Cheers Neil
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
It was even creepier watching the struggling butterfly and then seeing the legs wrap around
Cheers Mike
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
When I got my open wing Brimstone shot I was set the challenge of an open wing Small Heath..job done, next!
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
I didn't train the spiders, they trained me
Shipton Bellinger
After a great morning mooching at Sidbury I moved onto Shipton with the hope of finding a Brostreak or two...
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After a short drive I set off up the path hopefully as ever and this time made my way along the left hand side of the hedge for a change. I normally walk on the right hand track where the hedge is taller and faced with trees but apart I’ve not seen a Brostreak here since my first four seasons ago. The left hand track is more open with grass underfoot rather than muddy chalk. On my walk I was accompanied by a couple of Common Blues, a scattering of Meadow Browns and the usual ubiquitous Whites. I quickly reached the top where the two paths converge to one, stopped briefly to get some lunch from my bag and then munching continued up towards the master tree. About 10 metres along the path something peered over at me from about a couple of feet up from the ground – a female Brostreak. I couldn’t believe my luck I’d only been here for about 30minutes and I wasn’t actually expecting so have to start searching until I got to the usual hedge. So I quickly out my lunch down and gently approached her while she had a bit of a wander around the leaves. So having found my target so quickly I could have headed back and seen if my luck held at another site but I decided to press on.
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Up along the usual hedge it was a lot quieter than my last visit and there were well trod inlets into the Brambles and scrub. It seems that the flowers and rough grass along the foot of the hedge had been mown and so gone were the multitude of blues that were present last time. For a change I carried on right to the end of the hedge and up onto the rough road, turning left and heading towards the main road. Here things were less peaceful but the vegetation was in a much better state and Brown Argus battled with Blues and Whites, Brimstones flitted around and nectared but I ignored all this to focus on the Brostreaks and there right in front of me was a second female. I’d never visited this area before so had a walk around after literally stumbling across this female and I didn’t see any others here but it certainly looked worth a revisit next season should other areas cease to produce.
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After a bit the noise of the traffic was getting to be a bit much so I made my way back to the hedge. I got to where I’d previously seen the male (on my visit here with Philzoid) and followed the trampled track slightly further in to the brambles and there was number female number three. She flitted about a bit but never strayed too far from where I’d first seen her and this allowed me to see her in a range of different poses. What was interesting was watching the way that she almost disappeared at times, the orange and chocolate fitting in seamlessly with the autumnal colours starting to show through on the trees.
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After a few shots I backed gently out and carried on to the island of bramble by the small Blackthorns and there was female number 4. I was just strolling along the path and turning my head caught sight of her out of the corner of my eye. She was just sitting on a leaf by the edge of the path at about shoulder height. As I turned to raise my camera she took off and flew into the Bramble island and I managed to follow her and make an approach to get a few shots.
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I couldn’t believe my luck and so decided that as it was fast approaching their bedtime (3pm) I ought to call it a day and quit while I was ahead. So I bade farewell to female number 4 and set off back through the Blackthorn bushes and down the track. I reached the section where the path split into two and just as I was about to start walking down one of the two paths right on the corner was number 5! She was a bit damaged this one but she demonstrated some interesting behaviour; basking and then roosting with wings closed as well as “tasting” twigs. While she was sitting nicely composed I realized that I hadn’t taken any of the classic style shots so went for a few a s well as a few close ups.
I started my walk back stopping every now and again to watch the blues and whites and take the odd shot. I felt stunned and contented at the same time. What a day with a total of 16 species and including 5 different Brostreaks! Happy with that!
My peace was shattered by my phone ringing. My sister in-law had gone into labour so I’d have to high tail it back home so I could drop my wife up to their house to look after their 3 year old. They were waiting for me and the contractions were 5 minutes apart! Luckily as I was at Shipton I was only 25 minutes away and so everything was all okay, just...
Have a goodun
Wurzel