Bugboys mission

[Wurzel]

Happy New Year Buggy Like the double egg shot - I've seen similar ones before and they always remind me of a cartoon character - the twig through the middle being the nose

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Thanks Wurzel

So before Christmas I treated myself to a new phone and browsing the themes I was very surprised to find this one. Not the whimsical artistic impressions of make believe butterflies, or (even worse) artificially touched up real butterflies but a selection of scientifically accurate ones, each built in app got it's own species

Name those butterflies :)

[Wurzel]

That looks great Buggy, I'm tempted to buy one just for that
Have a gooodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

23rd January Barnes Wetland Centre,

On a rather chilly, misty morning I ventured south of the river for some casual twitching at London’s WWT reserve, somewhere I’ve not visited since last winter.

Green Woodpecker in the foreground

Trying the capture the inverted reflection of the reeds.

Vast swathes of the open water had frozen over meaning most of the birdlife was being corralled on the few patches that were still liquid.
Most of the winter visiting ducks were present in decent numbers, Teal, Shoveler, Wigeon as well as the resident Mallard, Gadwall, Pochard and Tufted. Also a few Pintail could be seen lurking in the flocks if you looked carefully enough.

I had hoped to find some Bearded Reedling which are here again this winter but like last year remained elusive to my ears and eye’s. Reed buntings were putting on a good show though, with a small flock feeding in the reeds just outside one of the hides.

Bitterns, a few of which winter here every year, are usually to be seen skulking along the edges of the reed beds and you rarely get more than a glimpse of one unless you stake out a hide for the entire day. Today however, one could be seen (at a great distance) in the middle of the ice, possibly the worst attempt at camouflage I’ve ever witnessed!

Elsewhere I noticed an ingenious use for old boots:

Some of my favourite non native ducks in the North American enclosure, The Carolina Duck and Hooded Merganser (with Bufflehead in the background)

Dotted around (part of some exhibition one presumes) were some rather impressively realistic (albeit somewhat enlarged) lego models

I do hope this cold weather we're getting pays dividends come the spring, it really is bloody freezing down here in the south east at the moment!

Also this is my first post since the upgrade and I do like the addition of multiple image upload, very useful, thanks Pete

[Wurzel]

I have yet to sample the delights of uploading mulitple photos, I can't wait!

Hopefully the cold weather will be great for the butterflies. The Wood Duck is a cracking looking bird - there was an escape on the Avon a few years back and it always brightened up my day when I saw it while out on errands

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Another trip to the wetland centre in South London today (gotta get my money's worth, 3 trips a year pays for my WWT yearly membership!) It did feel quite warm in the sun but no insects were seen so just some birdie pictures again.

The Lapwings have returned now the ice has melted, making the islands predator proof again.

Several flocks of Shoveler were busy enjoying feeding frenzies

and this Ring-necked Parakeet was attempting to choose a nest site in some holes in the brickwork that I think are designed to encourage House Sparrows to nest.

Surely only weeks to go before a butterfly presents itself to me!?!

[bugboy]

A few hours wandering around Epping Forest in almost springlike conditions today. In 4 or 5 weeks time I should be tripping over Peacocks and Comma's if the weather behaves but today it just wasn't springlike enough. Did find some Gorze in flower and the resident Mandarins are doing rather well, at least 16 seen in a woodland pond

[Wurzel]

Great shots of the Mandarins Bugboy I remember reading years ago that there are more feral in the UK than in China, though I'm not sure of the veracity of this. It shouldn't be too long now, a few more weeks reckon so long as the newly arriving cold weather doesn't hang around

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Great shots of the Mandarins Bugboy I remember reading years ago that there are more feral in the UK than in China, though I'm not sure of the veracity of this. It shouldn't be too long now, a few more weeks reckon so long as the newly arriving cold weather doesn't hang around

Have a goodun

Wurzel

There's certainly more in the UK than in China and Eastern Russia but there's still good native populations in Japan. I would hazard an educated guess to say that there's roughly equal numbers in their native lands and feral populations in Europe and North America.

[Wurzel]

Good to know that the situation isn't as dire as I thought it was

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

A little bit of excitement for me at work today. I was doing a bit of weeding and pruning when something caught my eye, a Speckled Wood pupae. It very nearly made it into the compost! It's been many a year since I've seen one of these green jewels in the flesh and never a wild one. It's now sitting safely in my fridge where it will stay for the next month or two.

EDIT: I don't know why the pictures have turned themselves landscape

[David M]

Great find, Bugboy. This is one of the most attractive pupae in my opinion. I'm looking forward to seeing how it develops.

[bugboy]

I'm off the mark too now, a Red Admiral flying around at work

[SimonC69]

Fantastic find. I don't remember the last time I found any form of Pupae, but it would've been way back in the 70s I reckon. You've just inspired another goal there

[trevor]

I'm off the mark too now, a Red Admiral flying around at work

HI Buggy,
You beat me to it !. Out in the garden after lunch I saw the black outline of a flypast
Red Admiral or Peacock. My first sighting of the year.

All the best,
Trevor.

[David M]

I'm off the mark too now, a Red Admiral flying around at work

Well done, Bugboy. First of hopefully many in 2017.

[Wurzel]

Good to see another UKB'er hitting 2017 running Now we need some Small Torts and then we can be sure that winter is definitely over.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Thanks Simon, Trevor, David and Wurzel. I fear we have few weeks to go before we can be sure winter's over for another year Wurzel, I just hope the frosts we've had so far have worked their magic!

18th February, Bookham

I chanced my luck and hoped the forecast would pan out, an alleged sunny afternoon, and encourage an early sighting or two. Indeed the forecast was correct and soon I had to shed my jacket, but alas there will be no butterfly pictures in this post, not a single one was seen. In retrospect this is probably a good thing, it is only February after all and there would be precious little feeding opportunities, I saw but one lonely Dandelion and the Blackthorn hasn't even begun to bud here. Still, it did feel very springlike with lots of birds flitting around and catkins everywhere.

The Hairstreak eggs are still quite easy to locate but there is no sign of any Sorrel leaves so hopefully this warm spell hasn't woken up the Small Coppers

[bugboy]

Epping Forest 4th March

This weekend looked decidedly iffy for any sort of butterflying but I went out anyway. Today the sunny spells tempted me out to my local patch but I failed miserably to avoid the heavy showers which unfortunately dominated the hour I was out.

Saturday was very much a drier affair but the sun was only hazy at best meaning temperatures were kept down and I saw nothing much, even the birdlife seemed to be taking a day off. There were though a few signs that we have only a few weeks to wait

The culprits of this spawn all scarped as walked over, I felt many pairs of eye's looking up at me from the weedy pond

And I rescued this Queen from certain death as she struggled to cross a path

[Wurzel]

It seems winter is here for a bit longer Bugboy - but hopefully it'll mean that when Spring does arrive it will be brill

Have a goodun

Wurzel