SILCHESTER COMMON

A very quick visit to  Silchester Common this afternoon to check for silver studded blues. It was quite cloudy but the sun did break through once or twice, which was the signal for several butterflies to lift off and flutter about before landing again amongst the gorse and heather. I grabbed a single shot of a silver studded blue, my 29th butterfly of the year,  before being distracted by some young stonechats perched on nearby bushes. However with no more breaks in the cloud I decided to leave, and drive the  ten minutes  to meet my daughter and family for a socially distanced cup of tea in her back garden. Hopefully I'll be back on a sunny day, and will try and get a photo of the underwings showing those silver studs that give the butterfly its name. 

the heath at Silchester common

stonechat juvenile

BERNWOOD MEADOWS FOR BLACK HAIRSTREAKS

Butterflies with a flight period in June have already begun to emerge so with the current warm spell due to  come to an end tomorrow, I wanted to make the most of today's afternoon sunshine.  Large blues have already been seen at Daneway Banks, and silver studded blues and dark green fritillaries are also on the wing, but I decided that I would go for black hairstreaks today. My usual spot for finding these butterflies is at Whitecross green wood, but with the reserve closed at present, I needed to find an alternative. In fact there are several  places close by that have black hairstreaks so I opted for the closest, which was at Bernwood Meadows, north east of Oxford. I had read that the car park was closed and was prepared to park half a mile down the road in a woodland carpark, but as I drove past there was nothing indicating closure, and one other car was already parked there so I drove in too, Mind you the car park is tiny, with only room for  3 cars! 

I walked through the meadows,,checking the blackthorn hedges for any black hairstreak activity. Being unsuccessful I decided to ask a couple of people who were taking a keen interest in the long grasses. They said they were looking for butterflies and on explaining I   was looking for black hairstreaks, was directed towards the gate into the adjoining woodland. There were blackthorn bushes either side of the gate and I soon spotted a few butterflies flitting amongst the vegetation.  I had to wait a while before any of them settled, wings closed as is usual in the hairstreak family, to  confirm they were in fact black hairstreaks. I think that these butterflies are one of the smartest looking of the hairstreaks, their brown contrasting well with the orange edges to their hindwings. Very few of them stopped, the sunshine had obviously invigorated them, and when they did it always seemed to be in the darkest areas of the bushes! I did find a pair mating, and eventually managed a few photographs of individuals. Altogether I did see about a dozen I think, so not a bad total in a short time. Sadly I did not have sufficient time to explore the meadows further, but on the way back my car, a dragonfly whizzed past and landed on a bush just ahead of me. The yellow body suggested it was  a female or immature species, and when I got home, I found it was a blacktailed skimmer, another dragonfly species I hadn't recorded before,

mating pair of black hairstreaks

black hairstreak

the black hairstreaks were located in the bushes either side of this gate

black tailed skimmer

OTMOOR - FIRST VISIT THIS YEAR

Having heard that RSPB reserve at Otmoor has just opened (partially) I got up early this morning to pay a visit. Arriving at 8 am it was already warm and sunny as I made my way towards up the main track to the bridleway, which is the part that is open. I could hear a cuckoo in the distance and a few warblers in the hedges, and saw a sedge warbler singing from its perch on a telegraph wire. 

Reaching the junction with the bridleway, I enquired if the turtle doves had returned this year, as I didn't manage to see one last year. I was told 'Yes, it was here 15 minutes ago but has flown off onto the marsh!!'  The area where I stopped was by some cattle pens and seed is put out for it to encourage it. However there were several wood pigeons and mallards devouring it, so I shouldn't think there would be much left!  Although I waited it didn't return, and I didn't even hear it purring from the large oak trees as on previous occasions. Continuing along the bridleway, I noted lapwings, a redshank, three shovelers, reed warblers and reed buntings. After the junction  with the paths to the hides and screens I got talking to someone who said there were some dragonflies around. in particular hairy dragonflies if I kept an eye out along the ditches. I continued and several metres further on a dragonfly  flew along the edge of the ditch before  settling on a bush just in front of me. I took some photos and then the man who I'd spoken to caught up with me and confirmed it was a hairy dragonfly.  

Looking the other side of the ditch, were lots of goose families,  both greylag and Canada geese. I also caught sight of a hare lolloping off into the long grass. On my return down the bridle way I found a further dragonfly which I believe is a female ruddy darter. 

