Frits To The Fore

 Well it seems as if the weather guessers were more than a little wide of the mark today, what was supposed to be a hot and sunny day turned out to be a warm and mainly cloudy one. Had I known this in advance I might have gone with Shozzer's suggestion of going to look at the Frampton Pratincole rather than joining him and Phil Rogers on a walk around some local butterfly sites. Despite the clouds we had quite a successful day and managed to catch up with all of our target species.

Gatekeeper and Red Admiral

We began at Ring Haw where Dark Green Fritillary was at the top of the wish list. It was mainly browns and whites flying about when we got there as well as a couple of Red Admirals and one or two Large Skippers. At this stage a Gatekeeper was the star turn as it was both mine and Phil's first of the year, we saw several more during the day. During a fleeting appearance by the sun we picked out a single Dark Green Frit nectaring on thistles, it was distant but I got a couple of record shots. I've only seen this species once before in the county and that was at this same site several years ago. Another addition to my day list were Essex and Small Skippers in the meadow near to the field centre. On our way back to the car we were treated to views of several Silver-washed Fritillaries. By now the sun was still showing no sign of burning through the cloud and so decided to pop into the Cross Keys for a spot of rehydration.

Dark Green and Silver-washed Fritillaries

Suitably refreshed we headed across the county border towards Bedford Purlieus in the hope of seeing White-lettered Hairstreaks. Scarlet Tiger moths seem to be enjoying a good year and there were half a dozen of so present in the ride near the car park. Large Whites are another species having a good year and there were many nectaring on the bramble blossoms as well as more Silver-washed Frits. It took a while but we did finally spot a hairstreak though this one was a knackered looking Black rather than a White-letter, we watched it for a while before it flew up into a neighbouring tree. On our way back to the car a sharp eyed Phil found a White-lettered on some Marjoram, it posed for quite a while before it too flew up into the surrounding trees. Final stop of the day was at the meadow where we were fortunate enough to see at least two more Dark Green Fritillaries.

Essex Skipper and Large White

Late June and July are probably the most productive time for butterfly watching and I'll list the species that we saw today to show what can be seen on even a cloudy day at this time of year.

Large Skipper, Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Brimstone, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Marbled White, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Small Heath, Peacock, Comma, Red Admiral, Silver-washed Fritillary, Dark Green Fritillary, Common Blue, Black Hairstreak and White-lettered Hairstreak.

Black and White-lettered Hairstreaks

Scorchio!

 I had quite a packed itinerary today but managed to squeeze a couple of hours in at Priors Hall before the building heat forced me to seek some shade. After a fairly cloudy start the sun broke through and remained an issue for most of the afternoon, even a stiff breeze couldn't lower the temperature to a more comfortable level. Whether the results were worth the effort is very much open for debate but on the plus side it's always nice to get out.

Black-tailed Skimmer

A lot of the butterflies seemed to shun the direct sunlight and it was at times a bit of a struggle to find many. The highlight was a first Essex Skipper of the year, a brief look through my bins confirmed the I.D though it was away and gone before I could grab a pic. Browns as they always do at this time of the year featured strongly with Meadow Browns being the commonest species. Running them close in the numbers game were Ringlets and then Marbled Whites, honourable mentions went out to Speckled Woods and a single Small Heath. Large Skippers appeared to be fairly common while Large White and Comma made up the rest of my list.

Tufted Ducks

Odes were also avoiding direct sunlight in many cases, plenty of Common Blue Damsels didn't seem to mind the heat too much but the only other damsel on view were several Blue-taileds. Dragons fared quite badly too, the commonest species being Four-spotted Chasers and Black-tailed Skimmers with Emperors also doing fairly well. A Broad-bodied Chaser completed my list and it was awelcome addition, I haven't seen many this year. Interesting birds were in very short supply with the only sighting of note being a Tufted Duck with five young. I baled out after a couple of hours, a couple of pints of Aspall's in the George revived me enough to catch my bus home

Emperors

 It was a bit on the blowy side this morning but there was enough sunshine to persuade me to make the trip to Harry's Park Wood. On my way past the steelworks I saw that a little bit more of Corby's history is disappearing as they are tearing down some of the huge old camouflaged sheds. These have been here since before the war and by that I mean the Second World War rather than the one that Orange Donny and his cohorts appear to be in the process of starting. No doubt we can look forward to yet another logistical park full of empty warehouses!

Large White and Ringlet.

At the wood there were enough dogwalkers to suggest that renaming the place Harry's Bark might be in order but the pooch pack dispersed fairly quickly and I was left to wander in peace. Bears Lane had already provided sightings of seven or eight common butterfly species as well as some Common Blue Damselflies, things were looking promising. Within a hundred or so yards of the entrance I'd seen my first White Admiral but it like most of the five or six that I saw later in the morning did not settle and I had to wait for over an hour before I finally got an indifferent pic of one. Lots of Ringlets and Meadow Browns were present in the wood and were joined by at least four Marbled Whites. Several Emperor dragonflies were patrolling the rides but it took rather longer before I saw the butterfly equivalent. A male flew past at knee height and looked as if it might settle but it decided not to and flew off out of sight. I wasn't too disappointed at this stage and continued my walk along the main ride.

