A Little Bit Of Essex

 I had a rare day off from the wildlife spotting yesterday, a boozy catch up with some ex work mates over in Ketrin being the reason. Today I was back in the game and paid a call on Priors Hall where it was cooler than it has been of late but still far from cool! There was far more sunshine than some of the weather forecasts had suggested but a stiff westerly breeze provided some welcome relief from the heat.

Common Darter and Small Skipper

At the quarry lake a pair of Egyptian Geese were my first site record which though much anticipated was not necessarily a welcome one. In a previous report I said that our Great Crested Grebes had three young and I was wrong as they actually have four, one must have remained hidden on its parent's back Today all were in view and showing rather well. The only other birds of note were Little Ringed Plovers which I could hear calling though I didn't manage to see them.

Marbled White and Black-tailed Skimmer with prey

Around the first pond just south of the quarry lake quite a few teneral Common Darters were emerging which were my first of the year, others were seen around the other ponds. Lots of small golden skippers were also seen though they were moving so fast I couldn't confirm their I.D. The grassland closer to the main bulk of the ponds was alive with Marbled Whites with smaller numbers of Meadow Browns and the odd Small Heath keeping them company. Maturing Black-tailed Skimmers were also present in this area while damselflies included Red-eyed and Banded Demoiselle.

Silver-washed Fritillary and Peacock

As I reached the beginning of the main woodland ride I noted that Ringlets and Speckled Woods were becoming the dominant butterflies while Large Skippers replaced their smaller cousins. A male Silver-washed Fritillary appeared to be holding a territory and there were several new generation Peacocks and at least one Comma. I didn't manage to see Downy Emeralds today but their favourite pond was alive with Four-spotted Chasers and also several Emperors. Nearby half a dozen Ruddy Darters were maturing away from the water and these were new for the year. Another year first was an Essex Skipper which allowed me to take a few record shots. Slightly cooler conditions meant that the small skippers were slightly less hyperactive and as well as the Essex I found several Small Skippers too. With the morning wearing on and my return bus's time getting closer and closer I had to leave and so headed back to Weldon just before noon.

Ruddy Darter and Essex Skipper