Lee Hurrell

[Lee Hurrell]

I had a right mission trying to go for a walk today. I'd planned to go to Grafton Wood - I parked in Grafton Flyford church car park and was about to set off only to be told by some woodland types that the wood was closed for forestry works today and tomorrow.

There's a landranger map in the car park and I saw another wood nearby, Bow Wood and set off to find that instead. I found where the footpath sets off from the road but couldn't find my way through the farmyard and sheep pens so gave up and came back to the village.

So off I set around Peopleton and saw a Small Tortoiseshell circling above the path. There's a small wood nearby and along the side in the sun a bigger nymphalid flew past (either Peacock or Red Admiral) and I found another Small Tortoiseshell sunning itself.

I watched 2 buzzards being mobbed by around 50 Jackdaws and I can also add another 4 species of birds to the list for this week: Green Woodpecker, Pied Wagtail, Wren and Raven (I checked what their call sounds like on the RSPB website [handy, that] and they do indeed 'bark').

[Lee Hurrell]

It was a grey day yesterday but did brighten up in the afternoon so I walked up to the wood where I saw the Small Tortoiseshell on Monday. No butterfly sightings though. Quite a few bees were about and I think I saw my first bee fly. There are plenty of celandines and violets out and a few dandelions too. A few clumps of snowdrops are hanging on. The nearby wood will be a carpet of bluebells soon.

Mallard and Pheasant added to the bird list.

Today is grey again but may brighten later. I'm walking Alice first thing and at teatime and if I go out at butterfly 'prime time', that's 3 walks a day - my legs aren't sure what's hit them after having the winter off

[Lee Hurrell]

It stayed grey today with no sightings.

Long Tailed Tit added to the week's birds though.

[Lee Hurrell]

Worcestershire Wakes Up

Another glorious afternoon in the midlands. 3 male Brimstones seen before I even got in the car! No need for a jumper today, just a T-Shirt.

I went to Grafton Wood between 13.30 and 15.30. The forestry works mentioned earlier in the week seems to have involved lots of coppicing and ride widening and it looks well worth a visit later in the season. Plenty of sallows available too. I wonder if some of the rarer small Fritillaries are found here.

No less than 17 male Brimstones, 4 Commas and 1 Peacock seen. I also thought I saw a Small Copper (I see one has been reported from Norfolk) but perhaps it was an Orange Underwing - the flight was slower and less determined than I would expect from a Small Copper.

A rare moment's rest...

There were a few primroses out and the Brimstones would stop and nectar on these quickly before setting off again. Mute Swan, Mistle Thrush and Chiff Chaff added to the birds seen or heard this week. Buzzards were calling overhead.

On the way out I skirted the woodland edges looking for Brown Hairstreak eggs and someone had helpfully put blue tape round certain branches but I couldn't see any eggs. Might they have hatched by now? Maybe the eggs were under the tape.

I left at the right time as it had clouded over a little and the warmth of the sun was on the wane. Walking back towards Church Farm and looking back towards the wood gave a good view of what I assume was once medieval ridge and furrow ploughing.

[Padfield]

The eggs won't hatch until the leaves start unfurling, which I presume isn't happening yet (it certainly isn't here).

Guy


(Last year, at hatching time - I found the first hatched eggs on this bush the next day)

[Zonda]

In Dorset the Blackthorn is in full flower in some places, no leaves as yet. Hawthorn is budding freely.

[Lee Hurrell]

Thanks Guy and Zonda.

Certainly not at that stage yet up here - not a whiff of a leaf on the bushes I was looking at.

Grafton Wood holds the only colony of Brown Hairstreaks in the midlands (according to the BC sign as I entered) but I think they have been discovered in other nearby woods now. It also states that they lay eggs in hedgerows in up to a 4k radius of the wood.

Also, I forgot to mention earlier that a Jay can be added to the week's birds.

[Gibster]

Lee,

I've drawn up a list of your 'Missing Magnificent Seven'....Black-headed Gull, Grey Heron, Canada Goose, Feral Pigeon, Coot, Moorhen and Tufted Duck. To complete the 'Dirty Dozen' you'll need to see Kestrel, Skylark, Redwing, Herring Gull and Lapwing. Good luck in your mission...

[Lee Hurrell]

Blimey, thanks Gibster.

Not much chance of a feral pigeon round this way...does a kestrel on saturday driving up the M40 count?

Actually I have seen gulls, quite a lot, but not identified them. I'm fairly sure they are not herring, so would black backed or lesser black backed more likely do you think?

I'm only here until the weekend so I may not complete the challenge, just to warn you....

[millerd]

Grafton Wood holds the only colony of Brown Hairstreaks in the midlands (according to the BC sign as I entered) but I think they have been discovered in other nearby woods now.

