The trap was out again last
night and I trapped and identified ninety-six of thirty-one species with six
new for the year.
Light Brown Apple Moth [1];
Marbled Orchard Tortrix [2]; Celypha striana [3]; Celypha lacunana [3]; Ancylis
achatana [1]; Anania coronate [1]; Small Magpie [2]; Eudonia mercurella [2];
Chrysoteuchia culmella [6]; Privet Hawkmoth [1]; Elephant Hawkmoth [3]; Riband
Wave [6]; Green Pug [2]; Foxglove Pug [1]; Willow Beauty [5]; Buff-tip [1]; The
Snout [1]; Buff Ermine [3]; Common Footman [2]; Beautiful Hook-tip [1];
Burnished Brass [1]; Marbled Beauty [2]; Uncertain [2]; Rustic [1]; Large
Nutmeg [3]; Rustic Shoulder-knot [1]; Dark Arches [3]; Marbled Minor Group [5];
Bright-line Brown-eye [3]; Heart and Dart
[25] and Flame [2].
Marbled Orchard Tortrix
Small Magpie
Foxglove Pug
The Snout
Beautiful Hook-tip
Marbled Minor species
After some breakfast I went to
David’s who then drove for the rest of the day.
As we approached Eyebrook Reservoir the Little Owl was seen in the old
oak and I heard a Willow Warbler as we drove over the inlet bridge. After parking overlooking the inlet we found
a Green Sandpiper and there was a Little Egret on the Leicestershire shore. There were two Red Kites and two Buzzards
visible over the ridge on the Leicestershire side and an Osprey flew in from
the south and headed off north. Two
Shelduck were observed escorting seven young and there were six Common Terns
around the rafts on which we could see at least five young. There was also a single Swift, two Sand
Martins and a Swallow over the reservoir and a Whitethroat was also heard.
Feeling we had exhausted
Eyebrook Reservoir we moved on to our second site, which was Glapthorn Cow
Pastures in Northamptonshire where we hoped to see Black Hairstreak. We had agreed to meet Ken at the site and he
was waiting for us when we arrived.
There were quite a few others looking for the butterflies and as we
approached a group they had a bird settled in a blackthorn bush, which was then
joined by a second when they coupled. We
spent almost two hours on site and we saw at least six Black Hairstreaks as
well as a Speckled Wood, several Meadow Brown and at least three Large
Skippers. We also saw a Red Kite, a
Buzzard and a Chiffchaff and heard both Blackcap and Garden Warbler. As we left the reserve and walked back across
the road we found our first Ringlet of the year and another Meadow Brown.
Large Skipper
Black Hairstreaks
Black Hairstreak
Black Hairstreak
David and I had agreed we
would go to Ketton next as there had been at least two Dark Green Fritillaries
observed recently. When we arrived we
saw Alan who informed us that they had seen two Dark Green Fritillaries and
that Irene was still on the reserve.
David and I walked down the valley seeing a Red Admiral, a few Marbled
Whites, a Common Blue and several Meadow Brown and Ringlet. When we reached the steps at the far end of
the valley we hung around seeing an unidentified carpet and I then picked up a
fritillary in flight, which we assumed would be a Dark Green. It flew by us and then settled high up in a
tree making it difficult to see well.
However after a few minutes it dropped down lower and so I tried to
photograph it and managed to get a couple of shots off before it flew again. It then settled on the ground between the
steps and I was able to get further shots but it wasn’t until I possessed the
shots that I realised that it was actually a Silver Washed Fritillary.
Silver Washed Fritillary
Silver Washed Fritillary
As we walked back down the
valley we stopped to look at Common Blue when we were joined by Irene, Brian, Roger
and Brian’s granddaughter. As we walked
on further we located a Dark Green Fritillary and again I was fortunate enough
to get some photos. A walk into the two
quarry areas produced further sightings of Dark Green Fritillaries, Large
White, Brimstone, Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Large Skipper and Small
Skipper. We also saw a Blue-tailed
Damselfly, a Broad-bodied Chaser, two Six-spot Burnets, a Cinnabar and at least
four Burnet Companions.
Dark Green Fritillary
Dark Green Fritillary
Dark Green Fritillary
Dark Green Fritillary
Burnet Companion
Yellow-wort
David was now keen to go to
Merry’s Meadow in the hope of finding Frog Orchids but I was rather doubtful we
would find any. However a guy talking to
Alan and Irene suggested we should go to Barnack Hills and Holes as he had seen
them there recently and actually told us where to go. We parked in the main car park and followed
the instructions and it wasn’t too long before we found the orchids in a roped
off area. After photographing the
orchids we made our way back to the car seeing many Pyramid Orchids and Common
Spotted Orchids as we did so and David found a single Bee Orchid. As we neared the car we were surprised to
hear a Cuckoo calling, which was my first since the beginning of the month.
Common Toadflax
Frog Orchid
Frog Orchid
Frog Orchid
Pyramid Orchid
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