No Joy At Wicksteed

 I fancied another crack at the Wicksteed Park Norfolk Hawkers and so found myself boarding the X4 this morning. The weather looked fairly promising, less wind than yesterday and with longer sunny spells making it much better than on my previous visit last Saturday. I was quietly hopeful of success when I arrived at the park but such optimism proved to be somewhat misplaced.

Variable Damselflies and Scarce Chaser

An unseasonal Siskin called as it flew over and provided what turned out to be the birding highlight of my wander. At the fishing lake I found Variable Damselflies and a few Blue-tailed Damselflies but at that stage there was no sign of any dragonflies. Both Song Thrush and Bullfinch were singing as I waited around for things to happen. A Red Admiral turned out to be my only butterfly sighting of the morning which was surprising given how much bramble blossom was around. Warming conditions proved attractive to several Four-spotted Chasers and also a single male Scarce Chaser but the Norfolks remained elusive. I was able to add Banded Demoiselle and Red-eyed Damsel to my day list but eventually had to concede defeat and set off to catch my return bus home.

Red Admiral and Great Crested Grebe

White-legs

 Family commitments meant that my time today was limited but Shozzer and I managed to spend a few hours out in the field looking for White-legged Damselflies this morning. We began at Harringworth before moving on to Gretton Weir where despite the strong breeze and often cloudy conditions we struck lucky.

Meadow Brown and White-legged Damselfly

Harringworth did not produce much of note and it was a calling Cuckoo and a Kingfisher that provided most of the entertainment. After an hour we threw the towel in and moved on to Gretton Weir where we took a stroll through the riverside hay meadows. Meadow Browns are on the increase and we saw quite a few on our travels, a single Small Heath was recorded too. I found two White-legged Damsels, my first of the year, and both of us managed to get some shots of them. Other damsels in the same area included Large Red, Azure, Blue-tailed and Banded Demoiselle.

Banded Demoiselle and large Red Damselfly

Next and final stop was at Deenethorpe where we managed to find more White-legs sheltering in the grass. It looks as if Scarlet Tiger Moths had just hatched in numbers as Alan and I saw about half a dozen. New for the year was a Large Skipper  which I found on the opposite side of the road at Deene Lake and which like a Four-spotted Chaser was hunkering down in vegetation. Common Blue Damselflies were also added to the list before time pressures brought things to a close and after a pint in the Samuel Lloyd I headed home.

Scarlet Tiger and Large Skipper

Raving Mad

Harry's Park Wood was my destination of choice this morning but unfortunately it was also the venue for what appeared to be quite a big rave. As I made my way towards the woodland I was passed by a file of bedraggled and somewhat dazed looking revellers, some seemingly were very much still under the influence of whatever substances fuelled their weekend partying. Pounding bass added to my discomfort as I entered the wood and I was saddened to see that several rides had been churned up by vehicles while there was a collection of discarded drink cans and bog roll littering the path. Somewhat regretting my choice I headed towards the Brigstock end of the wood where I hoped things might be a little more peaceful.

Beautiful Demoiselles

Happily it was far more agreeable once I'd gone further into the wood and some sunny spells made me hopeful that I might find some interesting insects. My main target was Beautiful Demoiselle, Shozzer had already seen them here and I hoped to repeat his success. On another note Alan has also been having a good time in Thoroughsale Wood, Corby where recently he has seen more Beautiful Dems, Black Hairstreaks and a Scarce Chaser, a deserved reward for his dedicated patch working. I saw about ten male dems today and was lucky enough to get some pictures, this species really does appear to be doing well locally. Another species on the up is Wood White and I was fortunate enough to cross paths with one on my travels. The only other butterfly that I noted was Speckled Wood although there were plenty on view. Best bird was a Cuckoo while a Lesser Whitethroat was singing along Bears Lane. The music was still going as I left, hopefully it's a one off and not something that I have to endure again.

Speckled Wood and Wood White

Briefest Of Encounters

 The weather was more than a little ropey this morning and I decided not to venture out until later. My stepson offered to give me a lift over to Wicksteed Park at about noon and we picked up Shozzer on the way. Some sunny spells were beginning to break up the overcast as we made our way to the fishing lake where Norfolk Hawkers were our main target species.

Variable and Azure Damselflies

A Cetti's Warbler sang as we made our way to the corner of the lake favoured by the hawkers. Dragons turned out to be few and far between, I saw a Four-spotted Chaser while Al noted a Hairy Dragonfly. There were not that many damsels either though the weather was far from optimum. Several Variable and Azures were found as well as a Common Blue and two Banded Demoiselles. The sunny spells were nowhere near as frequent as we would have liked and I began to think that a dip was on the cards. Such fears were soon dispelled when I found a Norfolk Hawker flying along the margins of the pond, I didn't get a pic but it was nice just to see it. It disappeared within a minute of its discovery and as the conditions appeared to be getting worse we decided to cut our losses and head for the pub. Few butterflies had put in an appearance with just Painted Lady and Small Tortoiseshell being noted. The Wayfarer's Arms provided some welcome sanctuary from the rain before we caught the bus back to Corby.