I checked the area for the turtle dove again, but it wasn't to be seen,  A few people had seen a bittern in the reeds, and were standing waiting to see if it reappeared, so I waited a little while but felt a bit intrusive joining them, as it wasn't a hide or viewing screen.

I was a little disappointed not to see either cuckoo or turtle dove, but at least I had two new dragonfly species to add to my list.

hairy dragonfly

ruddy darter

view across Otmoor. Several goose families in this area

DRY SANDFORD PIT

Not wanting to travel too far in the afternoon heat, I opted to explore a new site near Abingdon. Dry Sandford pit is a  nature reserve owned by the BBOWT (Wildlife trust) and was formerly a limestone quarry. Within the quarry are now a range of habitats including ponds and streams, scrub and grassland and some fossil rich cliffs. 

As I was about to enter the reserve through a wooden gate, I got into conversation with someone who was also looking for dragonflies. We also started to talk about butterflies and he told me he had managed to see all the UK species. He asked which ones I still had to find, and suggested a few places, most of which I had read of, but as yet  am not sure when I will have an opportunity to visit them. It seems I need a holiday in the Lake District at the beginning of July,  just not possible with school termtime dates! In return I told him about the site in Gloucestershire where large blues can be found. This seemed considerably nearer for him (he lived in Stevenage!) than Somerset where he had seen them before. 

 I  followed one of the paths until I reached one of the ponds where I hoped I might add to my list of dragonflies and damselflies. Being so dry underfoot meant that some areas which may not normally be accessible due to  being very boggy, were easier to reach. With the help from another photographer, I was able to locate a keeled skimmer, a dragonfly with a powder blue body and grey eyes, which was another new species to add to my year list. There are apparently southern damselflies at this location, and I was told an area to search, but I  only found common blues. However, being only half an hour away from home, this is a place I could easily return to. 

keeled skimmer

DRAGONFLIES OF FARMOOR

Warm sunny weather always makes me want to visit somewhere where there is water so not wanting to join crowds at a country park, I opted for another visit to Farmoor Reservoir, and a walk by the river Thames. Everywhere was quiet, nothing of interest had been reported for a few days, hence no photographers. Coots, mallards and a few greylag geese were settled down resting on the shore by the causeway and black headed gulls on the rafts but no waders there today.  

I decided to follow the route  I took last week from the nature reserve along the river. I hoped I might hear and even see a cuckoo, but unlike last time, I did not hear a single one. I spent some time watching some reed warblers darting in and out of the reeds, perhaps they had  a brood of young to feed. A male reed bunting occasionally made an appearance too. 

Continuing along the river I took a turning to the left towards the Shrike Meadow hide and stopped on a bridge over a small stretch of water. I could hear reed warblers constantly in the reeds and some great tits obviously had nest in a nearby bush as they were constantly in and out. There were many common blue damselflies there but I also noticed a few large dragonflies. A four spotted chaser regularly stopped and clung to reeds but another larger  one, green and blue coloured  seemed to be continually patrolling the area,  in fact there were probably two or three of them. Having only just started recording dragonflies, I followed it through my binoculars, noting its large size, green head and blue body. However, I needed it to settle to confirm the species.  At last it found somewhere to stop and although it didn't always rest for long it kept returning to the same spot and I managed a few photographs, which confirmed it was Britain's largest dragonfly, an Emperor Dragonfly. 

path from the nature reserve to the river

view of the river

the first brood of mallard I've seen this year!

four spotted chased

pond where the dragonflies were

four spotted chaser

emperor dragonfly

MORGAN'S HILL REVISIT

The one butterfly species that has eluded me so far this year is the green hairstreak. I have tried to find it at three different sites already this year but with no success.  Being  a butterfly that emerges as early as April, I knew that its flight season was practically over, and if I  was to see it this year I would have to try again now before it was too late. So, with another free morning, again with glorious sunshine, I checked the Wiltshire Butterfly sightings blog and found that a green hairstreak had been seen 2 days ago at Morgan's Hill, a site that I visited last week. 

I knew the area where it would be likely to be seen, and made my way there, spotting a number of marsh fritillaries on  my way and also my first large skipper of the year. I checked the hawthorns and brambles next to the path, hoping that a green hairstreak might give itself away by flitting about between leaves but saw none. 

