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Re: Buchan Boy
Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2015 12:36 pm
by Buchan Boy
Been a little while,my year was made up by the remarkable new colonists in the Orthoptera world,namely Sickle bearing Crickets and a large colony of Tree Crickets being found on the vegetated shingle at Dungeness.
Much study to be done in future years,the Small Coppers around the cottages also provided much entertainment.
Heres hoping the Long tailed Blues manage to gain a foothold in my part of the UK as well...Everlasting Pea.....cool.
Many thanks to Dave,the warden at the Bird Obs,on Dungeness as well,remarkable.
- Dungeness Small Copper
- Dungeness Small Copper 2
- Female Sickle Bearing Cricket
- Male Sickle Bearing Cricket
- Female Tree Cricket
- Male Tree Cricket
Fantastic.
Re: Buchan Boy
Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2015 4:02 pm
by Gary.N
Loved the first Small Copper Shot.
Re: Buchan Boy
Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2015 10:23 pm
by Wurzel
Great sequence Buchan Boy
It's clear to see why the male Sickle Bearing Cricket is so called - the female on the other hand appears to have her Sickle in a scabbard
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Re: Buchan Boy
Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2016 5:13 pm
by Buchan Boy
Good Friday 25th March 2016
Target Hill,Crawley
First chance of some sun and a quick peek at the Small Tortoiseshells on one of my local spots,getting my first fix of the year.
- Target Hill Small Tortoiseshell
- Target Hill Small Tortoiseshells 2
About half a dozen frolicking around,1 Peacock,2 male Brimstones and 2 Commas also noted.No snakes or Speckled Woods yet.
- Target Hill Comma
I wonder what 2016 will bring?
Cheers
Re: Buchan Boy
Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2016 10:07 am
by trevor
HI Dave ,
I am not the only one to have witnessed a Small Tortoiseshell pairing yesterday.
I noticed that they always landed in a nose to tail formation, just like yours.
At no time was there any attempt at mating. Perhaps someone with more knowledge
could explain what this behaviour signifies. To me it suggests an eager male, and a
female not yet ready.
Any thoughts ?
Trevor.
Re: Buchan Boy
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2016 6:11 pm
by Buchan Boy
17th April 2016
Devils Dyke/Newtimber Hill,Sussex
Tough going at the moment,the Green Hairstreak colonies on the downs are always a good indicator as to the state of play.
Got to about 14 degrees today and felt pretty good,spent a couple of hours at the bottom of Devils Dyke,hoping for some Hairstreak action........nope.
Actually this will be the first year in a long while where my prediction has been wrong.
A female Kestrel kept good company!
- Devils Dyke Kestrel
After a fruitless search I wandered back up the hill to see if there was anything happening at the bottom of Saddlescombe quarry(was rather hoping for a Dingy or maybe a Grizzled),but once again noooo.
Ho well,you have to know these things,saved by a Small Tortoiseshell loitering around one of the young nettle beds at the base of the quarry.
- Saddlescombe Quarry Small Tortoiseshell
A morel
- Morel,I think!
- Devils Dyke
Another week passes by............
Oh and some Greenfinch's in Crawley
- Crawley Greenfinch
Tata
Dunno why it does that!
Re: Buchan Boy
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2016 6:36 pm
by Goldie M
Lovely shot of the Kestrel Dave and the Tortoiseshell Goldie
Re: Buchan Boy
Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 9:12 pm
by David M
Those morels are worth money, BB. One of the most sought after fungi in Europe!
Re: Buchan Boy
Posted: Sun May 01, 2016 7:26 am
by Buchan Boy
29th April 2016
Gossops Green Millpond,Crawley
Some Mandarin Ducks have appeared on one of my local lakes,imagine seeing these 30 years ago!
- Mandarin Duck Male
- Mandarin Duck Male 2
Not many butterflies around at the moment.........
Re: Buchan Boy
Posted: Mon May 02, 2016 4:27 pm
by Buchan Boy
Saturday 30th April 2016
Sussex
Got down to Castle Hill NNR quite early today still with frost in some of the more sheltered spots.The sun rose quickly and through the morning I suspected first Dingy's or Grizzled's may be around.
Checking the Early Spider orchids and given the slow spring they are quite small at the moment,some flowering at about 3-4 cm's.But some a bit taller.
- Castle Hill Early Spider Orchid
- Castle Hill Early Spider Orchid 2
No Early Purples here yet,probably about two weeks behind the ones in woodland.
The Wart-Biters are in their first instars and are absolutely minuscule at around 3-4 mm long.
- Castle Hill Wart Biter nymph
A good hunt could locate no butterflies through the morning but it was lovely to watch the stonechats pairing up.
Around midday I did mange to locate my first Dingy Skippers of the year,keeping very low to the ground and resting quick as soon as the sun went behind clouds.
- Castle Hill Dingy Skipper
- Castle Hill Dingy Skipper 2
I popped into Staplefield on the way home to see if the Green-Winged Orchids were up yet and they were.Once again the colonies on the downs are way behind.
- Staplefield Green-winged Orchid
- Staplefield Green-winged Orchid 2
Good to get going again.
- Castle Hill NNR
Thanks
Re: Buchan Boy
Posted: Fri May 06, 2016 7:33 pm
by Buchan Boy
Wednesday 4th May 2016
Newtimber Hill and Devils Dyke
A few firsts for 2016 today
- Devils Dyke Small Heath
- Devils Dyke Green Hairstreak
- Devils Dyke Holly Blue
The Green Hairstreak colony has a present tally of two...this will now build significantly...glad to have got there just as emergence begins,normally miss it!
