Buchan Boy

[Buchan Boy]

Been a little while,my year was made up by the remarkable new colonists in the Orthoptera world,namely Sickle bearing Crickets and a large colony of Tree Crickets being found on the vegetated shingle at Dungeness.
Much study to be done in future years,the Small Coppers around the cottages also provided much entertainment.
Heres hoping the Long tailed Blues manage to gain a foothold in my part of the UK as well...Everlasting Pea.....cool.
Many thanks to Dave,the warden at the Bird Obs,on Dungeness as well,remarkable.

Dungeness Small Copper

Dungeness Small Copper 2

Female Sickle Bearing Cricket

Male Sickle Bearing Cricket

Female Tree Cricket

Male Tree Cricket

Fantastic.

[Gary.N]

Loved the first Small Copper Shot.

[Wurzel]

Great sequence Buchan Boy It's clear to see why the male Sickle Bearing Cricket is so called - the female on the other hand appears to have her Sickle in a scabbard

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Buchan Boy]

Good Friday 25th March 2016

Target Hill,Crawley

First chance of some sun and a quick peek at the Small Tortoiseshells on one of my local spots,getting my first fix of the year.

Target Hill Small Tortoiseshell

Target Hill Small Tortoiseshells 2

About half a dozen frolicking around,1 Peacock,2 male Brimstones and 2 Commas also noted.No snakes or Speckled Woods yet.

Target Hill Comma

I wonder what 2016 will bring?

Cheers

[trevor]

HI Dave ,

I am not the only one to have witnessed a Small Tortoiseshell pairing yesterday.
I noticed that they always landed in a nose to tail formation, just like yours.
At no time was there any attempt at mating. Perhaps someone with more knowledge
could explain what this behaviour signifies. To me it suggests an eager male, and a
female not yet ready.

Any thoughts ?
Trevor.

[Buchan Boy]

17th April 2016

Devils Dyke/Newtimber Hill,Sussex

Tough going at the moment,the Green Hairstreak colonies on the downs are always a good indicator as to the state of play.

Got to about 14 degrees today and felt pretty good,spent a couple of hours at the bottom of Devils Dyke,hoping for some Hairstreak action........nope.

Actually this will be the first year in a long while where my prediction has been wrong.

A female Kestrel kept good company!

Devils Dyke Kestrel

After a fruitless search I wandered back up the hill to see if there was anything happening at the bottom of Saddlescombe quarry(was rather hoping for a Dingy or maybe a Grizzled),but once again noooo.

Ho well,you have to know these things,saved by a Small Tortoiseshell loitering around one of the young nettle beds at the base of the quarry.

Saddlescombe Quarry Small Tortoiseshell

A morel

Morel,I think!

Devils Dyke

Another week passes by............
Oh and some Greenfinch's in Crawley

Crawley Greenfinch

Tata
Dunno why it does that!

[Goldie M]

Lovely shot of the Kestrel Dave and the Tortoiseshell Goldie

[David M]

Those morels are worth money, BB. One of the most sought after fungi in Europe!

[Buchan Boy]

29th April 2016

Gossops Green Millpond,Crawley

Some Mandarin Ducks have appeared on one of my local lakes,imagine seeing these 30 years ago!

Mandarin Duck Male

Mandarin Duck Male 2

Not many butterflies around at the moment.........

[Buchan Boy]

Saturday 30th April 2016

Sussex

Got down to Castle Hill NNR quite early today still with frost in some of the more sheltered spots.The sun rose quickly and through the morning I suspected first Dingy's or Grizzled's may be around.

Checking the Early Spider orchids and given the slow spring they are quite small at the moment,some flowering at about 3-4 cm's.But some a bit taller.

Castle Hill Early Spider Orchid

Castle Hill Early Spider Orchid 2

No Early Purples here yet,probably about two weeks behind the ones in woodland.

The Wart-Biters are in their first instars and are absolutely minuscule at around 3-4 mm long.

Castle Hill Wart Biter nymph

A good hunt could locate no butterflies through the morning but it was lovely to watch the stonechats pairing up.
Around midday I did mange to locate my first Dingy Skippers of the year,keeping very low to the ground and resting quick as soon as the sun went behind clouds.

Castle Hill Dingy Skipper

Castle Hill Dingy Skipper 2

I popped into Staplefield on the way home to see if the Green-Winged Orchids were up yet and they were.Once again the colonies on the downs are way behind.

Staplefield Green-winged Orchid

Staplefield Green-winged Orchid 2

Good to get going again.

