this stage of the metamorphosis . After a while , the head and thorax 
arched away from the vegetation , and the skin on top of the thorax split open , as the adult 
began to emerge .Then , like a scene out of Alien , the adult showed itself , pushing out it's head and thorax . This was followed by the abdomen . At this stage , the adult rested from it's 
exertions for about 20/30 minutes , looking as if it had all been to much , and expired . Then , 
seemingly refreshed , and with one very quick movement , hauled itself up onto the back of it's 
now almost empty exuvia . It then got the rest if it's abdomen out , and settled , riding piggyback
on it's exuvia . Fluids were then pumped , mainly into the wings , which enlarged quite quickly , 
and some into the abdomen . It was now two and a half hours since I set up the tripod , and , getting hungry , I went home for breakfast , as I knew from watching parts of the emergence in the past , this part takes a fair time . Returning to the lake , suitably refreshed , all was as it was , except either the breeze which had got up or the insect itself had moved to the back of the stem . The other specimen had already opened it's wings , so I knew it wouldn't be long . Having walked around the lake again , three teneral Black Tailed Skimmers lifted off from the area as I 
approached , but the one I had been photographing was still there , waiting for me to take the final shot .In total I took over 50 shots of the emergence , too many to post , but I hope the ones I did post , give an insight into this , one of the miracles of nature . The four hours that I was on site , seemed like half an hour , and the whole thing was accompanied by Swallows and two House Martins skimming the lake surface , and Skylark and Yellowhammer singing , along with all the expected species .
the four flower heads , was a tiny caterpillar . That's egg and caterpillar , now I hope to find the chrysalis on the same plant when they pupate , which should be in about a month's time . 
Coots have already got a second brood on the water . I'm sure that the Little Grebes have young now , but they have not been brought out from the safety of the reedbed yet . The Moorhens that I posted on the floating platform a while back seem to have only one chick left , no doubt down to the Grey Herons , one tried to come in yesterday whilst I was there , but thought better of it . Back on the Odonata front , as soon as it got warm enough , about 10 o'clock , the males started to appear , and the territorial disputes ensued . The Downy Emeralds were the first , closely followed by the Emperors , Four Spotted Chasers and the Black Tailed Skimmers . The 
latter were soon seen mating in flight , and the females almost immediately started ovipositing , dipping their abdomens and releasing an egg each time . In another corner , Four Spotted 
Chasers were doing their thing on the wing too . There was not much in the way of sunshine before I left , but a few butterflies were recorded , Large and Green-veined White , and 
Common Blue , but they were outnumbered by the number of immigrant Silver Ys . 
Onobrychis vicilifolia , a member of the Pea family , had also started to flower . Back in the open meadows of Down House , Yellow Rattle-Rhinanthus minor , a semi-parasitic member of the 
Figwort family was doing likewise . It gets it's name from the fact that the seeds when ripe , rattle within their pods , just like a baby's rattle . A few butterflies , Large White (5) , Small Copper (4) , Common Blue (8) and Green-veined White (2) were also recorded . Lots of the day
flying moth , Burnet Companion and a single Cinnabar moth , were also seen . 
dragon/damselflies . Most obvious were the large numbers of newly emerged Black Tailed Skimmers , identified by the still wet , soft wings . It appeared that every step around the bank , put up more , making their maiden flights into the safety of the surrounding trees . It is impossible to sex the insects at this stage , as like the Broad Bodied Chasers , they all emerge the same golden colour . Every bay , lily pad and stand of reed had aerial battles going on for 
ownership , and many involved probably the easiest dragonfly to recognise , the Four Spotted Chaser , the only dragonfly to a four spots halfway along all four wings . A small butterfly caught my attention next , and when I managed to get a look at it , it turned out to be a very fresh , 
small Comma . Going by the book , not due out till the end of the month , and this one , one of the form 'hutchinsoni' , with golden brown underside , the later specimens will have much darker undersides . Back at the water , some of the earlier emerged Black Tailed Skimmers , were found
already colouring up , and the males like this one staking their claims along with the rest . The males can be confused with male BBChasers from their colouring , but they do not have the broad bodies , nor the brown markings at the base of the wings of the BBCs . Although I didn't see any at Spring Park , there was no shortage of Emperor Dragonflies here . They too were 
joining in the aerial battles , driving off any intruders , and as usual , hardly ever stopping . This lake always has good numbers of Black Tailed Skimmers , but the numbers of Broad Bodied Chasers are always well behind , but this female , with her mate guarding her from above , was doing her best to redress the balance . I took about 20 shots of her dipping the end of her 
abdomen into the water and releasing an egg each time , in the hope that the timing on the odd one might be right , and this was that one . A butterfly amongst the Ragged Robin , which I thought was a 'white' from a distance , when I got up to it , turned out to be a female Brimstone .
rarely seen topwing if this butterfly , as she moved to her next nectar source . Other butterfly species recorded included Common Blue (5) , Large White (2) , Green-veined White (2) and my first Meadow Brown of the year , but he didn't hang around for a photo .
