Crossbills

Alan Shorrock and I headed over to Wakerley Wood this morning with the aim of catching up with some Crossbills at one of their favoured county sites. At least ten had been reported from there recently so we were quite optimistic and we were not let down.

Crossbill selection.

Soon after our arrival I heard at least one calling from larches near the picnic area and over the next half an hour or so we heard several more and caught the odd glimpse too. Siskins appeared to be moving through as well with a double figure count noted. Crossbill numbers were by now beginning to build up as we waited going from about ten to an eventual total of at least forty of which most appeared to be juveniles. The birds were not always vocal and were often hard to pick out in amongst the larches which still had their needles. Poor light hampered efforts at photography though we did manage to get some record shots. Some of the birds were popping down to a puddle to drink and it was this that was probably drawing the birds in. Sadly the puddle was next to a path and the birds were flushed by a couple of mountain bikers. Somewhat intriguingly one of the birds showed very prominent double wing bars and although it was likely to have been a Common I can't say with a hundred percent certainty that it was. Many of the birds were by now moving on and we decided to emulate them choosing to visit Spanhoe,

Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper.

No birds of interest were seen in the quarry though the eagle eyed Shozzer did pick out four Ravens at a nearby spot. Although the cloudy conditions seemed unpromising for insects we managed to find a few. My first burnet moths of the year in the shape of many Six-spotteds were observed. Quite a few Meadow Browns were on the wing and a fair number of Gatekeepers as well. Both Marbled Whites and Ringlets are coming to the end of their season but we still saw a couple of each. Other butterflies included Comma, Peacock and Small Skipper and I also observed a Yellow Shell moth.

Six-spotted Burnet Moths and Yellow Shell.

Only one of the ponds had any water in it so it was difficult to find any dragons except for Common Darters. It seems as if many had emerged this morning and it's perhaps just as well that they get out before this pond dries up too. Only one species of damsel was noted and that was Blue-tailed Damselfly with perhaps as many as ten on site.

Brown Argus and Common Darter.

Purple Patch

While the weather was not ideal I still decided to give Harry's Park Wood a bash in case any interesting butterflies were on the wing. Several periods of morning sunshine did bring a few out and while they didn't include any Purple Emperors amongst their numbers there was enough to keep me happy.

Purple Hairstreak and young Blue Tit.

Despite the absence of those emperors a little splash of purple did brighten my morning and it came in the shape of a Purple Hairstreak that had ventured down from the tree tops long enough to let me take a pic or two. Three more were observed during the rest of my walk. Four Silver-washed Fritillaries were noted too while five White Admirals included one in very good condition, most are looking a little ragged now. Some colour was provided by several pristine looking Peacocks and a few Red Admirals. Most of the other species seen were either whites or browns though I did see some Commas and a couple of Large Skippers.

White Admiral and Silver-washed Fritillary.

Two species of dragonfly were hunting along the woodland rides and these were Emperor and Brown Hawker while the best birds on view were a Raven and several Siskins. Once I'd finished checking the wood I went along to see if any White-lettered Hairstreaks were showing at a nearby site but sadly I couldn't find any.

Meadow Brown and Peacock.

My final stop of the day was at Weldon where thick cloud cover all but put a stop to any hopes I may have harboured of seeing Willow Emeralds. Very few odes were braving the conditions with several teneral damsels being joined by an ovipositing Brown Hawker.

Small Tortoiseshell and Brown Hawker.

Poor Start

My brother was good enough to take me along to the Brampton Valley Way near Hanging Houghton where I confidently expected to add Beautiful Demoiselle to my county year list. Sadly things did not work out that way as I saw nothing other than a solitary Common Blue damselfly. I'm not sure what has happened as this has been quite a reliable site for at least a couple of years.

Yellow-legged Gull and Small Red-eyed Damselflies.

Disappointed we continued on to Wicksteed Park where we enjoyed a good walk in decent conditions. Highlight was a Yellow-legged Gull on the main lake though we also had views of a Sparrowhawk and several Sedge Warblers. Some Small Red-eyed Damselflies were present on both lakes making this the forth site that I've seen them at in the county this year. Few dragons other than  several Emperors and the only damsel seen in any sort of numbers were Common Blues. Of the butterflies seen an Essex Skipper was the best.

Emerald Damselfly and Emperor

At Weldon my brother's and my path diverged, he heading home and I heading to Priors Hall. Plenty of damsels and dragons here and although I didn't find the hoped for Willow Emeralds I did see enough interesting stuff to make the visit worthwhile. A single Emerald Damselfly was the highlight, it may have been the male from last week. Other damsels observed were Banded Demoiselle, Blue-tailed and Common Blue. Commonest dragon was Ruddy Darter as more and more mature males are taking up territory around the ponds. Several Commons were also noted though these were immatures and newly emerged individuals. Black-tailed Skimmers and Four-spotted Chasers were sparring over the ponds and both Brown Hawker and Emperor were also noted.

Brown Hawker and Black-tailed Skimmer.

Among the butterflies a few new brood Peacocks and a fresh Common Blue were best though Essex Skipper was a welcome find too. Plenty of other butterflies around with six species of brown being seen, July tends to be a very good month for them. Of the other wildlife recorded today a fishing Osprey was the highlight and for the second week running I had at least one Siskin pass overhead. A Brown Hare rounded off today's sightings before I ventured into the George at Weldon for my first pub pint since March.