Purple Emperors

Apart from those Emperors there wasn't too much ode activity to report though I was glad to find at least three Beautiful Demoiselles on my travels. Although these were my first in the wood both Shozzer and Phil had already seen them here this year, a far cry from when we had to visit Towcester in order to see them. There was another Purple Emperor flypast but on this occasion his Imperial Highness decided to land. I managed to get plenty of pictures before he eventually flew off, it's always nicer to get photos when the subject is not sitting on a Dame Thora! Somewhat later during my visit I had equally good views of a second individual.

White Admiral and Wood White

Having grabbed my emperor photos I decided to leave the main rides and travel along some of the narrower ones. My first Silver-washed Fritillary of the year flashed past, I was to see a further three on my amble around but none paused for pictures. Fool's Frits or should I say Commas were rather more accommodating and I saw many in the wood. A Wood White was a nice find and better yet it proved to be the first of three including an egg laying individual, I really hope that this delicate species becomes established here. While there was plenty of bird activity in the wood it was mostly of the mundane variety and only a brief sighting of Raven stood out from the norm. A lunch date with my family meant that I couldn't dally for ever and my last sighting of note was of a Small Heath which I believe was my first ever one in the wood itself.

Beautiful Demoiselle and Small Heath

Winning Streaks

 A hot and sometimes sunny day saw Alan Shorrock and I visiting a range of local sites in search of insects. We began at Oakley Meadow nature reserve before heading across the road to the Old Kettering Road on the edge of the Oakley Vale housing development.

Small Copper and Black Hairstreak

The meadow was alive with butterflies with Meadow Browns in particular being very common. Joining them were lesser numbers of Ringlets and Marbled Whites and there were several hyper active small skippers buzzing around but I couldn't I.D them with certainty. On the edges of the meadow there were plenty of elms and blackthorn and we spent some time searching for hairstreaks. Initially our efforts met with no success but sightings of seven or eight Small Coppers made up for that, I haven't seen this number of coppers at one site for many years. Both Large and Small White were noted before we finally found a single Black Hairstreak which was my first at this location. A short walk took us to the Old Kettering Road where at least three White-lettered Hairstreaks provided the highlight as they fluttered around a small patch of elms not too far from the entrance. They were very active in the sunshine and it took quite a time before either of us could grab a record shot but once we had achieved that it was time to head off for Barford Meadows.

White-lettered Hairstreak

By the time that we had reached the meadow the sun had gone in though it remained warm. A Marbled White and a few Large Skippers were seen near the car park and there were quite a few Meadow Browns flitting about too. Another species doing well was Six-spotted Burnet with many noted nectaring on knapweed. Along the River Ise we caught up once again with Beautiful Demoiselles, at least twenty were noted including one teneral male. In the same area I saw a few Banded Demoiselles and also a Large Red Damselfly. Anxious to stay hydrated we then headed towards the Star in Geddington where a cold pint restored me to something approaching normality.

Six-spotted Burnet and teneral Beautiful Demoiselle.

Final stop of the day was at Harry's Park Wood though we arrived during a shower and things did not look too promising. Eventually the rain moved on and the clouds parted treating us to some early evening sunshine. Butterflies responded to this improvement and I got flight views of both Purple Emperor and White Admiral. Other species included Comma and Red Admiral along with Ringlets, Meadow Browns and Large Skippers while whites were represented by Large, Green-veined and Small.  It was getting a bit late by now and we decided to call it quits, if the weather is favourable tomorrow I may well return.

Small and G-v Whites on a horse Donald Trump

Weldon After Work

 I have a hunch though it's not the sort that might get me a job at Notre Dame but rather a suspicion that Norfolk Hawkers share the same habitat preferences as Variable Damselflies. For that reason I took an after work bus down to Weldon to check the pond in the Woodland Park out. Unfortunately I'm beginning to feel that I may finish work just a little too late and many insects may already have gone to roost by the time that I start looking for them.

Banded Demoiselle, Small and Large Skipper

There was not much activity along the stream, a few Banded Demoiselles and a Blue-tailed Damselfly were flitting about in the sunnier stretches but little else. The pond itself was similarly quiet with just a male Emperor representing the odes, the habitat does look promising for Norfolks though and I may have to return on another day. On the butterfly front it looks as if Commas are emerging in good numbers at the moment and at just the right time to fool people into thinking that they might be fritillaries!. Meadow Browns were the commonest species and certainly the most active in the evening sunshine. A Marbled White and a Ringlet were also seen and both Small and Large Skippers were noted. Several whites fluttered past but remained unidentified, a Red Admiral was an easier prospect to I.D. With the day drawing on and my dinner beginning to call to me I decided to catch my bus home and escape the heat for at least a while.

