essex buzzard

Goldie M · Post by **Goldie M** » Wed Apr 04, 2018 3:56 pm

Really, Really, enjoyed all your shots of Japan essex, they Kept things interesting through this weird weather

Goldie

essexbuzzard · Post by **essexbuzzard** » Wed Apr 04, 2018 9:39 pm

Thanks Goldie, seems a long time ago now! This spring has been a non event so far. Yet more rain expected this weekend

!

Those memories of Japan have kept me going!

essexbuzzard · Post by **essexbuzzard** » Thu Apr 05, 2018 9:31 pm

At last, there was a day of sunshine today. Sadly, I was at work, but a lunchtime walk produced 3 Comma and a Peacock. Not very impressive for April, but a whole lot better then nothing.

Goldie M · Post by **Goldie M** » Fri Apr 06, 2018 10:46 am

Nice shot essex, Peacocks were certainly out and about yesterday, supposed to be warmer today may be we'll see more Butterflies.

Goldie

Andrew555 · Post by **Andrew555** » Fri Apr 06, 2018 2:06 pm

Nice, all of my sightings so far have come on my lunchtime walks at work..

Cheers

David M · Post by **David M** » Sat Apr 07, 2018 8:11 pm

Well done, Mark. Things are moving slowly but they ARE moving, at least.

Hopefully temperatures will eventually move into the 60s Fahrenheit very soon and we'll all be able to forget this very sorry apology for early spring.

essexbuzzard · Post by **essexbuzzard** » Wed Apr 11, 2018 11:08 pm

Yet more gloomy skies for Essex today. So it was time to get out of the mist and drizzle, and into the sun!

I arrived at Ferring Rife, on the sunny Sussex coast , by 11AM. This place has all you need, including a cafe and toilets. I didn’t even need to leave the car park, as there was a Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock on some three cornered leeks. But much better was to come, for I saw over 40 Small Tortoiseshell alone, plus several Peacock. At one point, I had 3 Torts and two Peacock in a 50 yard stretch of bank. Further on, I saw two Peacock and a Tort spiralling upward, another time, tree Torts were chasing each other. After picture taking, I put the camera down, and simply watched the performance.

My first whites of the year were present. 5-10 Small Whites and my first Large White, a female. After tea and cake in the cafe, I went back for another look. Neil Hulme had arrived, and he spotted a mating pair of Small Whites. We arrived at a final tally of 47 fabulous Small Tortoiseshells

!

So at last I was seeing warm sunshine, and seeing butterflies. And I arrived back in Essex to find it had stayed misty and drizzley all day, with a temperature of just 9C. Magic!

Neil Hulme · Post by **Neil Hulme** » Thu Apr 12, 2018 7:19 am

Hi Mark
Great to see you again. I was delighted that your cunning plan to visit Sunny Sussex paid off. Let's hope this season provides many more days like that.
BWs, Neil

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Thu Apr 12, 2018 5:57 pm

Great report Essex and two species of whites

things are certainly moving forward...well in some areas anyway

Lovely set of White shots as well, they're really tricky to get without glare

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Andrew555 · Post by **Andrew555** » Fri Apr 13, 2018 9:53 am

Sounds and looks like a fantastic day Essex, a great escape.

Goldie M · Post by **Goldie M** » Fri Apr 13, 2018 12:58 pm

Great Shots essex, white's too, things are really moving now.

Goldie

bugboy · Post by **bugboy** » Fri Apr 13, 2018 7:39 pm

That's a very healthy haul, hopefully you wont have to travel so far to see such 'common' species after this weekend

David M · Post by **David M** » Sat Apr 14, 2018 8:24 pm

You made a judicious choice there, Mark!

At this time of year, all the cards need to fall into your hand. The places where this can happen are few and far between but treasure those you come across, because they will deliver the goods year in year out.

That habitat looks superb for early spring species. A wide expanse of flower-rich grassland with robust nettle growth nearby. What else could a spring butterfly need?

Great that you saw both Large & Small Whites. I'm hoping the rest of us will do likewise in the next week or so.

essexbuzzard · Post by **essexbuzzard** » Mon Apr 23, 2018 9:32 pm

Thanks everyone for your comments. Small Tortoiseshells seem to be having a good start to spring, let’s hope it stays that way. Well, after weeks of cold, dull weather, the temperature jumped suddenly last week, as I’m sure we all noticed. It actually became too hot for butterflies! Today, after a cold front last night, the weather returned to more typical spring fayre. I have seen several lovely spring Orangetips since Saturday, but they have all raced past in the heat. This morning, while searching a ditch with abundant garlic mustard near my home, I found a roosting OT at 9AM. I had to wait three hours for it to open! Plenty of time to admire it’s beautiful mossy underside.

However, at 12PM, it finally opened in the hazy sunshine.

During this brief bright spell, I was delighted to find this female a bit further up.

So, a bit frustrating for a while. But the best things come to those who wait! I hope for much more time with this wonderful butterfly in the next few weeks.

essexbuzzard · Post by **essexbuzzard** » Mon Apr 23, 2018 10:05 pm

During the hot spell, I have seen a good number of “small” whites and I thought some might be Green-veined. This was finally confirmed when found saw this mating pair. I can’t decide if I prefer the frontlit of backlit picture.

The Green-veined White has the same beautiful dusting of scales as the Orangetip.

I also saw my first Speckled Woods.

Brimstones are fairly scarce where I live, due to lack of buckthorns. So a couple of years ago,I planted a few. Yesterday I checked some, and this is what I found;

And here is the culprit.

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Mon Apr 23, 2018 10:14 pm

Very nice GVW shots, Essex.

A very attractive butterfly, much underrated. Interestingly, I found by far the majority of "whites" today were GVW rather than Small.

Dave

essexbuzzard · Post by **essexbuzzard** » Mon Apr 23, 2018 11:09 pm

After enjoying my Orange Tips, it was onto Shadwell Wood, near Saffron Walden. This is an oxlip wood, a great Essex treasure, with a very restricted British range. Also here were early purple orchids and herb Paris, as this is an ancient wood.

Then onto Devils Dyke, near Newmarket. Soon this chalk Dyke with reveal it’s butterfly treasures, but the botanical interest for the spring visitor includes the lovely pasqueflower-the only place I have seen it.

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Tue Apr 24, 2018 7:47 am

Cracking close up of the GV White Essex

And that is one weird looking flower - it looks like it should be from some tropical rainforest rather than Saffron Walden

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Goldie M · Post by **Goldie M** » Tue Apr 24, 2018 1:35 pm

Lovely shots of the GVW's essex,

not seen any here yet, still hoping the weather will pick up but it's rained all day. Goldie

David M · Post by **David M** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 12:14 pm

Your diary is a kaleidoscope of colour right now, Mark, what with the flower images to complement the butterflies.

Nice to see you got a few decent OT shots. You certainly deserved them after waiting all that time.

essex buzzard

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