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You’re only allowed to whisper it though, Trevor!

Ten Small Torts My local patch has got some catching up to do I reckon it's best to not even whisper it but you you have to write it on a bit of paper Mind you with OTs and Holly Blues as well as the three whites all recorded over the weekend we could well be...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Well done with the Tortoiseshells, Mark. I'm having difficulty picking this species up so far this year....don't know why, and I hope things will improve (and soon).

Torts are doing pretty well round my way, indeed I’ve probably seen more of them than any other species so far. As the so-called second generation was virtually absent last year, I can only conclude these are the adults that emerged in June, fed, and went straight into hibernation.

It was too cold for butterflies on my Essex walk today. However, the buzzards were up, and gave a spectacular display. The male throws himself through the sky in a breathtaking sky-dance display, accompanied by loud mewing. I see myself in these fantastic birds,as their evident excitement so accurately mirrors my own at this time of year. The buzzards are always very active at this time of year whenever the weather allows.

The hares are also very active now, and they should be enjoyed, for in a couple of weeks, they will disappear under the crops. They remain fairly common in the arable fields near me, and are most visible in March and early April. Later, I visited Abberton reservoir. There were lots of swallows hawking the flies, and the little ringed plovers have arrived. In the evening, I had a stop at the Heybridge mudflats. Plenty of Brent geese were yet to migrate, and the black tailed godwits from Iceland are moulting into their wonderful russet breeding plumage.

Wonderful sights from your Cornish trip Mark. And I love that shot of the Hare.

Cracking stuff Essex You've caught that LRP really well and you can rally see the diagnostic yellow eye ring Small Torts do seem (or should that be were now? )to be doing well this spring

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Good to see you’re still enjoying productive trips out during this cool, wet spell, Mark. That godwit is a very striking bird.

Love the shot of the Hare essex, I love to watch them, they're mostly in the Dunes at Southport, don't know when I'll get there this year Goldie

Thanks everyone. No butterflies for me at the moment, which is a bit frustrating! Single figures again today, sun hours 0.00. That glorious spell at the end of February seems such a long time ago...

My first butterfly outing of the year saw me head down to Sussex. The quiet lanes and meadows around Billingshurst abound with cuckoo flowers. It was damp and misty all morning, but I soon found my first Green-veined White of the year, roosting on the cuckoo flowers, which eventually opened as it warmed up a little. One of two seen. Nearby was my first Orange Tip of the year, a female. By lunchtime, the cloud lifted a little, and the first of two males came floating by. It was nice to see them, in a very different habitat than I’m used to in Essex. One of the males flew right over the female without noticing, but when he turned round and came back, he made no mistake. While in Sussex, it would be rude not to pop in at Mill Hill, where several Grizzed Skippers have emerged. It was also nice to see Alan W down there as well.

Well done, Mark. Mating Orange-tips and Grizzles; you can't do much better than that!
BWs, Neil

Mating OTs - still on my wish list The misty start helped with that GVW - beautifully captured and not a spot of bleaching

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Hi! essex, your certainly more advanced with Butterflies .than we are down there no sign of Whites here and even Cuckoo flowers are still absent as for that Grizzled Skipper I've yet to even see one
Next week I'm off to Canterbury do you know of any places near there that I could get to see them Goldie

Hello Essex , Not me in Sussex ,I was at work ! (unfortunately ) Perhaps you meant Andrew 555 ,think he was down Billingshurst way recently I believe . Regards Allan.W.
PS; some excellent images ,by the way.

essexbuzzard wrote: While in Sussex, it would be rude not to pop in at Mill Hill, where several Grizzed Skippers have emerged. It was also nice to see Alan W down there as well.

Hi Mark,

I think you mean John W

Nice pictures of Orange Tips btw!

Here's the best of the Grizzlie pics that I got:
Cheers
John W

Thanks Neil. It was touch and go for a while, but Sussex came up trumps!

Thanks Wurzel, yes, quite pleased with the mating OT’s! Not least because I saw it all happen.

Thanks Goldie, you might struggle to find Grizzed Skippers this early, sadly. Mill Hill is a very early site, frequently with the first UK record of GS.

Oops, sorry Allan! I meant John!

Yes John, yes I meant you! Good pictures of the sleeping Skippers, I wasn’t happy with any of mine, though they are always nice to see anyway.

Nice shots Essex (and Alan/John), I must get round to posting my most recent visit into the wilds of Sussex but with a good day predicted tomorrow I think I might be two reports behind this time tomorrow night

That's very satisfying for a first outing, Mark. Good to see Grizzlies emerging, but I'm especially taken by that Green Veined White. The forewing spot is very large; most of those I see round my way have an apology of a spot or none at all!

Yes David, you’re right. That’s quite well marked for a first brood male.

Thanks buggy, so you’ve been down there as well. Looking foreword to finding out what you have seen.

Last week,I went on a good long walk through north Essex, about 15 miles. It was appropriate at this time of year, as it incorporates my favourite early spring wood-Stour Wood - with it’s wonderful carpet of wood anemones, turning the woodland floor white.