Purple Patch

I decided to escape Corby's Highland Gathering and its associated screeching bagpipes and head over to the Harry's Park/Laundimer Wood complex for some butterfly watching. While there were a few cloudy spells conditions were generally fairly kind and I saw some good stuff.

Large Whites are common at the moment.

Bears Lane had quite a lot of activity with numbers of both Small and Large Whites continuing to increase and a few Green-veined joining them on the thistles and knapweeds. Both Ringlets and Meadow Browns remain very common though some are beginning to look very tattered, the Ringlets especially so. Gatekeepers were feeding on the many bramble blossoms while the Small Torties preferred the thistles. Some of these are looking rather ragged and worn but the single Peacock and the Red Admirals are looing much sharper. Small Skippers finished the butterfly list for the lane while the only dragonfly activity came from Common Blue Damsels.

Male Silver-washed Fritillary.

On entering the woods I was soon greeted by several Silver-washed Fritillaries of which one male proved to be rather obliging. All the others were seen only briefly as they sped past on whatever urgent business they seemed to be about, I think that a total of seven sightings were logged. Both Essex and Large Skippers were buzzing about the rides in good numbers along with more Smalls. The young Oaks in particular seemed to be attractive to Purple Hairstreaks and I counted eight in total, a couple allowed me to take my first pictures of Northants specimens.

Purple Hairstreak.

Continuing along the main ride I saw a Purple Emperor but it didn't land while the other that I found took off from the path but did not settle again. Similarly the three White Admirals did not stop anywhere long enough to photograph though several Commas did. This wood really does provide a good alternative to Fermyn if you don't fancy the weekend crowds even if species are present in lower numbers.

Not rare but beautiful, a Red Admiral.

The pick of the other wildlife was a distant fox, there were several Fallow Deer grazing in one of the rides while a Muntjac was barking loudly. A few Brown Hawkers were coursing along the rides and there were a few Blue-tailed Damsels. All in all a good few hours and not a single bagpipe to shatter the peace - bliss.

A heat hazy shot of a Fox.