The last two weekends have involved a couple of day trips and a bit of local walking, and I managed to get a few nice photos in the process.
The 4th was a long day out to Martin Down and Bentley Wood around Salisbury. Rather warm and sunny all day, we did quite well for the butterflies but missed out on the Turtle Doves that still turn up in summer at Martin.
The usual walk around the down took us south west to the south end of the dyke, and then north to the Burnt Orchids and returning along Sillen Lane. Probably because of the wet winter, the down was very lush and there were plenty of orchids out, with chalk fragrant being the commonest, at least until we reached the dyke which seemed full of Greater Butterflies along with a few Common Spotted. There didnt seem to be any other species out yet. Butterflies were a bit odd. Huge numbers of Small and Adonis Blues as expected, and a lot of Brimstones and Small Heaths, but hardly any skippers, whites or browns.
At the end of Sillen Lane the damp spot was well vegetated but a search of the buttercups eventually produced one rather lively Marsh Fritillary. Birds were as expected, withe several photogenic Corn Buntings being very obliging.
The usual stop at Bentley Wood on the way home produced a few Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries which were rather tricky to pin down but I was able to get a nice underwing shot after a while.
Being a rather warm June afternoon, birds were rather quiet but one Tree Pipit was still singing with its parachute display flight.
Saturday 10th was a rather quiet day out with Colin visiting a local plant nursery, and as Hertford heath was just down the road we called in there and did a circuit of the heath and Balls Wood. For once, the ponds had plenty of water but I suspect we were a bit too early for the Emerald Damselflies. Borad Bodied and Four Spotted Chasers were abundant, as were Azure and Large Red damsels, and my first Emperors of the year. Highlight was the Norfolk Hawker perched in a small birch only a few feet away.
Very few butterflies, indeed very few insects at all despite the heat and humidity.
A very early start on Sunday for a three hour stroll around Aston End before the heat built up really paid off.
Right at the start a young Jay being fed by an adult was a good start. Of course the camera battery was flat so I missed the best poses.
On to the building site that used to be a nice bit of farmland I finally found a Bullfinch in one of the usual copses, the first here for a good six months. Its doubtful if they will survive much longer unfortunately.
The next bonus was the adult Little Owl flying around the sheep fields. They were rather tricky in the past few years, normally needing an evening visit but I guess it was feeding young.
The hedges have been devastated again by Spindle Ermine moths, but hopefully that will mean lots of caterpillars and moths for the birds. There were a lot of singing Yellowhammers, Blackcaps and Whitethroats, a flyover Raven, several Nuthatches and Mistle Thrushes and I managed to locate a Willow Warbler where I had found a nest a few years ago. I had 44 species of bird, yet still managed to miss a few expected regulars like Kestrel and Linnet. Potentially 50 is doable.
It turned out to be a bit early for Marbled Whites and Dark Green Fritillaries-I checked the usual spots with no success. I will have to try again in a few days, but there are few flowering thistles etc at the moment to provide nectar.
