FROGS AND A SNAKE IN A LILY POND

 Whilst  considering what to do today, I recalled someone mentioning some 'pool frogs' at Greenham Common which have a later breeding cycle than the common frog and could be seen and heard in one of the wildlife ponds during May. As this was on  the way to my daughter's house, I stopped off in the carpark to see whether I could  see them. 

Taking  a path round to the pond through a gate leading from the car park, I stopped to admire the flowers of  water lilies in one corner of the pond, before making my way down  to the water's edge.

I soon saw some movement and heard  the inevitable 'plops' as several frogs dived under the water for safety.  Studying the water surface I noticed one or two more frogs, poking up their heavily camouflaged heads amongst the leaves and weeds which were floating on the water. Occasionally one would make a few  slow swimming strokes towards a leaf then stop. 

The frogs all had a green stripe running down their back which differs from the common frog. 

Just along from where I was standing, I couple were also admiring the frogs, then  I heard them point out a  grass snake which was swimming across towards the lily leaves. It  proceeded to slither across the surface of the leaves before disappearing under the overhanging branches. 

Occasionally I could hear the croak of a frog, and then suddenly it turned into a chorus of croaking from various areas of the pond. It was quite loud and continued for half a minute or so before stopping again. 

It was a tranquil scene in the warm sunshine and I could have sat and watched for  longer but decided I had better continue my journey to my daughter's house. 

BUTTERFLY WEATHER

 It was perfect weather for spotting butterflies at Morgan's Hill, near Calne this afternoon with almost clear skies and warm sunshine with only a little wind. I'd seen that Marsh Fritillaries had been seen at this Wiltshire Wildlife trust reserve and some Wall butterflies too, and as I needed both these for my year list I decided to head over there at lunch time after I'd finished work. 

Leaving the car park, I took the track up the slight incline through the trees until it levelled out with far reaching views. I continued until I came to a gate into the reserve which I went through and followed a path up to the top of the ridge. Straight away I saw a couple of Marsh Fritillary butterflies and as I walked further I saw plenty more - there must have been at least 20 and that was just each side of the path.  They were very obliging as usual and often settled open-winged on a buttercup or other plant.  I also saw both dingy and grizzled skippers and small heath, an orange tip, red admiral, brimstone and some white species which didn't settle. I  saw at least half a dozen wall butterflies, quite a good total compared with previous visits. Although appearing orange like the fritillaries, these had a stronger flight and would often settle on the warm, bare ground  and then fly up as I approached. 

marsh fritillary

wall

SMALL BLUES

 Small blue butterflies are now on the wing so I drove over to  Crog Hill just outside Lambourne which is possibly one of the easiest places to find them in good numbers. In fact as I stopped in the designated parking area at the entrance to the track I saw two even before I got out of the car!  Flying close to the ground, they are so small, you could even mistake them for some sort of fly until you realise when they settle and open their wings that they are indeed a tiny butterfly. 

I followed a deep rutted track from the car, almost every few steps one or two flew up from the ground ahead.  Apparently the males like to take minerals from mud, animal droppings and carrion so I assume that's what they were doing, as very few were settled on the flowers. 

I must have seen in excess of 100 small  blues, plus one or two individuals of other species. e.g.  dingy skipper, red admiral, and brimstone. 

PEARL BORDERED FRITILLARIES

I had a course booked for this afternoon  near Cirencester so decided it would provide a good opportunity to combine a visit to some woods nearby to look for pearl bordered fritillaries. Usually I opt for Oakley Woods but had recently been told that these butterflies had been seen in good numbers at another site - Siccaridge Wood. I knew where this was, as it is immediately opposite the entrance to Daneway banks - a well known site for large blue butterflies. 

Having secured a parking space not too far away, I went through the gate and followed the path through the woods. After a while I came to a cleared area, which had some bugle flowers in bloom - a pearl bordered favourite - and saw some other people chatting holding cameras. Looking around in the sunshine, a couple of orange butterflies  appeared as if from nowhere flying close to the ground.  Immediately I knew they were what I was looking for. After taking a few photos, I got into conversation with one person who said there was a particularly good area, further down the track where there was a large amount of bugle. After thanking them for the information, I headed further along the path and soon found a couple of other people.. and more butterflies!  