Essex Skipper and Peacock.

Another Monday Barnwell Visit

A change of day did not bring a change in the weather and if anything there was even less sun than yesterday. Despite this unpromising outlook I took my usual stroll around Barnwell CP where I saw a few bits and bobs though nothing too exciting.

Mandarin and Emperor.

Barnwell must be one of the best places to see Mandarin Ducks in the county, today there were over ten and all much closer than the Blatherwycke hoards. Kingfishers were vocal again today as they moved along the river and the park. Two Siskins were a nice surprise as I don't normally see them in the Summer but I gather that small numbers have been on the move. Final decent bird was a Common Tern that visited several of the lakes before heading off down the river.

Scarce Chaser and Southern Hawker.

Few dragons were seen today and Common Darter was the only species that was represented by more than a singleton with about half a dozen present. A male Scarce Chaser and females of both Emperor and Southern Hawker were sitting out the windier spells of weather in amongst the vegetation. Rather more damselflies were on the wing with the cloud tolerant species such as Blue-tailed and Common Blue the most numerous. Banded Demoiselles were taking a leaf from the dragons' book and shelter amongst the nettles. The Red-eyeds were clearly made of sterner stuff as they took up station on lily pads. A single male Small Red-eyed was also seen and unlike last week's example I'm pretty sure of the identification.

Commas and Red Admiral.

Commas are emerging in very good numbers and I can't remember seeing so many while there were lots of Red Admirals too. The pristine condition of many of the latter suggests that they were locally born rather than migrants. More Gatekeepers were noted, fresh examples must rate as one of our most attractive brown butterflies. Other species seen today included Meadow Browns and Ringlets as well as lesser quantities of Large Skipper and Small Tortoiseshell. Whites seem to be doing well too as many Small and Green-veined were observed.

Gatekeeper and Small Red-eyed Damselfly.

Family Jewels

A long walk today taking in Weldon, Deenethorpe, Deene and Priors Hall though it was well worth the effort. As well as seeing several year firsts I also saw plenty of other interesting stuff despite the gusty wind.

Gatekeeper and sick looking Rabbit.

First highlight was a Crossbill flying over as I entered Bears Lane heading in the direction of Harry's Park Wood. The next part of the walk across the fields was pretty dull as most wildlife appeared to be sheltering from the wind. Deenethorpe Airfield produced my first Gatekeeper of the year, I saw a second later in the day at Priors Hall. Very few Small Heaths were active today and it looks as if this brood is coming to the end of their flying period.

Green Sandpiper and Broad-bodied Chaser.

Deene Lake inflow held three Green Sandpipers and a small flock of Lapwings, I presume that the sandpipers are returning failed breeders. The main lake had both Black-tailed Skimmer and a male Broad-bodied Chaser though the dragons were soon to be overshadowed. Walking along the lake shore produced a sighting of my first Willow Emerald of the year which was a female. Coincidentally she was within feet of where I saw my first one last year too. Other damsels in the area were Common Blue and Blue-tailed.

Willow Emerald and Southern Hawker.

Good numbers of butterflies were seen in the bramble filled lane that leads from Kirby Lane to the eastern end of Priors Hall. Hundreds of Meadow Browns and a double figure count of Commas joined a swirling mass of Ringlets and Marbled Whites sheltering from the wind. Such a supply of food and shelter proved irresistible to a Southern Hawker that landed long enough to let me take a picture. A couple of Ruddy Darters were also found in the same area.

Emerald Damselfly and Emperor.

Around the ponds at Priors Hall I found a young male Emerald Damselfly which was my second new damsel of the year. Several adult male Ruddy Darters were seen and there were also good numbers of Emperors on site. A Four-spotted Chaser was my sixth dragon of the day. Best butterfly at Priors Hall was a female Silver-washed Fritillary though a second Gatekeeper as mentioned earlier was none too shoddy either.

Silver-washed Fritillary and Green-veined White.

Better Than I Thought It Would Be.

Yet more dull and grey weather with an added dose of wind thrown in for good measure did not fill me with joy when I set out today. Deciding to stay local I headed over to Willowbrook Industrial Estate to see what might be braving the wind and occasional shower.

Small and Essex Skippers

It turned out that plenty of Marbled Whites were and also some of their relatives, mostly Ringlets and Meadow Browns but also a single Small Heath. A decent amount of whites were seen with many of them being Green-veined. One Small Copper was observed though not photographed and there were singles of Comma and Small Tortoiseshell. Much of my time was spent chasing little skippers around trying to see if there were any Essex about. Eventually I managed to identify two, there may have been more but few were inclined to settle. Lots of Common Blue Damselflies were present on site and there was also a single Emperor.

Marbled Whites and Comma.

Ringlets and Meadow Browns were the commonest species in Brookfield Plantation and the former included at least one aberration amongst their number. Large Skippers were another species present in good numbers though some are beginning to look a little raggedy now. Highlight was a pristine male Silver-washed Fritillary that was nectaring on a patch of Ragwort and I had good and prolonged views. Other species noted in the plantation were Large Wood and Speckled Wood. As well as more Common Blue Damselflies odes were represented by two Common Darters.

Silver-washed Fritillary and aberrant Ringlet.

There was very little other wildlife of note today apart from a Peregrine seen at one of their usual spots.

Peregrine.