Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Stourhead

This is a fantastic National Trust site near Mere. The area was landscaped by Henry Hoare II to create areas of park land with a collection of exotic trees, Rhododendron, wooded hillsides with grottos, ponds and the huge lake created by damming one of the sources of the Stour. In terms of species there aren't any great rarities or surprises but the background is breathtaking. I like it because I can enjoy getting my photos while the rest of the family can enjoy it for lots of other reasons - from leaf catching in autumn to chucking coins in the grotto or climbing and hiding the tunnels leading up to Apollo's building.

One of my favourite walks at Stourhead I only discovered this year. Instead of the usual walk which takes you round the lake we decided to have a look around the house and once there I found the walk at the top of the garden. The back lawn area is covered with wild flowers in the spring and I saw four species of white as well as Common Blue here. To get photos can be tricky as you have to lean over into the flowers from the path, but if you miss one another will be along shortly. From here the path widens into a lush woodland ride with several paths leading down through the Rhododendrons and woods to the lake. This wide ride is also a cracking place as scattered amongst the tall trees that reach ever upwards are brambles for nectar and stumps for sunning and basking.
Eventually the ride ends at a Ha-Ha before opening out into pasture. The paths down through the wood leave the trees and after following a small hedge open out to the pasture area and small ponds. Here there are scattered bramble bushes and I've seen Small Copper, Speckled Wood and vanessids as well as photographing different species of dragon and damsel flies.

On a trip earlier in the year there were spring flowers in abundance everywhere but the butterflies were very flighty. I found the hill at the foot of the Apollo building to be a good place to try and photograph these nervous butterflies. While the girls could run around outside and then listen to echoes inside I was free to pursue some "flighty whiteys".
The steep slope which the building is perched on was a prime area. The butterflies would work their way up from the bottom of the hill so I could find a likely nectar source and wait by it. This didn't really pay off so after much waiting I had to revert to trying to stalk them. This worked much better as I could anticipate where they would land much more easily.
I managed to see five species of white on this hill with a single Brimstone and Large White, a few Small and Green Veined White. My favourite was my first female Orange-tip which landed with wings tightly shut showing the green and white markings it relies on for camouflage. A lot less showy than the male, a lot less bold in its markings but still beautiful and subtle. It seemed that this female once settled didn't want to move so she posed and fed and let me take my photos. Then I just simply sat back and drank in the sights before me, the yellows, greens and whites associated with spring.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

On Monday I took the family down to the sea, to Avon Beach near Mudeford to be exact. I like to go back to the coast during the winter so as to avoid the Grockles!
While the girls enjoyed making sandcastles, drawing in the sand, looking for sea glass and fishing with their net along the groynes without parental interference I was free for an hour. So I got out the scope and had a look out to sea, which was as still as a Mill Pond. There were a few Great Creasted Grebes out amongst one or two Cormorants. Closer in a few Turnstones lived up to their name along the strand and were joined by Pied Wagtails and a large Crow. Further scans meant that I found the Long Tailed Duck (my fourth ever) as well as 2 Razorbill and a Great Northern Diver. After they had numbed their fingers in the sea and then warmed up again over lunch we started the journey home - with a brief stop at Fisherman's Bank overlooking Stanpit Marsh to unsuccessfully look for Spotted Sandpiper, although they were 8 Avocet there.

Today I dropped the girls off for a play date and so headed back to the Stanpit area as I felt that I had unfinished business. First stop was Fishermans Bank. I stared off at the same "hotspot" but as he tide was so low things didn't look good. As I was heading back along the boats to the road to return to my car another birder made me aware that it was about. And there it was, a slighty slimmer Common Sandpiper, with it's eyestripe and semmingly a longer bill. There were also one or two spots visible underneath the tail. Unfortunately I couldn't get too close but I swear to you that the grey blob under the "r" is the spotted Sandpiper.

After an hour enjoying the "Spot Sand" and the other waders/wildfowl feeding on the mudflats I headed over to Mudeford Quay and actually paid for car parking to go birding , something I always try to avoid! Then I spent even more money - this time on the ferry over to the sandpsit were I was hoping to catch up with one of my bogey birds - Snow Bunting. As I waited for the ferry I had a quick scan of the point and there was the Slavonian Grebe -today was turning into a real cracker!
Over on the sandspit I made my way through the beach huts and wandered along the path enjoying the salt smell and the weak winter sun when something white flashed by.