They were settling regularly, giving opportunities for both upper and underwing photos which show the line of 'pearls' along the edge which give the species its name,  and without the need to stray far from the path. One of them even settled on my shoe for a few seconds! 

As I left the woods, I turned back to look at the sunny scene behind me. As I did so, a roe dear appeared from the trees and after stopping and looking at me for a few seconds, continued to cross into the trees at the other side of the path.  Soon afterwards, it was followed by three or four others. Certainly a site worth remembering for the future. 

BUTTERFLIES AT ASTON UPTHORPE DOWNS.

With the target of finding a grizzled skipper butterfly, I drove over to Aston Upthorpe Downs this morning, a valley in the Berkshire downs, comprising chalk downland with juniper scrub. Having visited several times I was familiar with the parking area beside an old barn, followed by a half mile walk down a rutted track which opens out into a lovely valley accessed via a small gate. 

Often it has been windy so I've had to look for a sheltered spot to find the butterflies I'm looking for but today there was little wind.  Along the track I saw several brimstones and peacocks, also a comma which lay basking in the sun on the ground and soon after I entered the reserve, I spotted a small dark butterfly fluttering low above the ground - my first grizzled skipper of the day.  Tick! 

I saw about four individuals of this species in a short space of time, before finding a few dingy skippers and a small heath. Walking further up the valley , I saw two people who had stopped with cameras. Although they had moved on a bit, I soon found what they had been looking at - a couple of small copper butterflies, both very fresh looking.  The lady was standing next to a large hawthorn bush and I quickly realised she was probably looking for green hairstreaks and after a while she pointed one  out to me. We only saw two and already they were looking slightly faded.  On my way back to the car, I found a fresh male common blue which made three new butterfly species of the year during today's visit, bring my total to 14. 

comma

 

grizzled skipper

dingy skipper

green hairstreak

view up the valley

small copper

brimstone

small heath

OTMOOR RSPB in the morning sun

I paid a morning visit to rspb Otmoor today to catch up with some of the warblers that migrate there for the summer. The hedgerows along the bridle way were full of birdsong, and it wasn't long before I caught up with a very showy sedge warbler singing from the top of one of the bushes.  Blackcaps could also be heard along with chiffchaffs, reed warblers, lesser white throat, and reed bunting. 

At the first screen, a marsh harrier could be seen hunting over the reeds, and three  herons were at the edge of the reed beds. 

I didn't hear a grasshopper warbler reeling, which I have done in the past but I heard a cuckoo calling and saw it fly off. 

singing sedge warbler

hedgerows full of birdsong

reed warbler

 

SUNSHINE BRINGS OUT THE BUTTERFLIES AT RODBOROUGH COMMON

 

The first warm sunny day for a while gave me the chance to head over to Rodborough Common to see the early spring butterflies that fly there at the beginning of May. 

I headed down the  steep hillside at the end of the common, to where the butterflies I was looking for, usually can be found. Surprisingly no one else was already there, and at first I could see no butterflies at all. Then a single dingy skipper flew up and then settled on a buttercup.  It was sunny so I was surprised that there was so little butterfly activity. As I glanced around, I caught sight of a glimmer of green amongst the grass a little way off -  a somewhat battered green hairstreak was partly hidden amongst the leaves. Then I spotted a small heath which settled for a short time before I lost it from sight further along the hillside. 

Meanwhile I was joined by another gentleman,  who then started looking closely at something   a few metres away. He had found a pristine Duke of Burgundy!  It obligingly posed for quite a while allowing for some photos. 

I got chatting to him; he had one more species of UK butterfly still to find - the mountain ringlet, having failed to find it last year.  Unless you live nearby it is often the last butterfly to be found, as it entails a trek up a mountainside in the lake district - although last year I met someone who told me he wanted his last butterfly to be the Swallowtail!  This gentleman also  told me about the species he'd seen at a quarry  in Portland, where I hope to visit at the end of the month! 

Another couple came by, and while there we saw a one or two more dingy skippers and another green hairstreak. No common blues or brown argus to be found, however.  

Although I had ticked off the species I had targeted for this visit, butterflies were, admittedly, in short supply. Perhaps  a few more days of sunshine will bring some more. Interestingly none of the people I spoke to today had seen a Red Admiral  yet this year!

green hairstreak

Duke of Burgundy

Dingy skipper

view from Rodborough Common