sighting of the year for me , of Red Eyed Damselfly . I had been looking during the visit for one of the Emerald Dragonflies , which I have recorded over the last few years on this site . I thought that I got a view of one , but it was gone before I could be sure . I stuck around , and a while later , it reappeared . It then took another half hour to get a shot of it that wasn't blurred , as this species is even more active than the Emperor , if that were possible and only about half the 
size . This species is the Downy Emerald , and although not rare , I only record in ones and twos , but I'm reasonably sure that they are breeding on this site . As I walked back to the car , the unmistakable glide of a Demoiselle over the reeds , and when I got the binoculars on it , a male Beautiful Demoiselle , could it be the one Carol helped out of the carport the other day ? Now I've got 2 to record . That brought the Odonata species list to 10 for the visit .
around revealed that many more Broad Bodied Chasers had emerged , their exuvia still attached to emergent vegetation . Before I could get half way round the pond , a large dragonfly , lifted from just above the water surface , and made it's first flight , vertically into the surrounding trees . When I got around to the area , the exuvia of an Emperor Dragonfly was found in the 
vegetation , and later , a second was found . Just the odd Large Red and Azure damselflies were recorded around the pond , so I headed off to the sheltered meadow , and the vegetation that surrounds it , a favourite place for feeding and resting Broad Bodied Chasers . On the way , I 
recorded a single Small Copper , looking very colourful in the weaker morning light . It could well have been a female from the way she was behaving . Walking through the woods to the sheltered
meadow , I froze when I saw a bird , sitting at the foot of a tree , well camouflaged . My mind raced as to what it could be , and I carefully made my way to the left to get a better look . When 
I got 90 degrees to my left , this is what I found , a broken branch lying at the bottom of the trunk . Disappointed , I carried on to the meadow . Sure enough , on the brambles alongside the 
meadow , I found the Broad Bodied Chasers , the females in their golden colours , and the males 
in their powder blue colours , 13 in total , split almost exactly in half as regards sexes . As they seemed quite happy where they were , I headed back to the pond to see what else was about .
On one of the emerging leaves , was a Wasp Beetle-Clytus arietis , looking like everything it 
says on the box . Also around , were large numbers of Soldier Beetles-Rhagonycha fulva , and by this time , the Large Red Damselflies were getting things together , this pair in the wheel or ring 
position . Just the odd sighting of a female Smooth newt , and a couple of small fish , probably the offspring of some Goldfish that some moron dumped into the pond , the parents of which I sometimes catch sight of . The tadpoles are making a good job of the blanket weed , and there were large numbers of Pond Skaters , and a few Water Boatmen-Corixa punctata , who spend 
their lives in an extraordinary upside down world . I never did see the Emperor Dragonfly again , but , just before leaving the pond , the first male Broad Bodied Chasers arrived to take up their positions to intercept any females arriving at the water , this one taking his place on the 
flower of one of the Yellow Flag Irises , that are coming into flower .
attention , with a pair of Mistle Thrushes feeding on the bank , whilst in the scrubby areas , 
Yellowhammers sang from the tops of Hawthorn , Blackcaps , Chiffchaffs and several Common Whitethroats supplied the backing . Even a short burst of a Nightingale was heard . Lots of Twayblades , and the odd , past it's sell by date , Early Purple Orchid was found , before the first
few , many of them browsed by rabbits , Monkey Orchid was found . This is a rare species , and 
is only found on this site and a handful of others in Oxfordshire . The only other Orchid found on the site was a single Fragrant , the flowers of which were still in bud . Good numbers of Common Blue butterflies were recorded , including a mating pair , a single each of Orange Tip and Brown Argus , neither stopping for a shot . As we were leaving , another enthusiast was arriving to photographer the Monkey Orchids that he had found in bud about two weeks ago . Not one of the specimens that he had seen then were still standing , all nibbled of by the obvious large Rabbit population on the site , he was not a happy man .
looking as if it was in a snowy field , but the 'snow' was in fact Oxeye Daisies . Almost straight 
away , we added Lady Orchid to the list , but the numbers were much fewer than on my last visit . Much walking followed , but Fly and then Greater Butterfly Orchids , pictured , were
added . It turned out to be the only specimen of this species found on site . A couple of Helleborines , White and Broad-leaved were added , the second only in leaf , they will flower in early July . On a sunny bank with Horeshoe Vetch in good number , we found a newly emerged Adonis Blue male , and on the edge of the woodland , what I thought from a distance to be a 
female Broad Bodied Chaser , turned out to be a Hornet , probably a queen from the size of it . A Turtle Dove was hear 'purring' on the farmland edge , but it was not seen . The last Orchid 
species found today , was just before we left the site , a Common Spotted , just starting to flower . Other butterflies recorded included 3 Brimstone males , 2 Large Whites , and a very 
worn Comma , that must be one of the last surviving overwintering adults .
platform to make their nest on .
