At last! Some really warm, sunny days. Yesterday afternoon (14th April) I took a walk onto the Downs above the village of Aston Upthorpe.
The 'walk in' is along a deeply-rutted track though woodland and, with almost every step, another Peacock rose up from basking on the dry earth of the path. There was still water in the hollows and I spotted this
Comma, collecting moisture in one of these damp patches. I like the subtle colouring of the underside, especially those 'mouldy' spots which must be very off-putting to any bird looking for prey.
![Comma2015].jpg (134.08 KiB) Viewed 420 times Aston Upthorpe Down, Oxon - 14th April 2015<br />Nikon D300s with 300mm lens - 1/500s@f/11 ISO400](./files/thumb_11310_77d6f7f57a61e7e1dba05ed41f75227b)
- Aston Upthorpe Down, Oxon - 14th April 2015
Nikon D300s with 300mm lens - 1/500s@f/11 ISO400
Further up, the path opens out onto Downland and here, later in the year is a great spot for many butterfly species. I had hope the first Skippers might be out but not quite yet. A rather wonderful 'secret valley' opens to one side, known locally as the 'Juniper Valley'. The area has notable botanical interest and is also a sun-trap favoured by butterflies and by migrant birds, on passage.
![Juniper-Valley.jpg (124.41 KiB) Viewed 420 times The 'Juniper Valley', Oxon - 14th April 2015<br />Lumix FZ200 (fl=14mm) - 1/1600s@f/5 ISO160](./files/thumb_11310_a941fc2b38207552ee771015cf5ba3ba)
- The 'Juniper Valley', Oxon - 14th April 2015
Lumix FZ200 (fl=14mm) - 1/1600s@f/5 ISO160
There were large patches of Bugle in flower and it was not long before I was able to photograph a
Brimstone enjoying the nectar.
Brimstones and
Peacocks were, by far, the most abundant butterflies, with a few
Commas mixed in, and I saw just one
Small Tortoiseshell.
![Brimstone2015.jpg (118.31 KiB) Viewed 420 times Aston Upthorpe Down, Oxon - 14th April 2015<br />Nikon D300s with 300mm lens - 1/250s@f/8 ISO400](./files/thumb_11310_3e89dde3c4fece55bff31e78bbda4de4)
- Aston Upthorpe Down, Oxon - 14th April 2015
Nikon D300s with 300mm lens - 1/250s@f/8 ISO400
The song of Chiffchaffs had accompanied me through the woods and, now, above the open ground, Skylarks were singing, invisibly, from high above. A search with binoculars found one individual and I even managed a distant photo of a bird in full song. I also became aware of some dark coloured birds skulking amongst the the Juniper trees. At last, after some careful stalking, I managed to get a close view of a Ring Ouzel, pausing on its passage to the Northern moors. Out of about 20 shots, this was the only good one as they were keeping in the deep shade, making for difficult exposures against the bright light beyond.
![RingOusel2015.jpg (170.09 KiB) Viewed 420 times Aston Upthorpe Down, Oxon - 14th April 2015<br />Nikon D300s with 300mm lens + 1.4X TC - 1/250s@f/5.6 ISO400](./files/thumb_11310_4c1459f951df418276d2acef47ce6bb0)
- Aston Upthorpe Down, Oxon - 14th April 2015
Nikon D300s with 300mm lens + 1.4X TC - 1/250s@f/5.6 ISO400
I hope that this very enjoyable walk will prove to be the first of many in the coming season.
Mike