Simply Reds

With the weekend upon us and the likelihood that Weldon would prove too popular with exercise walkers I chose instead to visit Brookfield Plantation where I met the grand total of one. Although I couldn't find any birds of interest there were a few other things to note down.

Small White.

My walk took me across the Charter Field in the village where a couple of Speckled Woods and a Small White were seen. Moving on to Cockerell Road I was pleased to find a Dingy Skipper, although I've seen them here before they are scarce. Near the power station I found a single Large Red Damselfly which made this my seventh site so far this year for this species.

Dingy Skipper and Large White.

At Brookfield I was greeted by a Large White which stopped long enough to let me take a couple of record shots, my first this year. Other butterflies seen in the wood included plenty more Speckled Woods, Orange-tips, Small Whites and a Peacock. Given that before this year I had not seen any in Brookfield the discovery of fourteen further Large Red Damselflies suggests that I must have overlooked them here in the past. Every one that stopped long enough to look at properly turned out to be a female, I wonder if the males were at the breeding ponds staking out territories?

Speckled Wood and Large Red Damselfly.

Plenty of other insects were present in the plantation and these included a species of hoverfly with the catchy name of Rhingia rostrata which is a rather long snouted creature with an obvious orange abdomen.

Rhingia rostrata.