Castle Hill NNR

Thanks

[Buchan Boy]

Wednesday 4th May 2016

Newtimber Hill and Devils Dyke

A few firsts for 2016 today

Devils Dyke Small Heath

Devils Dyke Green Hairstreak

Devils Dyke Holly Blue

The Green Hairstreak colony has a present tally of two...this will now build significantly...glad to have got there just as emergence begins,normally miss it!
Over the road to Newtimber and the first Dingys are enjoying life in the microclimate at the base of the,very well sheltered,quarry.

Newtimber Dingy Skipper

Newtimber Dingy Skipper 2

A few tiny Early Purple Orchids around

Devils Dyke Early Purple Orchids

Nice

[Buchan Boy]

Friday 6th May 2016

Deep Dene and Abbots Wood

Plan to spend some time at Deep Dene studying the Orthoptera this year,an early reccy was in order.

Some lively Hairstreaks around.Nice and fresh.

Deep Dene Green Hairstreak

I love that smell that floats around the hillside when the gorse is in flower,coconutty wiff!

Deep Dene Green Hairstreak2

As well as plenty of Dingy Skippers and Small Heaths around my first Grizzled Skippers of this year were also noted,this one with the big white blob on the hind wings.

Deep Dene Grizzled Skipper

Of course whilst down this way,at this time of year,a wander into Abbots Wood is almost a necessary requirement.
Numbers beginning to build.

Abbots Wood Pearl Bordered Frtillary

Abbots Wood Pearl Bordered Frtillary 2

And whilst the Early Purples on the hills are all scrawny and small this year some roadside verge populations are thriving with some impressive spikes!

Alciston Road Verge

Orchid hunting by car in action....

[Goldie M]

Lovely shots Dave, especially the Pearls Goldie

[Buchan Boy]

Saturday 7th May 2016

Upper Beeding,Sussex

After photographing Green-Winged Orchids on the downs the footpath that took me off the hills met the main road with a large cherry tree in full spring splendour.
Noting a bunch of Red Admirals also enjoying the blossom,whilst trying to outdo each other for territory,my evening dissapeared......

Upper Beeding Red Admiral

Upper Beeding Red Admiral 2

Upper Beeding Red Admiral 3

The lilac form is lovely

Green Winged Orchid

Dave

[Wurzel]

Fantastic shots recently Buchan, just catching up and somehow missed them up until now Great Pearls and something of a rarity - a Red Admiral - well bit of a rarity do far this year that is

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Buchan Boy]

Sunday 8th May 2016

Brockham Quarry

First jaunt to the North Downs of 2016 and the quarry was a buzz,first Common Blues of the season for me.

Brockham Quarry Common Blue

Brockham Quarry Common Blue 2

A rather fortunate shot of the moment of lift-off!

Brockham Quarry Common Blue 3

Also Grizzled Skippers just starting to appear here.

Brockham Quarry Grizzled Skipper

Stars of the Spring afternoon show were the Green Hairstreaks on one of the young Beech Trees here,although just out of reach,I managed to brighten an underside shot.
Between 8-10 vying for space on the lower branch's,quite a spectacle.

Brockham Quarry Green Hairstreak

Beech Tree in foreground home to many Green Hairstreaks.

Brockham Quarry.

I'd seen some Holly Blues in the trees around the base of the quarry,it took a little wait but one did eventually hit the deck and probe for salts.

Brockham Quarry Holly Blue

Theres not many better ways to spend a glorious spring afternoon.
Dave

[Goldie M]

A Nice selection there, not seen the Common Blue here yet in the North Goldie

[kevling]

The Brockham Quarry Grizzled Skipper is a fine shot Buchan Boy. This is a new site to me, looks good.

Regards Kev

[David M]

Great images, Dave. I hope to see Common Blues very soon in my neck of the woods.

[Buchan Boy]

22nd May 2016

Isle Of Wight

Had a family holiday on the Isle Of Wight coinciding with the Glanville Fritillary emergence, hopefully!

Although I had planned to try and cover as much of the Southern Coast as possible in the week,once I'd located the colonies on the South Western side of the island I became trapped in the beauty of it all.

I started at the Hanover Point car park and walked North,that was it.Stayed there for three days,occasionally seeing my family for dinner etc.

I also enjoyed all the other wildlife along these cliffs as well. Ravens always seem bigger the closer you get.

Compton Bay Raven

Good numbers of Stonechats buzzing around the gorse here,getting more agitated the closer I got.

Compton Bay Female Stonechat

Compton Bay Male Stonechat

The sun was already fairly high and I'd seen the butterflies but they were rather flighty,I left it until later afternoon before gaining my first shots,and these were quite a bit further on from where I eventually found the biggest congregation in the next few days,nonetheless good to get some photographs in the bag.

Compton Bay Glanville Fritillary

Compton Bay Glanville Fritillary

Also worth noting Common Blues.

Compton Bay Common Blue

The Glanvilles were extremely fresh and hadn't been out for long,couple of days at most.
Good start.