Painted Lady and Small Tortoiseshell

Productive Time At Priors

 It was my one day weekend today and I decided to spend my morning at Priors Hall. Though it was often cloudy with sunny intervals the temperature remained high, it was still more comfortable than it has been of late mind you. My main target was to find Downy Emeralds and I'm happy to report that my efforts bore fruit.

Great Crested Grebe chicks and Painted Lady

On the way to the bus stop I saw a Painted Lady which turned out to be the first of several. At the quarry lake there was good news, the pair of Great crested Grebes now have three young which I believe is the first breeding record in the Corby area. In the nearby grassland Small Heaths and Common Blue butterflies were noted. Dingy Skippers now appear to be reaching the end of their season as I only saw one on my travels. Grizzled Skippers on the other hand fared better with at least half a dozen still fresh looking individuals seen. Day flying moths are being noted more regularly with Common Heath, Burnet Companion and Old Mother Shipton on the wing.

Black-tailed Skimmer and Emperor

At the traditional pond I managed to find a male Downy Emerald patrolling the margins. It's always easier to find them during the cloudier spells when the hordes of Four-spotted Chasers seem to perch up. I also watched one hunting along an adjacent ride, they seem to fly very close to the ground before zooming up in search of prey. Other dragons in the general area included Emperor and Black-tailed Skimmer. I didn't spend too much time looking at the damsels but did note Azure, Large Red,  Blue-tailed and Banded Demoiselle. My first Hobby of the year seemed even more keen on finding dragons than me though I suspect it had different motives!

Downy Emerald record shots

The new brood of Speckled Woods are now out and looking fresh and I saw many on my travels. While walking back towards Weldon I saw a male Meadow Brown which I think may be my first May example. He gave me a bit of a run around but eventually I was able to get some record shots. Having had such an entertaining morning I decided to pop into the George on my way to the bus stop for a celebratory pint - always a good way to end a spotting session.

Grizzled Skippers and Meadow Brown

Nightingales

 I can't quite believe that it has come round so quickly but it's my backshift week once again when I get to trade one of my week days in exchange for having to work on a Saturday. Today was that day and Shozzer and I visited a couple of county spots in search of interesting insects. Though slightly cooler than it has been of late there was still plenty of sunshine on offer and we had quite a productive day.

Four-spotted Chaser, Black Hairstreak and Painted Lady

It's that time of the year when Black Hairstreaks begin to emerge at Glapthorn and Alan and I popped in to try our luck. Just within the entrance we saw a Four-spotted Chaser and while taking photos of it  we were scolded by one Nightingale and serenaded by another. Along the rides we saw a few Speckled Woods before the hoped for Black Hairstreaks were noted. The first were rather flighty but some did begin to settle and we managed to get some decent pictures of them as they nectared on brambles. Having then had a chat with the county recorder  and several other observers we decided to move on, a Painted Lady was noted in the lane where we had parked the car.

Scarce Chasers and Red Admiral

Barnwell CP was our next destination and we were treated to further sightings of Painted Ladies as well as several Red Admirals. Alan found my first Scarce Chasers of the year, clearly they've been out for a while as we saw quite a few on our wander around. Other dragons showing today included two new for the year Emperors, Hairy Dragonfly and Four-spotted Chaser. No surprises amongst the damsels though I didn't spend that much time looking for the park's small population of Variables. With the temperatures beginning to rise we headed for the NVB Brewery Tap and Kitchen for a thirst slaking pint or two, a predictable but satisfying end to our spotting.

Black Hairstreak and a garden first Common Blue Damsel noted yesterday.

A Touch On The Warm Side

 I spent a bit of time doing some chores around the house before I set off for Priors Hall at around mid morning. Clear skies and sunshine were as much a feature here as they were throughout most of the country though I suspect that it may have been too hot for many species.

LRP, Oystercatcher and Caspian Gull?

Having seen a Holly Blue in my garden and an Orange-tip near the train station I was hopeful of seeing some good insects and I wasn't too disappointed. Butterflies seemed turbocharged by the heat and Common Blues and Small Heaths were the most obvious today. Several faded looking Painted Ladies may well have been newly arrived migrants, as I said in a previous post this could be a very good year for this attractive migrant. At the quarry lake an Oystercatcher was a good record, they're a rare species here. Other birds included Little Ringed Plovers, Great Crested Grebe and what I took to be an adult Caspian Gull. Best ode was a teneral Black-tailed Skimmer which was my first of the year. Around the ponds it was clear that Four-spotted Chasers were emerging en masse with many shiny winged youngsters making their first flight. Both Grizzled and Dingy Skippers were noted though they didn't settle long enough for me to get a pic and at least three Holly Blues were seen too. My attempt to find Green Hairstreak and Downy Emerald sadly failed though I will continue to search for both over the next couple of weeks. As the temperatures rose and the wildlife became harder to find I decided to call it quits and head back to Weldon where a pint in the Shoulder of Mutton helped to revive me before catching the bus home.

Black-tailed Skimmer, Four-spotted Chaser and DH Chipmunk.