I then decided to look at some of the hawthorns on the opposite bank, and while there a photographer I have met on other occasions, started to chat, and in conversation I asked if he had seen a green hairstreak. 'Yes, just one,' he said, 'on that  small tree just behind you! '
It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack to scan every leaf on the tree so I had no real option other than to  wait and hope that I'd see a small dark butterfly rise from its resting place on one leaf and flutter over to another. And eventually I saw one leave the tree but it  fluttered  over to a  tree not too far away, although I could not see where it settled.  Hopeful that it might be what I was looking for, I moved over and fixed my eyes on the area I'd seen it.  At last I saw it once more as it flew and settled where I could  set my bincoulars on it. Yes, it was a green hairstreak, rather faded looking, but nevertheless I could now tick it off for the year!

I decided to spend a bit more time seeing what other species I could find, and was pleased to see my first meadow brown over in the quarry area. It didn't settle though, but I expect there will be hundreds more for me to photograph over the coming months!! Other species I found today included dingy skippers, common blue, marsh fritillary, red admiral, brimstone and small tortoiseshell. I had hoped I might find a wall brown but will have to wait another day for that. 

brimstone female

marsh fritillary

large skipper

green haistreak

THE PEARLS OF PRIDDY

It is always nice to be able add a new species to my butterfly list, and with a bank holiday free I decided it would be a good time to seek out a small pearl bordered fritillary. I have tried, unsucessfully on two occasions to find these at Bentley Wood near Salisbury but sadly was always too late , usually because family committments and/or unsuitable weather on a Saturday prevented me from going earlier. In fact the numbers have also been reducing there and the blog hasn't recorded any of them at all in recent days. Last year I visited Priddy Mineries in Somerset in the hope of finding one from a second brood but again had no success. 

However, now was in the middle of their usual flight perid so I was hopefully of adding this species to my  list of species seen. It was already sunny and quite warm when I left home at 7.45 a.m and after filling up with fuel, I made the trip down to Somerset, arriving shortly before 9.15. Two other cars were already parked in the long layby and as I shut the car door I suddenly saw an orange butterfly fly off . Could that be the  fritillary I was looking for.? 

Priddy mineries was once a lead mining area but is now a nature reserve with a wide range of flora and fauna. Priddy pools forms part of the reserve and supports all three types of newt and a range of dragonflies.

Heading down the main track I made for an area where I remembered I had seen most butterflies on my previous visit, passing a stonechat and whitethroat both perched up on some brambles. 

This was a sheltered grassy area next to a grassy mound criss crossed with narrow paths. Initially there were not many butterflies about apart from a few small heaths so I took another track past a pond where some people were fishing. I did spot a couple of possible fritillaries but they were not near enough to identify so I returned to my original spot. It wasn't long before I  saw a couple of bright orange butterflies much closer. Eventually one of them landed, and I could see it was a fritillary. Another surprised me by  landing on my camera bag, and gave excellent views whereby I could identify  clearly the upper wings as a small pearl bordered fritillary!. However, my phone was inside the bag and my main camera could not focus at that close distance so no photo possible!  Eventually I managed to get a few shots of the fritillary with wings open amongst some dry grass. As it became warmer the butterflies seemed more reluctant to land and I had to be satisfied with watching them fluttering over the grasses. The maximum I saw at any one time was 3 but I think I saw about half a dozen individuals altogether in different places. 

As it was nearing lunch time I returned to the car stopping off for a while to sit in the warm sun by the large pool to admire the damselflies and dragonflies. After lunch I decided to walk a hundred yards or so down the road to Stockhill woods. This piece of woodland is known for long eared owls and nightjars but I was obviously not going to see them today. It was also busy with day trippers so after a short circular walk I headed back to the mineries.    It felt as if a breeze was picking up so I thought it might encourage the fritillaries to settle and close their wings. At my original spot I found a couple of butterflies and one of them did settle for a bit and I got a quick shot showing  the underwings with their 'pearls' although as before it was hidden amongst some grasses.  By now it was getting quite hot and more and more people were turning up at this beauty spot so it was obviously time to go!! However I pleased to add number 51 to my list of species seen, Only 8 more to go but several of these will necessitate trips up to the north of the country and one over to the Isle of Wight which will obviously need a bit more planning!

view from layby

track through the reserve

a peaceful spot by the pool