MORGAN'S HILL BUTTERFLIES

Another sunny day forecast and with a few early butterfly species I still wanted to add to my year list, I had to make the choice which reserve to visit. I checked out the Witlshire Butterfly conservation sightings list and decided that all the ones I hoped to find had been seen at Morgan's Hill reserve near Bishops Cannings, a site I've visited on several occasions before. My target species were Marsh Fritillary, green hairstreak, grizzled skipper, small copper and wall brown( although the latter two would be still flying later in the year)

Hoping that the carpark would be open I headed over to Morgan's hill picnic area, and was relieved to find it was, although  it had quite a number of cars in it and some vans. I followed the main track from the carpark up hill and came to the gate into the reserve. However, it had a sign requesting people not to go on that area which was being kept safe for the rare Duke of Burgundy butterflies. It didn't matter really as I continued along the track where I knew there was a gate into the reserve just about where I expected to find some Marsh Fritillaries. It was still a little cold and to start with I could not see any butterflies at all although it was clear and sunny. But then I saw one, which happily turned out to be a Marsh Fritillary. It kept flying and landing and provided some photo opportunities though often it would land down amongst some grasses and be partially obscured. I saw a couple more of these before making my way back up hill. I  continued to follow the path through a kissing gate until I came to an area above what is known as the quarry, and from memory I knew that this would be a sheltered spot.

Down in the quarry I met another lady who was also looking for butterflies. I enquired if she had seen any grizzled skippers as those of you who  occasionally look at this blog may remember this species has eluded me for the past three years!! 

She told me she saw quite a few in that area about 10 days ago but hadn't seen any today, but had found a small copper although it had flown off before she could photograph it.  I stayed in the area for a while, then wandered off to see what else might be about but after a few minutes heard a call to say she had seen  a couple of grizzled skippers flying about in the area. They had gone by the time I reached her, but she assured me that they would probably return which they did and I was finally able to photograph one of them!! They are attractive little butterflies, much brighter in colour than the dingy skipper but not as common and I was delighted that at last I had (with a little help!) managed to locate one. 

Later we did find another small copper but although we looked again for green hairstreaks they were not to be found. 

marsh fritillary

grizzled skipper

marsh fritillary

small copper

marsh fritillary

BUTTERFLY CATCH UP

 With some lockdown restricitions lifted I took the extra opportunity to go and find some of the butterflies that have emerged in areas a short distance from home. 

My first location was Oakley Wood, near Cirencester, where I have regularly seen Pearl bordered fritillaries. They are just about the only butterfly I see there, apart from an odd white one so I wanted to tick that one off. It was actually quite cold this morning with a bit of a breeze, so when leaving the house at 10am it was still only 9 degrees, and I wondered if it would be warm enough for any butterflies to fly. One other car was there in the woodland parking area but  it looked as if the occupants were just going for a walk so I  made for the area in which the Pearl bordered butterflies are usually found. Taking the usual path from the main track, I noticed how overgrown everything seemed and I could hardly find any bugle flowers which the butterflies favour. However, I kept on and eventually came to a further path which I followed for a few metres and things became easier, with bugle flowers in bloom. With clear blue skies overhead and sheltered from any wind,  I was looking hopefully round, when I  suddenly spotted an orange butterfly and was optimistic that this was what I had come for, which it proved to be. In all there were about 5 individuals flying about, and often settling so it was good to be able to get a few photos.

With the temperature rising, and still plenty of sunshine around, I decided to make my way over to Rodborough Common a further 15 minutes on. I passed through Minchinhampton common which adjoins it and noticed that there seemed a lot of people about, amongst several herds of cattle which roam freely at this time of year. I wasn't sure whether this would be the same at Rodburgh and as I approached there seemed a lot more cars than on my usual visits. However, being nearly lunch time, cars were leaving and I managed to find a space. 

I walked down toward the area I usually find the most butterflies, checking the hawthorns briefly for green hairstreaks but saw none. I did catch  a glimpse of  a pale brown butterfly which I identified as a small heath, another tick for this year but not much else as it was still quite breezyWhen I eventually reached the sheltered part of the common I made my way down to the bottom of the slope, and here I looked and could see lots of small butterflies all fluttering about, some blue, some brown. By following different individuals I was eventually able to identify a further 7 new species for the year, including two Duke of Burgundy butterflies. Others included common blue, small blue, Adonis blue ( I just found the one on some dog poo!), brown argus, dingy skipper, small heath. I was surprised that I was the only one around looking for butterflies maybe others are waiting for the weather to warm up a bit more, else they are of an age where they need to be shielding!  Although I checked lots of bushes, I still could not locate any green hairstreaks so that's one I shall have to look for elsewhere. A rewarding few hours!

common blue

dingy skipper

duke of burgundy

small blue

small heath

Adonis blue

brown argus

WRAG BARN

I was re reading my recent blogs and realised I'd forgotten to include accounts of another local golf course in Highworth which I have visited a couple of times. 

This is a pristine golf course, privately owned and is larger than the disused one behind where I live. There are three ponds on the course so I thought that they might provide extra interest for my walking and wildlife recording. 

The path to the golf course  is very narrow in places  where it skirts the edge of a field, but thankfully I have not met anyone coming towards me, apart from one occasion when I was nearing the end of the path so the oncomer could wait in the gateway. 