It couldn't be that simple could it? But yep, scope on it and it was another lifer. I followed it as it worked it's way along the sandspit wondering what it would do when it reached the end? It even let me get close enough a couple of time to try a few photos. At times it would stand out as it perched on the rocks and the fenceposts, but the minute it dropped to the ground amongst the pebbles, sand and detritus it would vanish, to reappear again as it opened it's white wings and took flight to the nearest fence post or rock.

After an hour of it's company I realised that I had to head back to pick the girls up, so I headed back, caught the ferry and hit the road (after a brief moment watching a group of Starlings having bath).

As I drove home I mused over the cracking birds that I'd seen over the last few days. If I had to put them in order of preference the Spotted Sandpiper came down quite low on the list - it was almost too easy; "where is it, there it is, time to move on". I had to actually force myself to stay and watch it so I didn't feel like too much of a twitcher. Whereas the Long Tailed Duck was great as it was not expected, I looked out thinking there's nowt about and there it was. However the favourite has to be the Snow Bunting. It felt right, it was in it's proper place, acting normally and I had to stalk it and in the end I had to force myself to stop watching it!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Gibster]

Have a goodun

Well, you keep telling us to...so I'm glad you had one too!

[Wurzel]

Cheers Gibster, it was indeed a "goodun", the karma aspect hadn't occurred to me so I'll have to keep up with my sign off phrase!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

While doing some tidying in my bedroom a fluttering shadow cast itself in the weak sun. I glanced out of the window and watched while a Red Admiral flitted past and landed on the window sill of my neighbours house. I grabbed my camera and managed to get a few shots through the window before it flew off. Ten minutes later it clouded over and the sun disappeared, I hope that my first butterfly of the year will be alright out there?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Matsukaze]

That Red Admiral looks in good condition.

I've often wondered if the woodlands around Stourhead might support Purple Emperor. That big belt of woodlands running along the Wiltshire/Somerset border is the same belt of Oxford Clay on which the good butterfly sites north-east of Oxford rest.

White Sheet Hill and Long Knoll, just a few miles further north from Stourhead along the B-road to Frome, are good for downland butterflies. The former is National Trust land and has a very convenient car park. The second, a pretty spectacular piece of geology, is rather more inaccessible but is never visited by anyone.

[David M]

You lucky blighter, Wurzel.

I've still never seen a butterfly (in the UK) prior to 2 March.

[MikeOxon]

managed to get a few shots through the window

Take care, Wurzel. Pointing your camera at neighbours' bedroom windows can have all sorts of repercussions!!!

Mike

[Wurzel]

Cheers for the info Matsukaze, I remember you mentioning those sites as good for Wall so I'll try and get there during the season as my meeting with that species was brief and rubbish this year
Sorry if I upset you David, I think it was a pre Birthday treat
Mike thank you for your concern I did think "this looks a bit dodgey" but then all the neighbours think I'm weird anyway - they're all into Landrovers and rose gardening or they're Plymouth Brethren so an amateur naturalist like myself isn't going to fit in anyway! Hanging out windows and taking photographs is just par for the course and something they've come to expect

Have a goodun all

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Thistle Down

At the very start of the summer holidays we all went camping in the Cotswolds. I was slightly disappointed not to be heading back to Downshay on the Isle of Purbeck as now would be the prime time to go looking for Lulworth Skipper.
As we arrived at the "site office" my disappointment evaporated as it looked stunning. Thistledown Farm is a family run organic farm squeezed into 70 acres of ancient meadow and woodlands, housing ponds, pigs and the largest Elder Flower orchard in Europe. The sun shone down as we made numerous trips from the car park down wooded hills bordered by dry stone walls to our plot. The site is car free so you can walk all 70 acres in peace and safety.
During the next few days we rarely left the campsite as the girls went wild in the woods with the friends they'd made, Rosie relaxed and I was free to disappear on forays to look at the selection of habitats available.
The site itself didn't offer anything rare but did give me the opportunity to enjoy and get close to the commoner species. The best bit of the whole trip was the proximity. Usually to get to see good numbers of butterflies I have to drive somewhere, at Thistledown they're just outside, one or two footsteps away. One Small Copper even tried to join us inside the tent - much more welcome than the wasps!

