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

Norfolk Comes To Barnwell

 My new job requires me to work the occasional Saturday but the pay off for this is a day off in the week. Today was that day and I chose to pop over to Barnwell CP hoping to see a Downy Emerald. Early cloud was being replaced by sunshine as my bus made its way towards Oundle and I was hopeful of at least seeing something.

Four-spotted and Scarce Chasers

A Small Tortoiseshell was noted in Oundle as I made my way towards the park though it flew off before I could grab a picture. In the park itself the riverside nettles were alive with Banded Demoiselles with lesser numbers of Azure, Blue-tailed and Red-eyed Damselflies keeping them company. Around the ponds both Scarce and Four-spotted Chasers were constantly jostling for position around the margins, Emperors patrolled over the centre. Sadly my search for Downy Emeralds met with no success and I didn't connect with any Variable Damselflies either. My visit was far from a failure however as Mill Lake more than delivered the ode goods. I was watching a male Emperor flying over some water lilies keeping an eye on several ovipositing females when a brown dragonfly flew out to investigate. It's still too early for Brown Hawkers so my curiosity was aroused, further views revealed striking green eyes- a Norfolk Hawker!

Ovipositing Empress and Norfolk Hawker

I watched it hunting and interacting with other species but every time it landed on a patch of rushes close to the Birch Pond it landed out of sight. I kept changing position hoping for a view of it settled but the dragon continued to be elusive. Over an hour passed and I still hadn't got a record shot while time was ticking down to my return bus home. More flight views followed and were appreciated before it finally did me a good turn by landing on some rushes where I could actually see it. Several shots were duly taken and I could leave for my bus having seen a county Norfolk Hawker at what was a new site for me.

Red Admiral and Comma

The only birds of note were a male Cuckoo and at least two Mandarin Ducks though the drake was looking awful as it was going into eclipse. At least three Brimstones were seen nectaring on brambles while a tatty looking Green-veined White was taking in moisture on the side of one of the ponds. Other species included a Red Admiral and a Comma and I saw another Small Tortie on my way back through Oundle. After a pint in the Rose and Crown I boarded my bus for the journey back to Corby.

Yucky duckies and Small Tortoiseshell

Third Time Lucky

 So far this year I've tried both Barnwell CP and Priors Hall in my search for county Downy Emeralds and  my efforts have been attended by no success whatsoever. Today I took another punt on Priors Hall, the promise of sunny intervals were enough to persuade me that it might be worthwhile even if the breeze was a little blowy. Unusually the X4 was more or less on time and I found my self at Priors just before eleven.

Common Blue and Azure Damselfly

Butterflies are at a low ebb at the moment, many of the spring species have finished while the summer species are just beginning to emerge. Several tatty looking Common Blues and a few Small Heaths were seen in the old quarry area near the lake where two Meadow Browns were also noted. Closer to the ponds a Small Tortoiseshell was the highlight, this once common species is getting harder to find. Around the ponds themselves Speckled Woods dominated proceedings as the new generation mingle with survivors from the first brood. Not much in the way of birds to report though both male and female Cuckoos were heard.

violacea form of Blue-tailed Damselfly and Black-tailed Skimmer

Odes were my main target today and the first species to show were damsels with Azure, Large Red and Blue-tailed all being logged before I reached the ponds. I took up station at the pond where I've seen Downy Emeralds in the past and hoped for the best. The forecast sunny intervals were not quite as long as I would have liked but there were enough to give some hope. Initially I was distracted by the swarm of Four-spotted Chasers buzzing around the pond harrying and chasing any other dragons that entered their patch. Eventually patience was rewarded as a male Downy Emerald was noted on several occasions though it was attended by Four-spots on every occasion and I struggled to get a picture.  I did manage to grab a pretty dodgy record shot after about an hour but it was far from being one of my finest efforts. Cloudy spells were getting longer and longer and I decided to head back towards Weldon and my return bus home but before I did so I added Hairy Dragonfly, Emperor, Scarce Chaser and my first Black-tailed Skimmer of the year to my day list.

Four-spotted Chaser and Downy Emerald record shot

Spooning

 A quick look at today's forecast suggested that the weather might present more than a few challenges but that did not stop Alan Shorrock or I from venturing out. The main problem we had was in deciding where to go, Summer Leys and Rutland Water were both considered but neither option appealed too much and we were left scratching our heads as to what to do. Last night I'd read on Neil and Eleanor's blog that White-legged Damselflies were out in the Welland Valley and so persuaded Al to head for Harringworth and hope that the forecast rain stayed off.

