Thanks Wurzel. Looking forward to seeing yours - and could you train your girls to do mine at the same time?
Without the Glanvilles, Wrecclesham has few visitors so a visit there early on Friday was like entering into a secret world. Moving quietly and slowly around the site, the inhabitants seemed quite unperturbed and were content to go about their business, providing no threat was perceived. It was just a brief glimpse into their daily lives but felt such a privilege. The first inhabitant to be glimpsed was a large dog Fox. It is rare that I visit this site without such an encounter but photos are impossible with my 'squeaky' lens. I then chanced upon a deer resting in the grass but not wishing to disturb her I changed direction:
The wild flowers are looking lovely now and would provide a ready source of nectar for the Glanvilles if they ever emerge. There is one flower I always admire - it is so striking with really vibrant colours and can be relied upon to bloom in the same place every year. I wish I knew what it was :
As I approached one of the hot spots for the Glanvilles, a place I have previously seen many roosting and mating, my attention was drawn to a family of Whitethroats (At least I think that's what they were). The youngsters were quite advanced and very adept at catching insects at regular intervals but were also very vocal. I amused myself with thoughts that they were informing their parents how smart they were.
It was still a little cool for butterflies to be on the wing but I came across several Dingy Skippers still roosting:
My eye was caught by a small blue insect - a Lacewing I think. I recalled that about this time last year I had taken a photo of a similar insect to try to hone my focusing skills and I decided to take another one by way of comparison. I would like to think I am improving but have not had the nerve to compare the 2 images yet
Given the lack of butterflies my attention turned to moths. Whenever I see this moth, I think of my visits,many years ago, to Mother Shipton's grotto near Harrogate (if I recall correctly) and my fascination at all the calcified objects hanging up there.
By now the Common Blues had started to stir but the sky was looking ominous and there was definitely no sign of Glanvilles. Shortly after taking a few shots of the Blues a massive downpour sent me rushing home to rescue my garden cushions which had been left out overnight. Although only 10 minutes away, when I arrived home the sun was shining and there were no signs that it had even rained!!!