I was out once again in the company of Alan Shorrock as we braved a cold northerly breeze and grey skies to do a bit of nature spotting. Our first couple of stops were far from interesting and it was left to our third site to provide the interest. A slight brightening of the conditions prompted us to pop into Glapthorn Cow Pasture where we hoped to catch up with the Black Hairstreaks for which this site is known.
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| Black Hairstreak |
Initially things looked far from promising but they did improve slightly as the sun broke through the cloud cover. Several hairstreaks were glimpsed as they flitted around the tops of Blackthorn bushes but they seemed reluctant to land. While waiting for the hairstreaks to become more cooperative I picked out the call of a Turtle Dove which though distant at first gradually got closer. It's been a few years since I last saw one in the county and it's crazy to think that they're now rarer than Black Hairstreaks in Northamptonshire. Though difficult to see I eventually had a couple of brief sightings as the bird displayed but sadly couldn't get a pic.
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| Southern Marsh Orchid and Bullfinch |
A spell of sunshine tempted more Black Hairstreaks out and at least two settled down to nectar on bramble blossoms. Both Shozzer and I were able to get a few pictures before they flew up into the neighbouring Blackthorns. By now the skies were becoming cloudy again and there was even a little bit of rain in the air so we decided to bring things to a halt and head for the car.
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