Over the road to Newtimber and the first Dingys are enjoying life in the microclimate at the base of the,very well sheltered,quarry.
- Newtimber Dingy Skipper
- Newtimber Dingy Skipper 2
A few tiny Early Purple Orchids around
- Devils Dyke Early Purple Orchids
- Nice
Re: Buchan Boy
Posted: Fri May 06, 2016 7:52 pm
by Buchan Boy
Friday 6th May 2016
Deep Dene and Abbots Wood
Plan to spend some time at Deep Dene studying the Orthoptera this year,an early reccy was in order.
Some lively Hairstreaks around.Nice and fresh.
- Deep Dene Green Hairstreak
I love that smell that floats around the hillside when the gorse is in flower,coconutty wiff!
- Deep Dene Green Hairstreak2
As well as plenty of Dingy Skippers and Small Heaths around my first Grizzled Skippers of this year were also noted,this one with the big white blob on the hind wings.
- Deep Dene Grizzled Skipper
Of course whilst down this way,at this time of year,a wander into Abbots Wood is almost a necessary requirement.
Numbers beginning to build.
- Abbots Wood Pearl Bordered Frtillary
- Abbots Wood Pearl Bordered Frtillary 2
And whilst the Early Purples on the hills are all scrawny and small this year some roadside verge populations are thriving with some impressive spikes!
- Alciston Road Verge
Orchid hunting by car in action....
Re: Buchan Boy
Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 10:47 am
by Goldie M
Lovely shots Dave, especially the Pearls
Goldie
Re: Buchan Boy
Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 7:44 pm
by Buchan Boy
Saturday 7th May 2016
Upper Beeding,Sussex
After photographing Green-Winged Orchids on the downs the footpath that took me off the hills met the main road with a large cherry tree in full spring splendour.
Noting a bunch of Red Admirals also enjoying the blossom,whilst trying to outdo each other for territory,my evening dissapeared......
- Upper Beeding Red Admiral
- Upper Beeding Red Admiral 2
- Upper Beeding Red Admiral 3
The lilac form is lovely
- Green Winged Orchid
Dave
Re: Buchan Boy
Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 9:06 pm
by Wurzel
Fantastic shots recently Buchan, just catching up and somehow missed them up until now
Great Pearls and something of a rarity - a Red Admiral - well bit of a rarity do far this year that is
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Re: Buchan Boy
Posted: Sun May 15, 2016 6:52 pm
by Buchan Boy
Sunday 8th May 2016
Brockham Quarry
First jaunt to the North Downs of 2016 and the quarry was a buzz,first Common Blues of the season for me.
- Brockham Quarry Common Blue
- Brockham Quarry Common Blue 2
A rather fortunate shot of the moment of lift-off!
- Brockham Quarry Common Blue 3
Also Grizzled Skippers just starting to appear here.
- Brockham Quarry Grizzled Skipper
Stars of the Spring afternoon show were the Green Hairstreaks on one of the young Beech Trees here,although just out of reach,I managed to brighten an underside shot.
Between 8-10 vying for space on the lower branch's,quite a spectacle.
- Brockham Quarry Green Hairstreak
Beech Tree in foreground home to many Green Hairstreaks.
- Brockham Quarry.
I'd seen some Holly Blues in the trees around the base of the quarry,it took a little wait but one did eventually hit the deck and probe for salts.
- Brockham Quarry Holly Blue
Theres not many better ways to spend a glorious spring afternoon.
Dave
Re: Buchan Boy
Posted: Mon May 16, 2016 4:06 pm
by Goldie M
A Nice selection there, not seen the Common Blue here yet in the North Goldie
Re: Buchan Boy
Posted: Mon May 16, 2016 4:51 pm
by kevling
The Brockham Quarry Grizzled Skipper is a fine shot Buchan Boy. This is a new site to me, looks good.
Regards Kev
Re: Buchan Boy
Posted: Mon May 16, 2016 9:05 pm
by David M
Great images, Dave. I hope to see Common Blues very soon in my neck of the woods.
Re: Buchan Boy
Posted: Sun May 29, 2016 1:48 pm
by Buchan Boy
22nd May 2016
Isle Of Wight
Had a family holiday on the Isle Of Wight coinciding with the Glanville Fritillary emergence, hopefully!
Although I had planned to try and cover as much of the Southern Coast as possible in the week,once I'd located the colonies on the South Western side of the island I became trapped in the beauty of it all.
I started at the Hanover Point car park and walked North,that was it.Stayed there for three days,occasionally seeing my family for dinner etc.
I also enjoyed all the other wildlife along these cliffs as well. Ravens always seem bigger the closer you get.
- Compton Bay Raven
Good numbers of Stonechats buzzing around the gorse here,getting more agitated the closer I got.
- Compton Bay Female Stonechat
- Compton Bay Male Stonechat
The sun was already fairly high and I'd seen the butterflies but they were rather flighty,I left it until later afternoon before gaining my first shots,and these were quite a bit further on from where I eventually found the biggest congregation in the next few days,nonetheless good to get some photographs in the bag.
- Compton Bay Glanville Fritillary
- Compton Bay Glanville Fritillary
Also worth noting Common Blues.
- Compton Bay Common Blue
The Glanvilles were extremely fresh and hadn't been out for long,couple of days at most.
Good start.