Over the past week I have been haunting Rowlands wood and Park corner Heath. It started late afternoon last Sunday afternoon (13th May) when the sun finally broke through. I decided to look to see if any Small Pearls had hatched. Didn’t think there would be much hope, but I thought I would look anyway. None had hatched thou, but I did find some other things to keep me amused. Like some Dingy’s, Grizzled and some Small Heath’s.
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After I went to check one warm site at Abbot’s but no luck there either, but did see some Big Pearls and some Whites.
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(Big Pearl playing hide and Seek)
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Monday (14th May) I stop off at Rowlands/PCH after work for another look. It had been a really nice sunny day and was a nice evening. Still no Small’s, but the Dingy’s, Grizzled and Small Heath’s were still playing.
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Tuesday (15th May) It was cloudy when I left work. Not much hope of seeing of seeing anything. But as I was driving home and the traffic jam started before the turning into Rowland wood. I thought to myself 20 minutes in a traffic jam or a walk around Rowlands and PCH to wait until it had gone. Guest which way I went. I pulled up in the car under the trees and as it was cold and cloudy I thought I would go to the warmest part of the wood (which is PCH). As I walked on to PCH there were a few glimmers of sunshine. Not much but enough. I had just walked pasted the hut heading to the middle of the heath when I saw my first Small Pearl of the year and the first one to make it through the winter after we’d release them last year. I lost him. No photo and cloud back over head. Then a thin line of blue sky opened up and it was sunny for about an hour, just on PCH. I found him again. Couldn’t believe my luck.
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Over the next few days I searched to see if I could see any more but I always found the first one.
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Saturday (19th May). I thought I would search the wood to see how many I could find flying on a hot and sunny day. I found the usual one on PCH and 3 more in Rowlands Wood.
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