Red Admiral, Marbled White and Meadow Brown

A Beautiful End To The Day

 After a sweltering shift at work it was nice to take a walk around Brookfield Plantation again even if it was quite late in the afternoon. Many of the rides as well as the large pond were in shade so there was little or no prospect of finding any insects there. On the plus side other areas were basking in the still warm sunshine and it was here where I found the interesting stuff.

Ringlet and Large Skipper

Near the entrance my first Ringlet of the year showed briefly and there were Meadow Browns and a Common Blue butterfly here too. As I walked towards the central crossroads I found a few Marbled Whites, a Red Admiral and rather more Large Skippers. The central crossroads hosted several Commas and also a hawker dragonfly which may have been a Southern but my brief views were inconclusive. On my way back towards the road I found a Common Blue Damselfly and also a male and female Broad-bodied Chaser just before I left.

Marbled White and Broad-bodied Chaser

My route home took me past the Peregrine site where the female was resting out of the breeze and in the shade. Near the power station I found a Chimney Sweeper moth which is my first one in the Corby area. A walk through part of the Willowbrook Industrial Estate added Small Heath to my day list and also a Pyramidal Orchid. It was definitely a case of leaving the best till last however as a quick look at the stream in the Old Village produced a view of a male Beautiful Demoiselle, I didn't manage a pic on this occasion but I may try again. Coincidently Alan Shorrock found a Beautiful Demoiselle at the Willowbrook in Thoroughsale Wood today, this species is clearly undergoing a range expansion in the county and it will be interesting to monitor their progress.

Chimney Sweeper and Pyramidal Orchid

Downies Again

 The Priors Hall Downy Emeralds are beginning to attract visitors from other parts of the county. On Friday our county recorder popped in and saw two on different ponds suggesting that there might be a viable population here. This morning I joined Shozzer and Phil Rogers in making a trip over there hoping for further sightings of our own. Weatherwise it was far from optimum with quite lengthy cloudy spells in between the sunnier periods but there was just enough of the good stuff to bring the insects out.

A pair of smalls, Skipper and Heath

Little Ringed Plovers were heard at the Quarry Lake and a distant Cuckoo called but the only other birds of note were several Ravens picked out by Alan. Butterflies featured strongly today, my first Small Skippers of the year were the highlights but I was also happy to see more Marbled Whites too. Other browns noted on our travels were Meadow Brown, Small Heath and Speckled Wood. The only other species were Large Skipper and Brimstone though more species should be appearing soon.

Black-tailed Skimmers and Bee Orchid

Our Downy quest duly delivered the goods after a relatively short time when a male was seen patrolling the margins of the first pond close to where the county's last Tree Pipits used to nest. We watched him for at least ten minutes on and off though none of us managed to grab any photos. Other dragons noted on our travels included Emperors, Black-tailed Skimmers, Four-spotted Chasers and Hairy Dragonflies spread around the ponds. Damsels were not ignored either with several Banded Demoiselles being spotted, they're wanderers from nearby streams. Other damsels present in the area were Blue-tailed, Azure, Large Red and Red-eyed being noted. Increasing cloud cover and a list of things to do elsewhere meant that I couldn't stay for long and we left in the early afternoon.

Brookfield Before Work

 I'm on back shift this week which gives me a little time before the daily drudge takes over. The weather was pretty warm and sunny this morning so I decided to have a stroll around Brookfield Plantation and see what insects might be about. On my way there I popped in to check on my local Peregrines and was rewarded with views of one.

Peregrine, Broad-bodied Chaser and Speckled Wood

Just after I arrived in the wood I saw my first county Large Skipper of the year though it was motoring along and I didn't get a photo. In the same area several Meadow Browns and a male Common Blue were on the wing while a female Broad-bodied Chaser was making sallies from her chosen perch. The rides were still shaded for the most part but this did not seem to bother the many Speckled Woods that fluttered along them. Some sunny patches had attracted a few Large Red and also some Azure Damselflies. In the central area where many rides intersect Black-tailed Skimmer and Emperor were noted before I began my return stroll.

Marbled White, Large Red Damsels and Black-tailed Skimmer

My first Marbled Whites of the year and also a Comma were seen and I managed to get a shot or two of a Large Skipper too as I walked back towards the entrance. As I neared the road I realised that I still had a little time before work beckoned and chose to look at the large pond at the bottom of the ravine. There was oodles of ode activity to observe with both Four-spotted Chasers and a Hairy Dragonfly being added to the day list. Plenty of both Large Red and Azure Damselflies were ovipositing and there was at least one Blue-tailed as well. Presiding over all was a male Emperor which all but ignored the occasional chaser that rose up to annoy it, I'd loved to have stayed and watched for longer but other less enjoyable matters had a prior claim on my time.

Large Skipper, Azure Damsels and Comma