Lesser Emperor

 On the second of my days off I teamed up with Alan again for a trip to Ravensthorpe reservoir to search for some of the reported Lesser Emperors. In warm though breezy conditions we initially struggled to find our target species and had to settle for views of commoner types.

Black-tailed Skimmer, Emperor and Ruddy Darter

What took me by surprise was the sheer numbers of Common Blue Damselflies, there must have been many thousands swarming around the res. Other damsels seemed few in number with just a few Red-eyed and a solitary male Banded Demoiselle to report. Black-tailed Skimmers were the commonest dragons though as things warmed up Ruddy Darters began to appear. Of the larger species it was Emperors and Brown Hawkers that showed best. We'd walked along the dam and were on the return leg when I caught a glimpse of a Lesser Emperor whilst Shozzer munched on his lunch. A little later on I saw it again and both Alan and I got some great flight views with both the bins and the naked eye. Unfortunately I couldn't get a picture, one day I may get a shot of one in the county but for the time being I'm still waiting!

Common Blue and Red-eyed Damsels, Four-spotted Chaser

There were plenty of butterflies to enjoy and once again there were good numbers of new brood Peacocks and Red Admirals on the wing. Painted Ladies are still featuring and many appear to be in good condition suggesting a local origin. On the grassland behind the dam at least half a dozen Small Coppers were noted while species other than the numerous browns and whites included Comma and Small Skipper. A Common Sandpiper was the best bird, initially it was seen on the pontoon near the fishing lodge before moving on to the dam. A family party of Garden Warblers were noted about half way between the dam and the causeway and with a Four-spotted Chaser were the last things of note. As is traditional we ended our day in the pub where a pint of JHB brought things to a close.

Common Sandpiper, Small Copper and Small Skipper

Hot At Harry's

 It was the first of my three days off and I decided to hop on the bus and head over to Weldon. From there I walked to Harry's Park Wood where the hot and sunny conditions provided something of a challenge. On my way I checked a stretch of hedgerow where I've seen White-lettered Hairstreaks in the past but I failed to connect with any.

Ruddy Darter and Holly Blue

In the wood there were plenty of butterflies but they were very active in the sunshine and many were reluctant to settle. A Purple Hairstreak was perhaps the pick of the bunch but I also saw a White Admiral and at least four Silver-washed Fritillaries. Birds were few and far between but a reeling Grasshopper Warbler was a welcome discovery. There were quite a few dragonflies hunting along the rides with Ruddy Darters the commonest, at least one Common was also noted. Other species seen on my walk were Emperor and Brown Hawker but in truth it was uncomfortably hot and I did not hang around for long.

Willow Emeralds

 Normally at this point I'd be bitching about only having a one day weekend but I have the next three days off so am feeling more relaxed about it. In cloudy though warm conditions I opted to walk to Deene by way of Deenethorpe and see what I could find. The X4 duly and punctually dropped me off at Weldon but from there on it was down to good old fashioned shank's pony.

Six of the best.

Skylarks and Yellowhammers soundtracked my walk along the A427 whilst I made my way towards the airfield. Once I'd got there I was struck by how many butterflies were active despite the dreary conditions. Six species of brown and three of white provided some early entertainment and I also saw several Small Skippers. At Deene the first of several Painted Ladies were noted though most seem to be a bit on the bedraggled side unlike the many new brood Peacocks which were looking pristine. Between the church and the dam I noted many teneral Willow Emeralds, there were at least thirty and possibly more. Other damsels in the same area included Blue-tailed and Common Blue.

Small Skipper, G-v White and Peacock

At Deenethorpe village on my return wander I found an immature male White-legged Damsel maturing in grass some way from the Willowbrook, I didn't find any at the brook itself where Banded Demoiselles were the dominant species.. Walking back across the airfield I had a Yellow Wagtail which was far and away my best bird of the day. A year first Brown Argus was another welcome discovery and Holly Blue and Red Admiral were also observed. My meander along the public footpaths on my way towards Weldon did not add much to my list and it was a couple of pints of cider in the George that brought my spotting to a reasonable conclusion.

Most of a Painted Lady, Holly Blue, Scarlet Tiger and Willow Emerald.

Ketrin Collection.

 My backshift week has once again come around with what seems like indecent haste and my lieu day on this occasion happened to be today. Not for the first time I joined forces with Alan Shorrock and the pair of us headed over to Wicksteed Park for another crack at the Norfolk Hawkers.

Gatekeeper and Norfolk Hawker

In sunny and warm conditions we made our way towards the fishing lake stopping to admire my first Gatekeepers of the year on the way. It was still pretty early when we got there and initially things proved to be something of a struggle. Damselflies became active first with Blue-taileds in particular showing well. The first dragons on offer were Emperors and a year first Brown Hawker though they were joined minutes later by a Norfolk Hawker which made a fleeting visit. We had several more all too brief views of this newly arrived species before Shozzer found a perched one that gave us the chance to take a few pics before we moved on. Butterflies on the wing included Red Admirals, Commas and Small Skipper as well as the usual whites and browns. Best of the bunch however was my first Purple Hairstreak of the year fluttering around oaks between the lake and the railway track.

Juv Green Wood and Coot family

Birds were a little thin on the ground though Kingfisher and Cetti's Warbler were heard while broods of young Great Crested Grebes, Coots and Green Woodpeckers were the best of the bunch. Having left the fishing lake behind we then turned our attentions to the main lake where two Common Terns were the pick of the birds. Ode wise several Small Red-eyed Damselflies were my first of the year and I had good views of an ovipositing Empress. Satisfied by our results so far we opted to pay the parking and head for the Old Ketrin Road on the edge of Corby.

