PAICES WOOD BC GUIDED WALK

It was a lovely sunny morning for a Butterfly Conservation guided walk around Paices Wood, Aldermaston, Berks. I spent three hours in the company of fellow enthusiasts exploring various parts of this country park, which was most enjoyable. 

At first we found it difficult to locate any butterflies at all, as we made our way through some wooded areas, although found plenty of speckled yellow moths and beautiful demoiselles. 

One of our company found a slow worm which he picked up and showed members of the group, although our leader wasn't too keen!  From a pond dipping platform we watched a few newts as they came near the surface of the water.

As the temperature warmed up we came out into a more open area which we were told would provide most of our butterfly sightings... which it did. We found dingy skippers and green hairstreaks, as well as small heath. Someone spotted a couple of brown argus butterflies, but I didn't see those.  I was shown a Mother shipton moth which looked a bit like a dingy or grizzled skipper but when examined closely showed some some beautiful markings. I also added to my yearly total with a green-veined white butterfly on our way back to the car park. 

male beautiful demoiselle

green veined white butterfly

Mother shipton moth- note the resemblance to a face on the forewings!

the group looking for green hairstreaks

green hairstreak

dingy skipper

speckled yellow moth

pond  where we saw the newts

slow worm

tiny orange tip caterpillar

NEW LIFE AT SLIMBRIDGE

I  always enjoy visiting Slimbridge WWT centre at this time of year due to the large numbers of young birds on site. The weather forecast had been for cloud from about 10 o'clock but it actually remained sunny for much of the morning, reaching 20 degrees by the time I left ( at 2.30.pm) although on the way home the rain clouds had gathered and I was subject to a heavy downpour  with a flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder. 

I decided to make a change to my usual routine and head for the Discovery hide first, overlooking South lake, the main breeding area for  many avocets which today  had plenty of chicks with them. The other main birds on the lake were black headed gulls. I also spotted a small copper butterfly fluttering about and hiding amongst the grass in front of the hide  which was a first for the year. At the Hogarth hide at the other end of the lake, I could see a pair of cranes, but couldn't make out a chick, due to the height of the grass in which they were feeding. 

 At the aptly named 'Kingfisher hide'  a pair of kingfishers have built their nest in the  bank opposite, and are busy feeding young. although I only saw the male kingfisher  bring a fish to the nest while I was there. 

The sound of warblers could be heard throughout  the centre; I had a nice view of a sedge warbler singing at the top of tree whilst several reed warblers actually perched at the front of the reeds in view of one of the hides. Many greylag pairs were showing off their goslings and I also watched a shelduck family which was swimming right below the bridge where I was standing.  They have the most attractive ducklings often called 'humbugs' because of their colouring. 

I went out on the summer walkway to see if by any chance the recently reported bluethroat was about, but it hadn't been seen and it was quite windy. However it gave me a chance to eat my lunch as I waited. 

All in all an enjoyable day out! 

sedge warbler

barnacle geese

avocet family

oyster catcher

greylag family

kingfisher  zoomed in

coot chick

greylag goslings

Canada goose and goslings

avocet

shelduck family

there were eight ducklings in all

coot and chick

reed warbler

SMALL BLUES NEAR LAMBOURN

This time last year I visited an area near Lambourn where a large colony of small butterflies could be found. So I decided to re-visit it today and see what could be seen, aware that last year's dry weather and this year's late spring, could have affected the butterfly emergence. I parked in a gravelled area just off a B road and then walked up a rutted track  edged with cow parsley and  within minutes I had seen my first small blue of the year fluttering along close to the ground. Another could be seen just ahead and then another  and I realised that there were in fact dozens of these tiny blue butterflies fluttering around at various intervals along the track and verge. Occasionally other species crossed my path, namely orange tip, brimstone and an unidentifed white. I also saw my first painted lady butterfly, which flew past, and stopped briefly, before flying on again. 

 

PARAKEETS AT COATE WATER

I'd heard  recently that there were currently some parakeets at Coate Water country park in Swindon. With most of the population centred in London, their numbers have been steadily increasing and expanding into other areas, but these are the first I had heard of in Swindon.  On my last visit I failed to locate them, however, speaking to someone yesterday I was informed that they were still there and he described the tree in which they had a nest. So with a few hours spare this afternoon I drove over there to see for myself. 

To avoid parking charges I drove down through the  Broome Manor houses and came out onto a minor road which passes close to the country park, and allows parking for a small number of cars next to one of the entrances. I then only needed to walk a short distance to the area where the parakeets were to be found in a copse close to a bird feeding station area. I went in to the small woodland and stopped to look around, after a couple of minutes a passer-by stopped to ask if I'd found them as he'd been round twice today and hadn't seen any, and assumed they must have fledged!  Feeling slightly disappointed that I may have missed them,  I decided to walk along the path through the woodland to see if I could hear or see anything of them,  coming out by a bridge over a narrow part of the lake, beneath which, were a family of newly hatched cygnets and their parents so I stayed and I watched them a while.

Having had no sign of any parakeets, I  returned the way I came and stopped again at the place where they had been reported, hoping that they maybe would return. After watching a number of jackdaws flying around, I suddenly heard a squawk and then a parakeet  flew into the branches of a nearby tall tree. I was facing into the sun, so it was hard to get any photos but I waited and it flew off  and then returned a short time later to the same tree. It did this a couple more times, so I decided to see if I could find where it went. I walked twenty metres of so then suddenly realised it was feeding at the top of a bush close by, partly hidden and well camouflaged with its green plumage, but I did manage to get a few photos. It remained there for a while, appearing to be feeding from some seed heads.  Next it flew back to the copse where I saw it clinging to the underside of a wide bough together with a second parakeet and at one time  appeared to be feeding another in a nest hole.  Here it was even more difficult to see them as I was facing direct into the sun again but could just make out their silhouettes. They hadn't gone after all!

GRIZZLED SKIPPER AT MORGAN'S HILL

 This afternoon was forecast to be sunny and quite warm so I waited till after lunch to head over to  the butterfly reserve at Morgan's Hill, near Bishops Cannings to see if I could find some grizzled skippers. It was still cloudy and quite chilly when I arrived but it did look to be brightening up, and, after a considerable wait, the sun eventually broke through. Disappointingly there were few butterflies brave enough to make an appearance but I did see a couple of brimstones,  speckled woods,large whites and to my relief just one grizzled skipper which settled obligingly for quite long periods on dandelion heads. 

N.B. Another white 'butterfly' turned out to be a rather attractive muslin moth, which, according to my guide book, are night fliers, although occasionally females fly in sunny weather. 

grizzled skipper

speckled wood

large white

muslin moth

                                      views from entrance to the reserve