The majority of species were found just outside the tent as the owners had left large strips of the grass uncut and wild flowers grew amongst the tall grasses offering prime habitat.

Over the coming days the list included; Large, Green-veined and Small White, Brimstone, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Red Admiral, Ringlet, Marbled White, Peacock, Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Small Heath, Small Copper, Common and Holly Blues, Brown Argus, Large Skipper as well as both Small and Essex Skippers (shown below - can you separate them?).

As part of the holiday we decided to take advantage of our National Trust membership and visited Woodchester Park. The site itself backed onto the woodlands of the campsite. The park comprised large swathes of Beech woods interspersed with five artificial lakes.
We parked in the car park amongst rolling grassland and set off down the steps onto the road under a tunnel of Beech trees, a couple informed us that it was a "long way down". We decided to press on anyway as the map reliably informed us that it would only be a couple of miles all around.
Once we finally got to the first lake we realised that the map was perhaps mistaken. While the girls were having a break I took myself off to a large patch of thistles in a clearing. While I was watching Peacocks a small, dark butterfly caught my attention. Something about its shape and size made me look at it more closely. With baited breath I edged closer and closer clicking away and when I saw the orange at the rear edge of the hind wing and a faint white stripe with a "W" I realised that I'd found an unlikely lifer, a White-letter Hairstreak. It was very worn and battered but still a very lucky and welcome find.
All the way up the torturous return journey Rosie gave me suspicious looks, but I swear it was totally unplanned, honest!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Wales (Aberaeron)

I have always enjoyed visits to my in-laws; they've allowed my visits to Llangranog for Chough, walks along the Aeron to find Common Sandpiper and Dipper, cross country drives to the amazing Dinas which is packed full of Redstarts, Wood Warblers and Pied Flycatchers or enjoying Red Kites from a garden chair with fresh ground coffee! And when I first started photographing butterflies I soon discovered that the area wasn't just good for birds.
Generally the first place that we go to is the local play park and then we take a stroll down to the seafront. However it's the return journey that I look forward to as the girls are all swung out or full up on ice cream so I can afford to hang back a bit for a few shots and then easily catch them up again as they dawdle back to the car. The path takes us along the Aeron through lush, over hanging trees with a multitude of flowers on the banks and is a haven for various whites and Speckled Woods. After we've crossed the bridge that leads back towards the park the hedges can hold Holly Blue and vanessids. These aren't particularly rare species - but for all the places I visit whilst on holiday at the in-laws it's more how the butterflies are observed - just out for a stroll to the park or popping out for a brief walk or watching the girls play in the garden - I'm not even trying and the butterflies are there to photograph.

The path to Llanacheron is somewhere I always try to get to. The walk offers more of the tree lined riverscape that I associate with this part of Wales, but it opens up here and there and so the range of species increases. At one of the more open spots there is a large Buddleia and this is a great place to stop and get some shots; often of a multitude vanessids.
Further along the path there are small fields which are bordered by wire fencing. There are butterflies here but to get shots I've learnt to wait until they come near enough to this fence so that I can lean over and click away. I seem to have luck here with Painted Lady - but they always make me work for my shots and I have to wait a long time for them to settle. Then just when I'm set, off they go again, flitting just out of reach!

The "Lane" is a road that runs past my in-law's house and is where we generally take our daily walks when visiting. It is a very narrow lane that winds upwards to the top of the hill, the main feature of which is the ancient hedge that grows on either side.
I have seen four species of white here, Speckled Woods and Ringlets as well as Small Tortoiseshells and Red Admirals and once the walk is completed I can also spend some time in the garden and hopefully add Holly Blue to the list.