Small Skipper and volucella hoverfly

The new site delivered my first White-lettered Hairstreaks of the year, at least two were present. I didn't manage to grab any pics of them but I did get a few of a Purple Hairstreak that Shozzer found. There were plenty of new brood Holly Blues about but in truth we spent too much time staring up at the White-letterds to look for other stuff and we left before we could find anything else, a pint in the Samuel Lloyd was a pleasant way of ending our session.

Small Red-eyed Damselfly and Purple Hairstreak

A Little Bit Of Essex

 I had a rare day off from the wildlife spotting yesterday, a boozy catch up with some ex work mates over in Ketrin being the reason. Today I was back in the game and paid a call on Priors Hall where it was cooler than it has been of late but still far from cool! There was far more sunshine than some of the weather forecasts had suggested but a stiff westerly breeze provided some welcome relief from the heat.

Common Darter and Small Skipper

At the quarry lake a pair of Egyptian Geese were my first site record which though much anticipated was not necessarily a welcome one. In a previous report I said that our Great Crested Grebes had three young and I was wrong as they actually have four, one must have remained hidden on its parent's back Today all were in view and showing rather well. The only other birds of note were Little Ringed Plovers which I could hear calling though I didn't manage to see them.

Marbled White and Black-tailed Skimmer with prey

Around the first pond just south of the quarry lake quite a few teneral Common Darters were emerging which were my first of the year, others were seen around the other ponds. Lots of small golden skippers were also seen though they were moving so fast I couldn't confirm their I.D. The grassland closer to the main bulk of the ponds was alive with Marbled Whites with smaller numbers of Meadow Browns and the odd Small Heath keeping them company. Maturing Black-tailed Skimmers were also present in this area while damselflies included Red-eyed and Banded Demoiselle.

Silver-washed Fritillary and Peacock

As I reached the beginning of the main woodland ride I noted that Ringlets and Speckled Woods were becoming the dominant butterflies while Large Skippers replaced their smaller cousins. A male Silver-washed Fritillary appeared to be holding a territory and there were several new generation Peacocks and at least one Comma. I didn't manage to see Downy Emeralds today but their favourite pond was alive with Four-spotted Chasers and also several Emperors. Nearby half a dozen Ruddy Darters were maturing away from the water and these were new for the year. Another year first was an Essex Skipper which allowed me to take a few record shots. Slightly cooler conditions meant that the small skippers were slightly less hyperactive and as well as the Essex I found several Small Skippers too. With the morning wearing on and my return bus's time getting closer and closer I had to leave and so headed back to Weldon just before noon.

Ruddy Darter and Essex Skipper

Horseplay

 I decided to brave the heat after work and head into Brookfield Plantation where the shade provided some welcome relief from the strong sunshine. On my way I checked our local Peregrines and found one sitting in its favoured spot, it was joined by its mate a little later on. These could possibly be the least productive pair in the county as I've yet to see them with young!

Peregrines sensibly avoiding the heat.

In the plantation those areas in direct sunlight were alive with butterflies though they were supercharged by the heat and seem very reluctant to settle. Not unusually for this time of the year the bulk of the species on view were browns with Marbled Whites, Meadow Browns and Ringlets supplying most of the sightings, a Speckled Wood and three Small Heaths were also noted. Large and Small Slippers were also present with the former being fairly common. The regular three whites were also on the wing and they were joined by a Painted Lady.

Small Heath, Meadow Brown and Marbled White

Other wildlife included my first Southern Hawker of the year which sensibly avoided the heat by hunting in a shaded ride. I really wished that it had taken an interest in the horseflies which were plaguing my walk, it's reaching their peak time when they hit maximum nuisance levels. Often I had to decide whether to take a photo or try and swat the little b****r that was trying to suck my blood, normally violence won. I'm looking forward to a couple of productive insect watching weeks but I wish those pesky horseflies would just buzz off!

Small and Large Skippers and Painted Lady

Purple Reigns

 A morning of sunny spells that saw me take the X4 as far as Weldon before walking on to Harry's Park Wood. My aim was to try and catch up with some of the mid summer butterflies that make this time of the year so entertaining. Although it still seems pretty early in the year I'd already heard of Purple Emperors from other sites in the county and I especially wanted to add the old purple poop licker to my year list.

Red and White Admirals

Things started fairly slowly and it was down to Ringlets, Meadow Browns and Large Skippers to keep me entertained. Gradually as the day began to warm more species appeared on the wing and several Red Admirals were seen along the main ride. Breaking the red monopoly my first White Admiral of the year also spent some time on the path. Next up was a male Purple Emperor, I got excellent views before I moved on. What followed was pretty amazing as I saw a further eight more males on the path including one that was enjoying the popular imperial breakfast of horse @%$*! I've never seen so many emperors in Harry's before suggesting that this could be an excellent year for them.

Comma and Small Tortoiseshell

Other species noted on my wander included Small Skipper while the new brood of Commas seem to be out in force with at least half a dozen being noted. A knackered looking Speckled Wood added to my brown quota, both Marbled White and Small Heath were also seen closer to Weldon. There were not many interesting birds to report with a Lesser Whitethroat along Bears Lane being the highlight. Also seen along the lane was a Small Tortoiseshell, it's always nice to see this once common species. The only other sightings of note were of several Banded Demoiselles before some chores waiting for me at home and a father's day meal compelled me to leave.

Purple Emperors