Aston Rowant NNR - 2nd August 2011

I managed a second visit to this wonderful butterfly site in just over a week and what a difference. The temperature was around 25C  with very little wind and though it was cloudy the number of butterflies was treble the amount I saw on my previous visit.
Chalkhill Blue were flying in large numbers and were certainly the predominant species. Small Heath ans Small Copper numbers were up and I saw at least 10 Silver -Spotted Skippers which were not flying on my previous visit.

 Above the Silver-Spotted Skipper is common during its flying season at Aston Rowant and can be distinguished from other UK Skippers by the silver spots on its under wing.

 Above Essex Skipper below Large Skipper

The Large and Essex Skippers can be distinguished by the Essex Skippers black tip to the antenna.

  Above Small Copper below Small Heath

 Above Common Blue, below female Chalkhill Blue, bottom male Chalkhill Blue

 Top Small Tortoiseshell, above Speckled Wood below female Brown Argus

Local Patch, Warblers & Butterflies - 29th April 2011

I managed a few trips up to the local patch the first being on the way back from an early walk with the dogs at Cuerden Valley Park. On the way up I’d heard a Willow Warbler calling by the top kissing gate and more were heard on Cuerden itself as well as a Whitethroat calling near the paddock and Chiffchaff calling around the park.
On the way back through as well as the usual calling Chiffchaff there were 2 calling Whitethroat and 2 other Whitethroat in the area where 2 successfully nested last year which was a good sign and prompted a return visit with the camera.
Though I heard 2 Whitethroat calling the nesting pair were very elusive and it took a 45 minute wait sat in the long grass before I got the few shots shown.

ABOVE AND BELOW WHITETHROAT

Though the wind was up there were several species of butterfly in evidence and I came across a single Blue-tailed Damselfly which I think is a little early for them and the first dragonfly/damselfly I have seen this season though I have been checking the Dragonfly Pond at Cuerden regularly.

ABOVE AND BELOW MALE ORANGE TIP, THE FEMALE LACKS THE ORANGE TIPS

ABOVE WORN PEACOCK BELOW SMALL TORTOISESHELL 

ABOVE SMALL WHITE BELOW BLUE-TAILED DAMSELFLY

Brockholes Nature Reserve LWT - 15th August 2010

The plan was to head out to Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB but just before we left a text came through from Mike saying the Purple Hairstreak were showing at Brockholes Nature Reserve so off we went. Walking towards the Oak tree where they had been spotted at the edge of Boilton Wood we spotted several other species of Butterflies some being a first time for Reece. I've always had a mild interest in butterflies and could probably have named a dozen or so species but this year as you can probably tell by the increased postings on the blog I've increased my knowledge and the amount of species I've seen. The one thing that has amazed me though is the size of some of the butterflies as shown in the photograph of the Small Copper below. I spotted it when passing some Ragwort and Reece was shocked at both how I'd picked it out and how small it was.

ABOVE SMALL COPPER BELOW WORN FEMALE COMMON BLUE BOTH ON RAGWORT

There were 5 or 6 people observing the Oak tree where the Purple Hairstreak had been seen but as we arived none had shown for 20 minutes but it wasn't long before one made an appearance. They were quite distant and being a small butterfly with a wingspan up to 40mm I couldn't get in close as I usually do. Unlike most species they feed on the honeydew of Oak trees so they are hard to spot as they spend most of the time in the tops of the trees.

They fly between the begining of July to the first week in September and I'm hoping we have another sunny day so I get the chance to try and photograph them again. Other species on the wing included Common Blue, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood, Comma, Small White and Green Veined White.

TOP SMALL TORTOISESHELL BELOW COMMA BOTTOM SPECKLED WOOD

Dragonflies were also flying and none more than the Common Darter. Both the males and females were showing well across the reserve and were quite happy to remain perched as we both photographed them. No such luck with the Brown Hawker which never seems to land though a female was seen oviposting on the fishing pond but none of my photographs were any good to show. We also saw a Southern Hawker and a Migrant Hawker but again with them being on the wing photos were near imposible. Not forgeting birds we saw a Green Sandpiper fly from one of the smaller pools and a Little Egret was seen on pool No 1 but not by ourselves.

ABOVE FEMALE COMMON DARTER BELOW MALE COMMON DARTER

Brockholes Nature Reserve - 26th June 2010

Not much going on bird wise at the moment so I'm trying to learn a little more about other wildlife including Butterflies, Dragonflies and Orchids (as shown in previous posts). The Butterfly and Orchid books are on order so my identification of both should improve, if only slightly in the coming months. I spent the afternoon down at Brockholes not looking for anything in perticular but hoping that something new would pop up in the afternoon sunshine. Dragonflies included 4 Empreror, 1 Black-tailed Skimmer, Blue-tailed Damselfly and Common Blue Damselfly.

ABOVE BLUE TAILED DAMSELFLY BELOW BLACK-TAILED SKIMMER

Common Spotted Orchid were in abundance across the reserve, more so than last year from what I remember. Butterflies included Large White, Small Tortoiseshell, Meadow Brown and Large Skipper.

ABOVE COMMON SPOTTED ORCHID BELOW LARGE SKIPPER

ABOVE MEADOW BROWN BELOW SMALL TORTOISESHELL

Of course there where some birds around including this juvenile Whitethroat singing over by the fishing pond.

                          

I also spent some time trying to photograph the Sand Martin over the River Ribble with this being my best effort.