Middle Street 05-04-2018
Suitably refreshed after a Waitrose coffee we strolled back and had lunch. Then I loaded my camera into the car and I was away on my first proper trip of the season. As Small Tort and a Brimstone waved me off. Once at Middle Street I made my way directly to the ‘hotspot’ taking in the water filled hollows and furrows on the way. I was therefore still disappointed but not surprised to see it filled with water too. So I carried on round the ‘lake’, past the fishing platforms to make my way to the far end of the site. And then the butterflies appeared with four Brimstones, one of which was female and four Small Torts. The Brimstones were patrolling past me whilst the Small Torts would be interspersed along the path, nestled in the dried reeds and sticks as if they were holding specific territories.
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At the end of the site I turned, reset my internal counter to zero and made my way back towards the ‘once hotspot’. This time I took the higher path so that I could look down into the drainage areas and scan their banks at the same time. I immediately started picking up Small Torts including a pair in courtship. Well the male was doing his best but the female didn’t seem that interested.
As I reached the crossroads of paths I scanned across the largest f the drainage fields and something golden orange caught my eye. As I started towards it a larger, dark butterfly took off and flew back the way I’d come at a tremendous pace. It didn’t seem black enough to be a Peacock and there was a pinky flash as it passed me – a
Red Admiral. Chuffed I turned my attentions back to the orange butterfly which became a Comma. I carried on and scanning around the edges of the large Bramble bush a pair of vivid blue eyes flashed out at me from a lovely Peacock. As it flew it looked totally black and bat-like in contrast to the Red Admiral I’d seen only moments before.
After this I walked around the Lake racking up more Small Torts and Brimstones as well as Cetti’s Warbler (with its “one, one-two, one-two-three-four-one-two” song). Back near the Bramble clump there was a Comma which might have been a different individual and it posed readily.
So Middle Street had thrown up all five of the expected early species, a cracking start. On the drive back I stopped on the corner of Upper and Middle Street near the sluice gate for only a few moments but in that short time I managed to pick up a further 3 Small Torts and 4 Brimstones!
Anyway onwards and upwards!
Have a goodun
Wurzel