Re: MikeOxon
Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 1:29 pm
This week saw me visiting Otmoor, once again. On Monday (2nd June), I went in search of the Turtle Doves, which are now regular Summer visitors to the moor. It is always a delight to listen to their purring. The hedgerows were bursting with bird-song, though the singers always show great skill in remaining hidden! I only managed fleeting glimpses of Whitethroats, Reed Buntings, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, and Chiffchaffs.
Butterflies were most noticeable by their absence but, fortunately, my wife was with me and she has much sharper eyes than mine, for spotting 'mini-beasts' along the edges of the paths. First 'spot' was of groups of Peacock larvae clustered on the nettles:
Then a lone Small Tortoiseshell larva looking quite close to pupation:
When it comes to caterpillars, it seems that moths have all the best colours! These Yellow Tail moths were basking openly on leaves, presumably confident in their defensive spines and warning colours:
Another colourful find was this Red-headed Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa serraticornis)
We seem to have entered another wet spell but temperatures are predicted to rise later in the week so, perhaps, more will be on the wing by then.
Mike
P.S. For anyone interested in following the story of 'my' white Starling, I have now written a dedicated webpage at http://home.btconnect.com/mike.flemming/WStarling.htm
Butterflies were most noticeable by their absence but, fortunately, my wife was with me and she has much sharper eyes than mine, for spotting 'mini-beasts' along the edges of the paths. First 'spot' was of groups of Peacock larvae clustered on the nettles:
Then a lone Small Tortoiseshell larva looking quite close to pupation:
When it comes to caterpillars, it seems that moths have all the best colours! These Yellow Tail moths were basking openly on leaves, presumably confident in their defensive spines and warning colours:
Another colourful find was this Red-headed Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa serraticornis)
We seem to have entered another wet spell but temperatures are predicted to rise later in the week so, perhaps, more will be on the wing by then.
Mike
P.S. For anyone interested in following the story of 'my' white Starling, I have now written a dedicated webpage at http://home.btconnect.com/mike.flemming/WStarling.htm