Welland Walking

For today's walk I opted to take a stroll over to Gretton Weir passing through Willowbrook Industrial Estate, Brookfield Plantation and Gretton village on the way. Although it was cloudier than the forecast suggested it would be when I left home the sun did show through in the afternoon. Despite there being quite a stiff breeze I managed to see a few interesting insects in the more sheltered spots.

Peregrine

Both Peregrines were in their usual place, either they're not nesting this year or one was taking a break from incubation. Gretton supplied my first Swift of the year, there were also some Swallows about. At Gretton Weir a Cuckoo was the only other bird of interest.

Large Red Damselfly and Red Admiral.

Lots of damselflies were found though every one of them was a Large Red. Brookfield Plantation had seven or eight hunting over sunlit nettle patches while Gretton Weir had over thirty with most appearing to be newly emerged tenerals. I must admit that I was surprised not to see anything else but it is still early in the season still.

Large, Small and Green-veined Whites.

If variety in the world of damsels was somewhat limited then it was the opposite with butterflies. There may well have been an influx of Red Admirals as I saw three today. More than five Peacocks were observed and so too were a similar number of Small Tortoiseshells. Speckled Woods remain common in Brookfield Plantation, elsewhere Orange-tips are still the most numerous species. Lots of UIW's were noted and of the ones that I could I.D it was Small that outnumbered Green-veined, a single Large White was also seen. Willowbrook Industrial Estate delivered a quality quartet of species with year first Small Copper and Common Blue as well as a Dingy and a Grizzled Skipper. Sadly the copper did a bunk before I could get a pic but the Common Blue at least was quite obliging.

Common Blue and Grizzled Skipper.

The only other wildlife of interest seen today were some Fallow Deer in Brookfield Plantation, several small groups were present in the wood.

Fallow Deer.