Afternoon Wander

 I spent a very enjoyable morning wandering around Oundle with my wife Sandra. A first visit to the NVB Tap and Kitchen will not be the last, where else can you enjoy good food and excellent beer while watching dragons and damsels? Several Hairies and a selection of damsels were on offer today, I suspect Scarce Chasers may also be a possibility when mature examples return to the river.

Brown Argus, Green Hairstreak and Dingy Skipper.

Once I'd got back to Corby I shoved a pair of bins and a camera into a bag with a bottle of water and set off for a stroll. On what might have been the hottest afternoon of the year so far I was far from ambitious in my wanderings and settled for a look at Willowbrook Industrial Estate and Brookfield Plantation. The part of Willowbrook adjacent to Cockerell Road turned out to be good for butterflies though many were very active in the strong sunshine. Highlight was my first Brown Argus of the year which graciously settled long enough for me to photograph it. Other goodies included a Green Hairstreak and Dingy Skipper and there were good numbers of Common Blues on the wing as well as a single Small Heath.

Grizzled Skipper, Red Admiral and Four-spotted Chaser

Nearby at Brookfield another Brown Argus was seen followed shortly afterwards by a Grizzled Skipper. More Common Blues were here too, it seems as if they might enjoy a good season. Other butterflies on the wing included Peacock, Red Admiral, plenty of Speckled Woods and a couple of Dingy Skippers. Brookfield is normally fairly poor for odes but I did manage to find four species today. A Four-spotted Chaser was joined on the list by Large Red, Azure and Common Blue Damselflies. Other wildlife included a small group of Fallow Deer and a snoozing Peregrine at their usual spot.

Fallow Deer and snoozing Peregrine.