White-legged Damselflies

Happily the wet stuff did hold off and we had enough time to search for the damsels in riverside vegetation while enjoying views of the always impressive viaduct. It took a few minutes but the damsels did not let us down and we found a total of about ten hiding in long grass near to the Welland. Sharing the same habitat were numerous Banded Demoiselles and several Azure Damselflies. Other wildlife was in short supply but we did see a couple of Meadow Browns before moving on. Our next stop was at the weir near Gretton where further sightings of White-legged Damsels were had as well as views of several Large Red Damselflies. A sharp shower sent us scuttling for the car but it was relatively brief and did not stop us heading towards Eyebrook Reservoir.

Banded Demoiselle and Large Red Damselfly

Our first few stops at the res did not provide much interest, there were ten Egyptian Geese and a distant Osprey from the island bunker but little else and we soon moved on. Three Dunlin were present at the sharp end but there was no sign of any phalaropes which were the species that I was optimistically hoping might show up. At the bridge i saw my first Large Skipper of the year and more Meadow Browns while pick of the odes was a Large Red Damselfly. By this point both Shozzer and I were getting a little bored and so decided to head for the Wetherspoons in Corby, we packed up our gear and headed along the Rutland side towards Stoke Dry. Our plans were quickly abandoned as Alan spotted two birds flying across the road which he thought looked like Spoonbills. He parked the car and I leapt out in time to see two birds which looked as if they were dropping down at the sharp end. Eager to get some confirmation we headed round to the viewpoint on the Leics shore.

Large Skipper and Meadow Brown

On our way to the sharp end bunker a message came in on the Eyebrook WhatsApp saying that the county recorder had just seen two Spoonbills at the inflow. The birds were still present and feeding in the shallow water when we got there, Andy Mackay thought that they were both first summer birds. The arrival of a rainy squall sent us heading towards the car but mercifully it did not out stay its welcome and we were back looking at the Spoonies soon after. Another birder joined us and enjoyed some decent views before the birds took advantage of the improving weather conditions and decided to fly off in a westerly direction. A lucky birder got there just in time and caught sight of them as they flew off but a newly arrived Phil Rogers was just a minute too late. Having had the Spoons drop in to visit us we decided to repay the favour and head towards the Samuel Lloyd for a celebratory pint, all in all it had been a better than expected day!

Spoonbills

Barford Beautifuls

 I had a tip off from Phil Rogers suggesting that there may be Beautiful Demoiselles present on the Barford Meadows nature reserve between Kettering and Corby. Given that I was off today and that the weather didn't look too bad I contacted Shozzer with the intention of checking this out. We parked on the edge of Rushton and followed a bridleway towards Barford Meadows where we could begin our search.

Roe Deer, Chimney Sweeper and Common Blue

En route I noted only my second Meadow Brown of the year so far, I think the strong breeze may have prevented us from seeing much more. Gill's Meadow on the reserve itself is where things finally began to kick off. A Roe Deer was seen grazing and we watched it for some time before it got wind of us and ran away. There were a few Chimney Sweeper moths braving the wind and at least one Common Blue butterfly too. We reached the River Ise which flows along the edge of the reserve and began our search for the demoiselles. First up was a male Banded but soon after a female Beautiful was noted in a riverside nettlebed. Between the wooden footbridge and the Victorian viaduct we saw at least ten more suggesting that there's an established population here. It was good to watch the males displaying to some seemingly reluctant females and also to watch the disputes between the Beautifuls and the neighbouring Bandeds. As well as the dems there were several Large Red Damselflies along the Ise too.

Beautiful Demoiselles and Mother Shipton

Our walk back across the meadow produced sightings of more day flying moths with a few Burnet Companions, a Six-spotted Burnet as well as at least one Mother Shipton on view. I spent more than a little time trying to get a decent picture of a Chimney Sweeper as the little blighters always seemed to settle in amongst the grass stems making photography difficult. Persistence eventually paid off and one finally gave me a brief opportunity for a snap. Between the reserve and the car both Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell were seen.

Six-spotted Burnet Moth, Small Tortoiseshell and Tufted Duck family

Our next stop was at Wicksteed Park where a search for Norfolk Hawkers was the cause of our visit. This recent arrival first appeared in the county last year as part of what might have been a rapid expansion from their former strongholds in the Norfolk Broads. There is some debate however as to the true origin of these new arrivals, our native population seems tied to ponds with plenty of Water Soldier and the new arrivals are not suggesting a continental European origin might be more likely. Up to four individuals were present on the same part of the fishing lake that they favoured last year and we were able to watch them for quite a long time. There were at least three males holding territory and their habit of perching frequently gave plenty of opportunities for taking pics. Alan found a female ovipositing and she was able to go about her business for some time before a male found her. Other odes in the same area included Four-spotted Chaser, Red-eyed, Azure and Large Red Damselflies while a few Variables were also noted. Bird interest was minimal with just one singing Cetti's Warbler and a new brood of Tufted Ducks eliciting any interest. A stop at The Star in Geddington was a more than agreeable way of ending the day.

Variable Damselflies and Norfolk Hawkers.