Rain!

For the first time in what seems like ages I actually felt some genuine Northamptonshire rain on the old bonce today, not normally a big deal of course but during this droughty sort of summer it was a pleasant sensation. I'd chosen to walk around the local area having spent more than a few weekends travelling around the country and it turned out to be a decent wander.

White-letter Hairstreak and Silver-washed Fritillary. 

My day began with the short bus ride over to Weldon and from their I walked along Bears Lane before heading along the public footpaths that cross the neighbouring fields. Good if rather brief views of a Lesser Whitethroat were welcome and the local Yellowhammers also showed well. Lots of white butterflies were seen with Green-veined being commonest. Despite the clouds and the lightest of drizzle butterflies continued to show and a single Common Darter was also glimpsed.

Brown Argus and female Common Blue.

Taking the footpath that links Harry's Park Wood with the A427 provided one of the days highlights when I discovered two White-letter Hairstreaks feeding on bramble blossoms. This has always looked like a potential site for this species with lots of Elm regrowth and bramble bushes but I had not visited at a decent time in the past. Another goody along here was a Silver-washed Fritillary and also a Brown Argus.

Painted Lady and Green Sandpiper.

Weldon Park Wood provided another Silver-washed and also a female Purple Emperor that disappeared into a Sallow bush before I could take a picture. Small numbers of Common Blue and Small Heath were also observed. Walking a little further along the airfield at Deenethorpe produced sightings of a battered looking Painted Lady but by this time the rain was falling steadily if still very light and most of the insects apart from the brown butterflies had disappeared.

Small Red-eyed Damsel and Common Darter.

Deene Lake inflow had the impressive total of nine Green Sandpipers feeding in the shallows, I believe that this is the highest total that I've recorded here, several Lapwings were also seen. The main lake had a decent sized colony of Small Red-eyeds as well as Red-eyeds and I also saw an Emperor, several Common Darters and a Four-spotted Chaser. At the churchyard a Holly Blue had joined the Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns feeding on the brambles.

Speckled Wood and Small Heath.

An uneventful stroll along Kirby Lane was enlivened by sightings of Red Admiral and Essex Skipper but little else. Priors Hall had a male Brimstone within yards of the entrance sharing some Burdock flowers with various whites and Ringlets. I was pleased to find three Silver-washed Frits here, my first, though a friend had recorded them here in the last week or so. Meadow Browns were common  though Common Blues were abundant, I think that I may have seen over three hundred  today. A further three Holly Blues were seen too, I can't recall if these were my first site records but either way they remain rare here.

Red Admiral and Holly Blue.

At the ponds I managed to find five Emerald Damselfies which were my first Northants ones this year, they joined Common Blue and Blue-tailed on the list. Small Red-eyeds were present on three of the ponds while Red-eyeds matched them. Several Four-spotted Chasers and rather a lot of Ruddy Darters were also seen during my walk.

Little Ringed Plover and Mint Moth.

At the quarry a Little Ringed Plover was present and there were also a few Lapwings. Other birds here included Grey Heron and Cormorant.

Six-spotted Burnet moths and Emerald Damselfly.