Cheers Nick, or should I say Neil
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
- I'll certainly try to keep it up
Cheers Neil
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
, I just keep plodding away
Cheers for the ID's Philzoid
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
That was a great trip out on Sunday
![Cool 8)](./images/smilies/icon_cool.gif)
but I've still got Friday and Saturday to sort out and on that note...
Mottisfont
On Friday we took advantage of the good weather and spent the day at Mottisfont a National Trust site in the Test Valley. As soon as we arrived we set out along the river in amongst the dappled light. The first beastie to meet us was a Speckled Wood which seemed intent on keeping this little patch of the path to itself. Anything that entered into the zone was soon seen off – a fly, then a Bumble Bee and finally a male Orange-tip, which I was rather annoyed about because it was about to settle!
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The river opened out onto a lush flower meadow but apart from a couple of whites there were no other butterflies which surprised me as it looked like it would be great for Uncommon Blues? Still we ended back across the fields in the lawned garden. After our picnic lunch the girls went off and found friends to run around with, my wife enjoyed lazing in the sun and I trawled along a small area of nettles. It was a cracking little area. A Holly Blue put in a brief appearance, as well as a Banded Demoiselle. There was a Nomada bee, Scorpion flies, various other flies, some micro-moths (3 different species) as well as a large, black and white wasp. What really caught my eye was a moulted case of a May Fly.
Up in the walled garden there were a few more whites around but they were no playing ball; flying endlessly along the borders and then dipping down before soaring up and over the wall. We moved on pretty quickly as there was a swarm of bees on one of the posts which took off on mass.
From the walled garden we got the girls some ice creams and I picked up a little mate, a lovely coloured beetle.
Finally we went to feed the fish and play Pooh sticks on the bridge so I sloped off for a few minutes and found a late Peacock that wouldn’t come out of hiding and a Large White that was a bit more accommodating. The butterflies were proving to be hard work, very skittish and turbo charged so I settled for a few shot of the Brown Trout feeding.
Once back as if the girls hadn’t had enough fresh air I took them to the park in the town. While they were playing I nipped over the fence and got a shot of a Small White. It must have thought it was a way from prying eyes having landed down in the Brambles but it hadn’t realised that there was a nice window through which I could see it.
Even though there weren’t that many specialities an absolutely brill day!
Have a goodun
Wurzel