The Warwickshire BC Branch website has solid evidence of Brown Hairstreak in Ryton Woods/Meadows near Coventry. Quite a productive spot, this one, if you're in the area.

Dave

[Lee Hurrell]

Thanks Dave. I haven't been there but certainly a possibility for another time.

My aunt keeps me informed via local newspaper cuttings sent through the post - I've had cuttings about BH locally and PBF/SPBF in the Wyre Forest, about 20 minutes from here.

[Lee Hurrell]

A shopping trip into Worcester city centre today.

Feral Pigeon? Check. Herring Gull? Check. Black Headed Gull? Check.

Lapwing? Ch...only joking!

[Lee Hurrell]

Yesterday (Saturday 19th March) was another lovely day with blue skies all day. My aunt and uncle were due back, so just had time for a short walk. I opted for the nearby wood with the Small Tortoiseshells.

Having seen one in the garden earlier, another male Brimstone flew past as I Ieft the house. At the woodland edge were 3 Small Tortoiseshells, 2 Commas and another male Brimstone.

A further male Brimstone and a Small Tortoiseshell whilst at my nan's for lunch rounded off a good week of sightings. I'd opted for this week (they were away for 3 weeks, with other relatives taking turns to look after Alice), hoping it would the first good week of Spring weather and was really pleased to see so many butterflies.

[Lee Hurrell]

I forgot to mention last Saturday I saw 2 Goldcrests in the garden, the first time I've seen more than 1 here. They spent ages in the trees flitting about.

Back to today. Spring seems to continue in Middlesex with another lovely day of warm sunshine.

I had two sorties to the cemetery this afternoon and saw 3 different Commas, I think 2 females and 1 deeply dark orange male with a deformed hindwing. The shape was right but was half the size it should be and light tan in colour. I made chase but alas no photos. Here's one of the females, I think:

At home, another male had set up residence in the front garden in exactly the same spot as last year's first garden Comma. He made good use of the car too! A Peacock flew in and they had a dogfight before returning to his post.

Meanwhile, in kitten news, Tilly (as we have named her) has been in season since we were in Worcerstershire. She has developed a fan club, 2 males that would follow her everywhere. One was a nice looking tabby that lives up the road. The other one was a ragged looking old grey thing with white feet and a dodgy leg. I know which I would have preferred her to bring home!

Anyway, our sleep has been at a premium. Her behaviour has changed, she sleeps less and has worked out how to open the bedroom door. Plus old Grey has been howling for her non stop, ALL NIGHT.

We went to the vets yesterday and Tilly is going back there tomorrow, so we won't have a repeat of the last week. When we came back, the two males weren't to be found and everything seemed to have returned to normal. I presume Tilly's season has passed.

Today, while stalking the Comma in the garden, I came across old Grey, down by the side of the car, stiff as a board. Put a bit of a downer on the day to be honest, as much of a pain in the arse as he was. I guess the excitement of chasing young Tilly for over a week has done him in.

So I knocked on a few doors but with no joy. We'd never seen him before last week and have no idea who, if anyone, he belonged to. We buried him in the garden and made a little cross out of bamboo, upon which a Robin came and sat, admiring the freshly dug soil. And that was that.

[Lee Hurrell]

Spring Emerges

Despite sunshine being at a premium today, while mowing the lawn this morning I was chuffed to bits to see my first non hibernator of the year - a male Holly Blue. He stayed too high for a photo but was fluttering about for a while.

Around 4pm and equally chuffing (?) was the sight of a Speckled Wood in the same spot.

I nipped over to the cemetery at 4.30 but by then the sun had given up any hope of returning and I saw nothing. There was a tatty male Comma in the front garden on the way out though (he was on butch).

Lastly, the two Goldcrests were about this morning, I hope this means they are or will be breeding nearby

[Lee Hurrell]

It was warm and sunny in the garden this morning and our resident Speckled Wood was enjoying the rays:

We had a lovely lunch down by the river in Richmond but no further sightings.

[Vince Massimo]

Cracking underside shot, Lee. I would love to get one like that .

Vince

[Lee Hurrell]

Thanks Vince, that's high praise coming from you

He was just high enough for me to go underneath. The last two shots show the butterfly in exactly the same position from above and below.

Cheers

Lee

[Lee Hurrell]

What a lovely day.

A Comma and a Holly Blue in Gunnersbury Lane, Acton. (Oh for a camera!)

I have another visit this afternoon and I'm hopeful of my first Orange Tip

[Lee Hurrell]

Sadly no Orange Tip. My appointment was at Heathrow and the temperature reading (for outside) in the car way back to the tube station read 25 degrees

I had an unidentified Nymphalid flypast outside Hatton Cross tube station and my first Small or Green Veined White of the year near Osterley tube station on the way back to Acton.