Most of the plantations on the golf course are new, and although a few butterflies were spotted there didn't seem many birds, although I saw one pheasant and heard a green woodpecker.  The first of the ponds I found, had a coot and a pair of Canada geese on it (perhaps this was the same pair I saw flying over Pentylands last week). At the second, there was the unmistakeable sound of a reed warbler. I sat at the edge and waited but only just got a fleeting glimpse of  the small brown bird flitting through the reeds. The final pond gave me a chance to find some early damselflies and dragonflies. I have not really been focussing on these insects but decided to take a few photographs, which enabled identification as a large red damselfly,azure blue damselfly, and seen but not photographed a broad bodied chaser. Another  green/blue dragonfly was seen, but I could not identify it as it never stopped where I could take a proper look! 

narrow footpath to the golf course

azure blue damselfly

large red damselfly

Canada geese

view from one of the ponds towards  Wrag barn

where I saw the reed warbler

Canada geese

LAST DAY OF LOCAL EXERCISE?

For the past couple of years I have belonged to a local U3A birders group ( for the less informed,  it is one of many groups designed to combat loneliness in the over 50s!) 

As we cannot go on regular walks together, it was suggested that members of the group did their own birding each week and submitted their sightings which would then be published in one document to the rest of the group. To date we have clocked up 60+ sightings during recent weeks, plus records of mammals, butterflies and other insects. 

Always one for a challenge, I try and achieve the maximum sightings I can each week, which obviously means revisiting sites to see the same bird species. So this morning I   went for a walk at Pentylands in a quest for whitethroats and willow warblers in particular. On entering the site, I immediately noticed  slight change in that there were less  whitethroats singing from the tops of shrubs and those that did, were frequently diving into the bramble bushes, where presumably they are nest building.  I did, however, locate at least 4 willow warblers, a few chiffchaffs and a couple of blackcaps. 

Whilst enjoying the surroundings, I got into conversations with a dog walker, who obviously was interested in wildlife himself, as he told me ( and showed me) a long tailed tit nest beautifuly made and concealed in some bushes. There appeared little activity so i am unsure if the parents are sitting on eggs or if they have already fledged.  I was also told about a bullfinch nest and a tawny owl nest but didn't find those. 

As it was still sunny, and somehwat warmer than expected, I took a different route back to my house, following the path of an old railway line, down to the village of Hampton. I took a footpath back across a field then followed the  hedgeline, where there were some hawthorn and bramble bushes, and here I saw a few more whitethroats. I found some thistles already in flower, and felt sure that butterflies wouldn't be far away, and indeed, soon spotted a female orange tip, and then my first large white of the year, the latter identified by its large size and definite black tip to the forewings. 

With some of the lockdown restricitions lifted, I am hoping I may be able to catch up on some of my buttefly spotting, although that may depend on the availability of parking  as many reserves have closed their carparks.

blackcap

willow warbler

well hidden long tailed tit nest

large white

WHITETHROATS AND WARBLERS

As Locksdown continues I have been regularly walking in the local area, but mainly in the Pentylands park area. I met an old aquaintance who is an regular walker and she told me how to reach Pentylands from the south, which meant not having to take the car to the bottom of the hill, but rather taking a footpath from the a gate in the cemetery and walking down through  a couple of fields and wooded areas until you get to the  'scrub' area of Pentylands. 

I have done this on several occasions now, and particularly enjoy the morning walks when the birdsong is at its best. There appear to be good numbers of whitethroats in this area all competing with each other, singing from the tops of the small patches of bramble, or hawthorn trees. I did meet someone who said a lesser whitethroat had been seen in the area but I haven't located it yet. 

Then in the birch trees there is a good chance of seeing and hearing willow warblers and chiffchaffs. 

I am hoping that some of the lifting of lockdown restrictions will enable us to go further afield to explore the countryside and find other species before too long. 

willow warbler

whitethroat

view over Pentylands park from the top of the hill

scrub area favoured by whitethroats

PENTYLANDS COUNTRY PARK

Having frequented Highworth's golf course for several weeks, I felt it was time for a change so I decided to drive down the hill to the north of the town ( a few minutes in the car) and visit Highworth's country park. It consists of five fields surrounded by hedge rows and is popular with dog walkers, but also has a newer tree planted area leading to a wilder grassy area with bramble and other bushes. 

Over the past couple of days I have been able to add a few more birds to my slower than usual growing year list. The beautiful weather has made it  a pleasure to be out; birdsong everywhere and more butterflies on the wing. I have been taking my walks in the morning this week to avoid the hottest part of the day.

New species  this week included willow warbler, and whitethroat, also my first swallows of the year. Also my first red admiral butterfly.

whitethroat

willow warbler

wren

part of Pentylands

male and female orange tips

willow warblers favoured the area on the left

view from entrance to park

HOLLY BLUE

Slightly cloudier and cooler for my walk yesterday, hence    the only butterflies seen were two   whites which were not close enough to identify. However, the sun came out again in the evening and I managed to locate a holly blue on the ivy in my garden, I have   been noticing  these little butterflies regularly for the past week, but they have been reluctant to land, merely flying from one side of the garden to the other, then up and over the hedge. This individual stayed around for several minutes in the evening sunshine, allowing me to get up close with the camera on my phone. The dark wing sshow this one to be a female.