I spent a bit of time doing some chores around the house before I set off for Priors Hall at around mid morning. Clear skies and sunshine were as much a feature here as they were throughout most of the country though I suspect that it may have been too hot for many species.
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| LRP, Oystercatcher and Caspian Gull? |
Having seen a Holly Blue in my garden and an Orange-tip near the train station I was hopeful of seeing some good insects and I wasn't too disappointed. Butterflies seemed turbocharged by the heat and Common Blues and Small Heaths were the most obvious today. Several faded looking Painted Ladies may well have been newly arrived migrants, as I said in a previous post this could be a very good year for this attractive migrant. At the quarry lake an Oystercatcher was a good record, they're a rare species here. Other birds included Little Ringed Plovers, Great Crested Grebe and what I took to be an adult Caspian Gull. Best ode was a teneral Hairy Dragonfly which turned out to be the first of several seen today.
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| Painted Lady and Banded Demoiselle |
Around the ponds it was clear that Four-spotted Chasers were emerging en masse with many shiny winged youngsters making their first flight. Both Grizzled and Dingy Skippers were noted though they didn't settle long enough for me to get a pic and at least three Holly Blues were seen too. My attempt to find Green Hairstreak and Downy Emerald sadly failed though I will continue to search for both over the next couple of weeks. As the temperatures rose and the wildlife became harder to find I decided to call it quits and head back to Weldon where a pint in the Shoulder of Mutton helped revive me before catching the bus home.
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| Hairy Dragonfly, Four-spotted Chaser and DH Chipmunk. |
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