Thanks
Wurzel, shame the sun wasn't out on that Starling to show the rainbow of colours
Thanks
Dave, I think that well known children's book may have been based on Brimstone caterpillars based on how fast they munch through the leaves
That is indeed the case
David, I imagine it won't be long before the local avian population start noticing them though so numbers will be thinned out and they will be harder to locate. At the moment nibbled leaf = caterpillar but once the birds start munching on them they'll be lots of red herrings. Since they hide in plain sight on the upper side of the leaf I wonder if they glow under UV like WLH who hide away on the underside?
May 2020
Monday 4th. The day really did start of on a high point. Just walking through the entrance to the Marshes I noticed a small dark butterfly jinking around. Instinct took me to the most likely suspect but no, can’t be, surely not, but he landed and indeed it was possibly a new species for my local patch, I’ve certainly never seen them here before!
That evening I discovered from the county recorder it was indeed a new record for the site
![Cool 8)](./images/smilies/icon_cool.gif)
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Female Green-veined Whites and Holly Blues flitted around, the latter constantly menaced by the Hairstreak, the former drew the attention of a marauding Small White.
The Peacock eggs were still a healthy emerald green although there are some faintly darker areas beginning to show in some of them. A few adults were still active too, one of whom was about as mint as they come, I’m not sure where she’s been hiding, maybe she just had an exceedingly long lay in this spring.
In the same sheltered sun trap a female Brimstone was breakfasting… in-between being harassed by a couple of amorous but misguided Small White.
Of course no post from me is complete without a butterfly posing on Cow Parsley at the moment, today we have a Red Admiral
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
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My Brimstone caterpillar is doing well and may possibly be settling down to moult again whilst around him eggs are still appearing. They don’t seem to worry whether a leaf is already occupied, this leaf already has two 1st instars!
The Reed Warbler turf war that was occurring last time I visited the waterworks nature reserve seemed to have settled down and one of them hopped out in front of the hide, unusually quiet, and just sat in plain sight for a few minutes
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
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I took a short wander along the river lea and found a few odds and ends taking refuge on a small shingle island. A pair of Egyptian Geese were having a good old preen and freshen up.
Whilst a coot was causing trouble as they so often do, a Mallard duckling in this case seemed to irk him in some mysterious manner.
I also rescued a Rose Chafer from certain death, trundling nonchalantly along the main path with cyclists and joggers going to and fro. I found him some Hawthorn blossom to tuck in to.
The final find of the day that was photo worthy was a particularly large female Orange-tip. Little fluffy clouds prompted her to rest regularly for her photo shoot
A particularly good day
Stay safe