Sunny!

The weather has finally improved (for a bit) and today had lots of sunshine, albeit with a bit of a cool northerly breeze.
Spent the morning at Amwell. Having almost given up on seeing butterflies it was nice to see a male Orange Tip on the approach track, but it was some time before I got to see any more.
The birds from the watchpoint have pretty much settled down for the summer. The Oystercatchers have chicks, and there are a few more young Lapwings (watched a Fox being driven off by the adults and a variety of geese) getting too close to one. Plenty of hirundines, but virtually all Martins, and a few Swifts. Shame that Swallows were scarce as virtually everywhere else seems to have had a Red Rumped recently.

Barry is back from Morocco having seen Atlas Flycatchers-bad news today, the Flamborough bird's DNA results are back and it's a Pied ( I suppose Iberian being a form of Pied is still possible). A few raptors showing in the sun, Buzzards, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and my first Hobby of the year.
Went for a walk down to the now open Hollycross bumping into Tony on the way.
The corner by the gate is full of rape seed and it was very attractive to butterflies-several Orange Tips, a Large White or two and damselflies. Found a Large red and some fresh Common Blues.

 Not much on the board walk. Tony said that the water levels earlier had been a good foot higher earlier in the week and a Canada Goose nest had been washed away. The orchids in the pen are coming on nicely. Basically hybrid Early Marsh and Southern Marsh, most seem to be structurally closer to Southern.

Back at the watchpoint for a brief spell met a party looking for Hobbies, but did not see any. Rather ironic as two were over the paddocks as I got back to the car.

 In the afternoon I spent about an hour at Waterford Heath. Lots of wild Strawberry patches in flower all over the south eastern corner, but only one Grizzled Skipper seen. Back at the car, the local butterfly group, including William were packing up. They had had a few more Skippers and several other species over the course of the day but the cloudy spells  and wind was not ideal for the site.