Don't Listen to that Geldoff Chappie, Monday's are OK.

It seems as if I'm enjoying a bit of a purple patch at the moment and my run of good form continued into today. I had not visited Harringworth Lodge Lake for a while and so headed over in that direction this morning.

Small White and Ringlet.

A stroll along the fringes of the field at Cockerell Road produced sightings of many Marbled Whites warming themselves up in the morning sunshine. A few Ringlets and Meadow Browns were also active but not too much else.

Diurnal Badger.

Brookfield plantation had a real surprise in store when I flushed a Purple Emperor from the clearing where the footpaths cross. Sadly it did not hang around but it constitutes an unlikely first sighting in this predominantly coniferous woodland. Many of the other rides were still deep in shade so there was little else to report. The large field was sheep free today but rather remarkably there was a second diurnal Badger feeding along its margins. I was walking along the fence next to the flooded quarry when the animal ran from some long grass close to my feet and disappeared under the fence. I stopped to look at some Ringlets when somewhat surprisingly the Badger emerged again and began to feed. I crept up to within feet of it and was treated to prolonged views for over twenty minutes before it finally ambled off - amazing.

Young Blackcap and Small Tortoiseshell.

Taking the lane towards Gretton I noted a lot of new brood Small Torties, over thirty, feeding on the bramble flowers, there were many whites too. A family of newly fledged Blackcaps were chacking in the shrubbery and one posed rather nicely. Leaving the village on the Jurassic Way I encountered many of the commoner butterfly species including a whopping hundred and fifty odd Small Heaths in a large field.

White Admiral and Painted Lady.

Walking past the woods towards the lake I found the first of three White Admirals resting on the path and also had sightings of Red Admiral and Painted Lady. Rather frustratingly and for the second year in succession a likely Purple Emperor was seen briefly but I've still to get a conclusive view. A first Gatekeeper of the year did not hang around for photos but I'm sure some of the later ones will. Best bird on the lake was a Mandarin while the Great Crested Grebes have three young this year. It looks as if some weed clearance has resulted in the loss of the Small Red-eyed Damselflies but I would love to be proved wrong. One small patch of Amphibious Bistort held many Red-eyed Damsels and Common Blues while up to three female Emperors oviposited in the same area. Other dragons seen here were Black-tailed Skimmer and Four-spotted Chasers, there were also some Ruddy Darters nearby.

Emperor and Mandarin.

The return walk did not throw up many surprises though I did enjoy a first visit to the Blue Bell pub in Gretton, I doubt whether it will be the last! If anything it was becoming a little too hot for many of the butterflies though at least have a dozen Commas were seen while a Brown Hawker was hunting along the rides at Brookfield. I also found my first, for this site anyway, Marbled White.

Skylark and Comma.

Mention should be made of the best bird of the day, a Peregrine seen during one section of my stroll.

Peregrine.