... TWO RARITIES...

This afternoon I made a  revisit to Daneway Banks to attempt a photo of large blue butterflies.  It was a warm, hazy afternoon and as expected there were a number of visitors all with the same mission!  A conversation with another visitor was encouraging - several had been seen, including a pair mating.

I saw three large blues flying, as I made my way down to the end of the reserve, where the sight of  a group of photographers indicated that the mating pair of large blues were still there, and allowed for as many photographs as you wanted!

I was shown an individual with open wings on a nearby flower which allowed a record shot but it was disturbed and flew off.

After spending some time (unsuccessfully) looking for more individuals in a different part of the rreserve I returned to the 'mating pair' who were still there!  and walked around that area again.
Suddenly I became aware of a larger reddish/orange butterfly chasing some smaller ones, a fritillary perhaps, but then it disappeared.  Shortly afterwards it reappeared.  'Hey look at that!', I called out to some nearby photographers and we began a quick chase.. to find to our amazement that it was a Monarch butterfly!

I took a few quick record shots on a zoom lens, before it disappeared again,  and then came back to settle on a flower not to far away from us.  Probably a released specimen, especially just after the weekend,  far too pristine to have been blown over from America, I would think, but nevertheless a great find!

large blues mating

large skipper

marbled white

monarch

monarch

monarch - looks like stained glass windows I think!

rather blurry large blue!

RAVENSROOST BUTTERFLIES

Having read that Silver washed fritillaries and White admirals had been seen at Ravensroost wood this week, a free Saturday gave me the chance to look for myself. I arrived at 11.30am; cloudy with a breeze but quite warm and the chance of some sunshine a little later on. 

Entering the wood,  I came across a couple of  bird ringers just finishing taking down some mist netting. On getting into conversation, I found that this is a monthly occurrence, and that if I liked, I could go and observe one morning. So having got a contact email, I am thinking of following it up... watch this space!

Back on the main ride through the wood, I was surrounded by meadow brown butterflies and ringlets. I stopped at the usual spot favoured by my target butterflies, and to my surprise spotted a white admiral perched on a leaf right very close to me! I didn't get to see any of these last year so was pleased to find one so easily today. 

It was still cloudy at this point, but then the sun came out briefly, and then suddenly there  appeared a couple of silver washed fritillaries, which flew fast and high and disappeared again just as quickly!  As |I walked up and down the same few metres of path, I had repeated glimpses of the fritillaries, and eventually one stopped to feed, and I was able to get my camera out! 

Butterflies spotted at Ravensroost  wood today, included speckled wood, large skipper, small white, red admiral, meadow brown, ringlet, silver washed fritillaries ( at least 3)  and white admiral ( at least 2).

silver washed fritillary

silver washed fritillary

white admiral

ringlet

EVENING STROLL

A little cooler and fresher today; I took a short early evening stroll around Stanton Park, the temperature was still showing 23 degrees, but that was 10 degrees less than the same time yesterday! A few butterflies enjoying some late sunshine, mainly meadow browns, and three commas. Also saw two herons on the main lake, and a family of moorhens on one of the smaller ponds.

PENTYLANDS

A short, very warm walk around part of Pentylands, Highworth after work today. Many meadow brown butterflies around, also good numbers of marbled whites and ringlets ( both my first sightings this year). Also saw small tortoiseshells, large skippers and a comma. On the whole, the marbled whites seemed reluctant to settle, but towards the end of my walk, I managed to find a couple of obliging individuals. 

 meadow brown

 ringlet

marbled white

large skipper

marbled white

A SUNNY AFTERNOON IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE

I visited two of Butterfly Conservation's reserves in Gloucestershire today; Daneways and Rough Bank. I was hoping to see the rare Large Blue butterfly at Daneways. After parking the car I walked the few hundred metres uphill to the reserve and spoke to a couple returning to their car who said that they hadn't see any!  However, on arrival the warden said that one had just been flying around  near the entrance, and there it was! Sadly it didn't land so no photos possible. Despite walking around for an hour or so, no others were seen by anyone I spoke to.

However, I did see a green hairstreak, my first Painted Lady of the year, common blues, small blues, speckled wood, large skipper, small heath, meadow brown and red admiral.

I might try a return visit in the next week or so, as its not too far for me to travel to, unlike some others who had made a five hour journey from Sheffield to see  a large blue!

I then drove over to Rough Bank, there was very little around, several small blues and common blues, speckled wood and meadow browns.

meadow brown

painted lady

small blue

BLACK HAIRSTREAKS

I had a great morning today looking for black hairstreak butterflies in White Cross Green woods. 
The forecast was cloudy at home, so I decided to venture eastwards into Oxfordshire, where it was predicted to be sunny and warm! Looking for somewhere to go, I saw on the Butterfly conservation website that black hairstreaks were flying at Whitecross Green woods, and since I'd not seen one before, it seemed the ideal chance. 

With a number of cars already in the car park, it seemed hopeful, and I soon got into conversation with someone knowledgeable  who offered to help me look for them.  Much to my surprise we found a couple of these butterflies flitting around the top of the blackthorn, only a short distance along the ride leading from the carpark, landing briefly once to enable me to get a record photo. Moving on, we saw several more, in different areas of the woods, till we'd seen a total of 11, a good number  for a first visit, I was told! They were staying mostly around the tops of the bushes, sheltering from the breeze amongst the leaves, not ideal photo conditions although I did manage a few, rather dark shots. A few other species were seen,  including speckled wood, common blue, large skipper and meadow brown. Also a white, not identified. 

Returning to my car, I stopped where we had seen the first butterflies; nothing was flying, then something caught my eye...a single black hairstreak sitting in a perfect position at eye level!  A fantastic finish!!

A view of one of the rides at Whitecross Green woods

Black hairstreak butterfly

black hairstreak butterfly

A TAP AT THE WINDOW...

I was sitting at the table this morning when I a heard a bang on the window and  looked up in time to see a bird with pink and grey feathers fly off. A few seconds later a female bullfinch appeared,  and standing on the window sill  outside, started tapping  on the window, folllowed by her mate which perched on an empty flower pot stand nearby. they didn't stay long but it's not often I see these birds at such close quarters, and it was a lovely sight. 

The recently fledged family of blue tits are still hanging around the feeders. 

male bullfunch just outside my window

bullfinch pair at the window

juvenile bluetits

family at the feeder

MORGAN'S HILL BUTTERFLIES AND MOTH

Looked like today was the only chance I would get this week of looking for butterflies, so drove over to Morgan's Hill near Devizes early afternoon while the sun was still shining. It was a bit breezy so that may explain the few numbers of butterflies,   which tended to dive down into the grass when they settled.

However I did get a number of species including a single marsh fritillary which perched briefly before disappearing; a brimstone; several common blues; small heaths;  large skippers  ( first of the year for me) ; meadow brown (another first of the year) and a wall brown.

I also came across a huge dark moth which I looked up later and think was a privet hawkmoth, with a wingspan of up to 4 inches!

privet hawk moth

a rather tatty wall brown

large skipper

small heath

the same tatty wall brown

common blue