BUTTERFLIES AT RODBOROUGH COMMON

Summer has returned and I made the most of my afternoon off.  Made a first visit to Rodborough Common, where a number of butterflies including the Duke of Burgundy can be seen, the latter being my target for the afternoon to add to my year's list.

A bit breezy over the common, so I didn't see many butteflies to start with but as I went down the hillside and found some more sheltered areas, I found some small heath,  common blue,  and a red admiral.  A bit further on, there was a nice sheltered gully where a number of little brown butterflies were fluttering about, which on close inspection proved to be dingy skippers, small heaths  and a single duke of burgundy!  Quest achieved! . Having taken  a few  photos I made my way up the steep hillside and found adonis blue and  small blue  on my way back to the car park.

Butterflies seen:
dingy skipper
duke of burgundy
common blue
small blue
adonis blue
small heath
red admiral

duke of burgundy

small blue

adonis blue

MORE BIRDING AT OTMOOR

Having regard for the weather forecast, it seemed an ideal opportunity to visit Otmoor RSPB reserve with the object of seeing a turtle dove and or cuckoo which spend a few months there each year.

Arriving at 820 am. the first sound I heard was a cuckoo, though I didn't get to view it until   sometime later. As I walked down the bridleway I then heard  a turtle dove purring in one of the oaks, giving a pretty good view. Three cranes also flew onto the reserve as I watched.

Sedge warblers and reed warblers were  all singing away, also saw and heard a snipe drumming, and a couple of hobbies. Also lots of greylag geese with their goslings.

Rather a surprise to find a young mole on the path, not sure how it got there, but it seemed a bit disorientated!

Birds seen included:

snipe, cuckoo, turtle dove, magpie, hobby, greylag, canada goose, shoveler, redshank, swan, mallard, coot, sedge warbler, reed warbler, reed bunting, kestrel, cormorant, willow warbler, chiffchaff, goldfinch, chaffinch, linnet, blackbird, crane.

cuckoo, taken through hide window

turtle dove

hobby

sedge warbler

greylag goslings

linnet

a young mole

SPRING BUTTERFLIES

I  had been recommended Cotley Hill, near Warminster as a good spot for butterflies at this time of year, and I wasn't disappointed on my visit this afternoon. After a cloudy morning, the afternoon was forecast sunny so I took lunch and drove the one hour 20 minutes journey to the aforementioned site.

Having spoken to a couple of chaps who arrived soon after me, as to which route to take, I walked up the narrow path and soon spotted green hairstreaks and a small blue. As the path opened out onto the chalk hillside, I was soon saw more species, including the notable marsh fritillary and adonis blue. Later a wall brown was seen, though unwilling to pose for photographs, preferring to hide under leaves.

After traversing the hillside and path for an hour or so, I returned to the car, having seen a total of 14 butterflies, including two completely new ones, and 9 new for the year. A worthwhile trip.

Species of butterfly seen:
green veined white, orange-tip, peacock, speckled wood, marsh fritillary, wall brown, small heath, small blue, brown argus, adonis blue, holly blue, green hairstreak, dingy skipper, grizzled skipper.

green hairstreak

adonis blue

grizzled skipper

marsh fritillary

orange tip

a hiding wall brown

FARMOOR

There had been some interesting reports of waders present in the morning, so I made my way over to Farmoor reservoir on a dull, cold and rather breezy afternoon. 

The only wader I found was a common sandpiper, but there were loads of swifts sweeping low over the water and my head, as well as white, yellow and pied wagtails, greylag family, also common terns and black terns.  I did locate a kestrel nest box which hopefully should provide some interesting views on  a later date hopefully. 

Birds seen around the reservoir. 
greylag goose, pied wagtail, white wagtail, yellow wagtail, cormorant, blackheaded gull, great crested grebe, mallard, common tern, black tern, common sandpiper, swift, swallow, sand martin, coot. 

Coate water

A quick stroll around part of the lake at Coate water to see if the turnstone was still present- it wasn't!  However there were the usual geese and some goslings, a young heron, and various swans on nests, also gadwalls, tufted ducks, mallards and grebes. 

I also witnessed a young child fall off one of the fishing platforms into the water - I knew his parents were around but couldn't see them at the time, and wasn't sure if they had heard or seen the splash!  However, the child managed to turn round and grab the edge and his dad was there in a few seconds after the child called out. It was quite a walk from where I stood watching on the bridge, but thankfully I didn't have to undertake a dramatic rescue! I spoke to the dad afterwards who said that the little boy who was four, had been going to swimming lessons where they are taught to turn round and grab the side which obviously was a lesson well learnt, even if he didn't do as his dad said by going onto the platform in the first place!!

FARMOOR AGAIN

Had a quick stopover here on my way home from Cambridge. On the causeway there were two dunlins and a common sandpiper, swallows and common terns flying overhead, the mallard was still caring for her growing brood of ducklings, also saw a wheatear and a couple of yellow wagtails. 

mallard and her young

dunlins

RUTLAND WATER OSPREYS

I was pleased to have the opportunity to visit   Manton Bay, where  ospreys have been nesting for  a number of years now. It forms part of the Rutland Water Nature Reserve so after purchasing our permits, we  walked the kilometre path to the hide where telescopes are trained on the nest and there is a screen in the hide giving a video link to the nest. 

On arrival, we could see the female osprey on the nest, where she is   incubating four eggs, an unusual number for ospreys who normally lay two or three. In fact we were told that up till now it  has not been known for four chicks to fledge successfully. So it will interesting to follow their progress. 

The male bird was perching in a tree  not far away, and whilst we were in the hide he flew off and then returned low over the water and then  up to the nest where he swapped over incubating duties with the female. 

The weather was rather grey and not as spring like as recently, but we still managed a decent tally of birds on the reserve.

These included:
osprey, little ringed plover, redshank, lapwing, mallard, tufted duck, gadwall, teal,pochard, mute swan, egyptian goose ( one with young) canada goose, greylag goose, little egret, heron, robin, blue tit, great tit, blackbird, thrush, pheasant, goldfinch, chaffinch, greenfinch, house sparrow, dunnock, wood pigeon, collared dove, common tern, swallow, sand martin, black headed gull, reed bunting, chiffchaff, rook, jackdaw, moorhen, coot, wren, snipe, great crested grebe.

egyptian goose and young

blackbird

female osprey on nest

common tern