The main species that I'm looking or along the Lane is Hedge Brown or Gatekeeper as it is now known. The high sided hedge offers perfect habitat for this species it seems as they are by far the most common seen. In fact I enjoy photographing them as their large numbers means I am more likely to find some of the more common aberrations and variations. These are seen in the number, positioning or lack of spots on the wings. The individual shown here has one extra spot on the left fore wing, two spots on the right fore wing and three pairs of "eyes" on both the hind wings. It is so far the most unusual variation of this species that I have seen and when it comes to identifying the variation I am at a loss where to begin!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

We took the girls out to Furzey Gardens yesterday so they could spend the afternoon finding fairy doors and running around like loons. While there I tried out my new lens, the Nikkor 105mm jobby, and it feels great, just what the Dr ordered and it only took me 6 months, a Christmas and Birthday to save for it! Unfortunately the only butterfly about was a Red Admiral that insisted on staying on the otherside of the hedge so I had to settle with trying my lens out on the flowers (Crocci and Snowdrops). There were a few flies around as well as what I presume is a Tree Bee?

Today I had to drive over to Eastleigh to pick up some chairs that my wife bought on "FeeBAY", so I set off very early and got a bit lost on the way strangely ending up in Calshot Imagine my surprise when I managed to spy a male Spanish Sparrow in the hedge Cheers Gibster and PJ for the "gen"! That makes 5 lifers in 2012 - making this so far my equal best year! I didn't have my camera with me so for photos check out the website of one of my fellow birders http://www.bushbirds.co.uk/
It really was a cracking bird and I'm glad that I waited until now to see it as it's come into almost full breeding plummage now, with the white cheek showing up against the chestnut head and the dark streaking along the sides contrasting with the creamy biege belly. A cracker - maybe next week I can get lost near the Hawkhill Inclosure?

And as if that wasn't enough I just saw (literally 4 minutes ago) my first Brimstone of 2012 fluttering across my garden

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Gibster]

Hey, great news about getting lost!!!

See you know 'Kojak' too? Small world. Good luck hopefully getting lost many more times this year

Gibster.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Gibster! I only met "Kojak" today at the Sparrow meet but he seemed like an affable chap. That has got to be one of the easiest twitches I've been too, just hanging around for 10 minutes and then there it was just over the road, ace!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Way Home

One of the advantages of living in Salisbury and working in Pewsey is that to get home I have to cut across the Plain. There is the main route that I take that gets me from A to B essentially on auto pilot but sometimes during the spring and summer I take another route which means that I can choose to make a different stop each time depending on the time of year, the weather or what I fancy seeing.
The closest stop is an unmown field across the rail track from the park, in Pewsey itself, where there are golden skippers, Meadow Browns and Common Blues. This leads down along the river with a tall railway embankment encrusted in brambles on one side and a small reed bed on the other. The more lush vegetation has whites and a Comma, Peacocks nectaring as well as Large Skippers battling it out. I generally make this stop if I have about 30 minutes to spare.
At the halfway mark is Woodhenge, about 20 minutes is all that is need here to hopefully get some great shots. I was very disappointed the first time I saw it, as it is constructed of concrete pillars and isn't a patch on the nearby stone version! However the site itself and the grass field by the car park is great for more golden skippers, Marbled Whites (probably mating) and Ringlets.

The final choice is for when I'm in a real hurry, with only 10 minutes to spare possibly. The title shot was taken here and it's found on the road from Amesbury through the Woodfords. There is an ungated field and I nip in and stroll around the edge of the flowers hopefully finding Essex or Small Skipper, various Whites, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Ringlet, Hedge Brown, Marbled White, Meadow Brown or one of the vanessids.
The great advantage of these sites is that I'm not going out of my way and still getting my "fix". I've eyed up a couple of other places on the journey home so I might be able to add Dingy or Grizzled Skippers to the "way home list" next year!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Having asked and then listened and taken advice onboard I recently purchased my new lens - a Nikkor 105mm, the only problem is that there are very few (if any) butterflies about now to try it out on, so I've resorted to a few walks around the garden taking flowers, bees and flies.

New species for me...

Having a scratch

This little fellow was on the ceiling in my bedroom so I couldn't get that close

It's a cracking lens and now I just need some butterflies!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[ChrisC]

that's what i like to see, eight legs in a diary Pseudeuophrys lanigera would be my guess if you wanted to put a name to it.

Chris

[Wurzel]

Cheers for the ID Chris, or should I say Spiderman

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Paul Wetton]

The Hoverfly having a scratch looks like Episyrphus balteatus also known as the Marmalade Hoverfly.

[Wurzel]

Cheers for the ID Paul I have been meaning to get an identification book that Mark Clovin recommended so if I'd got it perhaps I could have made the ID too

Have a goodun

Wurzel