Duke's, Lady's and Frits

A busy weekend butterflying the counties of Oxfordshire, Dorset, Wiltshire and Hampshire visiting a variety of national or private nature reserves in glorious sunshine managing over 20 species with a supporting cast of orchids, dragonflies, moths and birds enjoying excellent countryside and riverside pubs as you do. Best of the butterflies were Marsh Fritillary, Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary, Duke of Burgundy, Wall Brown, and Adonis Blue while adding Green Hairstreak, Small Heath and Brown Argus to a growing year list. Naturally all this searching revealed a few day flying moths or roosting one’s with Speckled Yellow, Red Green Carpet, Treble-bar, Mother Shipton, and Common Carpet noted. Dragonflies were thin on the ground though many of the sites visited were on hills and lacked any suitable habitat - Banded Demoiselle, Beautiful Demoiselle, Variable Damselfly and Azure Damselfly seen. Best of the orchids were Lady, Monkey and hybrids of the two while Nightingale and Turtle Dove stood out among the birds plus the ever present Red Kite.

Marsh Fritillary taken in 2012

Weather continued to be warm and sunny on Monday but we have now entered the doldrums at the pond with very little on offer just 2 Common Tern, Four-spotted Chaser and 2 Brown Argus butterflies and while Bob was round this afternoon photographing moths a Hobby came over a couple of times and my Yellow-necked Mouse showed itself for the first time this year. Luckily this warm spell has brought in decent night time temperatures so the traps have been doing over time. Dave had 70 moths from 26 species while I had 17 species from 46 moths. Highlights were Poplar, Lime and Elephant Hawk-moth, Waved Umber, Muslin Moth, Spectacle and Least Black Arches

Bee Orchid Draycote Water

Four-spotted Chaser Stockton Cutting



Phyllonorycter-harrisella in Dave's trap

Spruce Carpet in Dave's trap

Small Blue Stockton Cutting

 

above pics by Bob hazell