Padfield

[Wurzel]

Cracking Greenshank Guy I wonder which species it was that your dad saw - Red Admiral? Things could get going this weekend - which is relatively early for us but it must seem really late for you

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[essexbuzzard]

Not a great rarity, but still uncommon, and a great sighting. And, as Wurzel says, that’s a cracking picture of a greenshank! There should be sun tomorrow, so keep your eyes peeled for that butterfly!

[Padfield]

Thanks for the comments, Wurzel and Buzzard. Yes, I've grown accustomed to Queens of Spain in January now ...

Today did indeed mark the beginning of the butterfly season. I saw nothing in the garden in the morning, nor anything on a long walk and cycle ride around the Wickham Market region at lunchtime, but on my return at about 15h00 a seemingly gravid female peacock came to meet me:



We're off!

Guy

[David M]

Good for you, Guy. It must have been a culture shock waiting so long?

Nice that you got probably the least expected of the adult overwinterers in the shape of a Peacock too!

[essexbuzzard]

Well done, Guy. If it was there, I knew you would find it!

[Padfield]

Thank you, David and Buzzard! It is many, many a year since my first butterfly has been a peacock ...

In late morning today I went for a brief foray to some local woods where I felt sure small tortoiseshells would be on the wing. Sure enough, I saw two, including this one, who stopped briefly:



Hat trick tomorrow?

Guy

[David M]

Hat trick tomorrow?

Why not? Assuming the conditions remain largely the same I'm sure there will be even greater numbers of butterflies tempted out of their hibernation quarters.

Sadly for me, Wales has gone back to being cloudy today but good luck to those further east.

[Chris Jackson]

Great shots of the Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell Guy, hardly any signs of wear on those wings.
Neither of these species fly in my département.

Bonne chance pour la suite.
Chris

[Padfield]

Thanks David and Chris. As it turned out, today was wall-to-wall grey and there was no possibility of any butterflies flying. But tomorrow is forecast to be sunny and warm.

Here are Minnie and I near the Woodbridge cemetery, on the way to the river:



You can see in her eyes this isn't quite as exciting as bombing down a Swiss mountain!

Guy

[Wurzel]

I knew you'd be int eh butterflies soon enough Guy I reckon odds on for species three next time you can get out

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

You can see in her eyes this isn't quite as exciting as bombing down a Swiss mountain!

Guy

Maybe not, Guy, but she still looks content.

Good luck with your hunting today. The forecast looks okay for Suffolk so I reckon you should see a few.

[Jack Harrison]

Does Minnie have an ejection seat just in case YOU fall off?

Our own 'Minnie' (cat) had fun this afternoon. An enormous hairy black animal, the size of a Shetland Pony (?) appeared in our garden. We have reason to believe that it might have been a dog. So wife and I went out to investigate followed quickly by Minnie. Now Minnie is no ordinary cat - small with just three legs (have no idea why/how). Minnie went for 'Sheltie' which stood its ground. A chase ensued. Minnie retreated indoors sporting a 'bottle brush' tail (fright). 'Sheltie' was persuaded to go into next door garden - their problem. Peace restored.

Jack

[Padfield]

I reckoned the same, Wurzel, but despite some good weather there's been no more butterfly movement. Nevertheless, spring is hastening and I am very sure more insects will be lured out of hibernation over the next week.

Yes, she's content, David. I actually think she prefers the flat life ...

My Minnie has a strict rule with cats, Jack: if it runs away, chase it - otherwise, ignore it. I'm not sure if she's ever met a cat that actually went for her though. If we ever come north we might pop in and see what happens!

As proof that spring is in the air, I was thrilled to see and hear a skylark at Shingle Street yesterday. A tiny black dot filling the sky with wonderful song. And today, inland, the tree pipits were in full throat, alternately from the tree tops and the sky:





Guy

[Matsukaze]

Does Minnie have an ejection seat just in case YOU fall off?

Our own 'Minnie' (cat) had fun this afternoon. An enormous hairy black animal, the size of a Shetland Pony (?) appeared in our garden. We have reason to believe that it might have been a dog. So wife and I went out to investigate followed quickly by Minnie. Now Minnie is no ordinary cat - small with just three legs (have no idea why/how). Minnie went for 'Sheltie' which stood its ground. A chase ensued. Minnie retreated indoors sporting a 'bottle brush' tail (fright). 'Sheltie' was persuaded to go into next door garden - their problem. Peace restored.

Jack

You are in Kellas cat country there Jack. I can't help but wonder if that was the nature of the beast...

[Wurzel]

I reckon you might have got some today Guy - it was a cracker of a day! The Tree Pipts are very early over there - they normally arrive around late March-early April Mind you with the weather recently it has certainly felt like it is much later in the season

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

The birds have been noticeably vocal over the last few days, Guy. I've no doubt this warm weather has something to do with it. Given that you've lived in Switzerland for many years until recently, I should remind you that these balmy conditions are practically unheard of in the month of February.

I hope you can enjoy it while it lasts.

[Padfield]

A Kellas cat the size of a Shetland pony would be a terrifying beast indeed! And I say that coming from lynx country!

I'm not sure what the tree pipit was doing there, Wurzel. I thought they were summer visitors, and my book confirmed that, but this one must surely have overwintered to be here on 21st February. I'm a bit out of touch with what happens in the UK these days. I know blackcap and chiffchaff often hang around.

Yes David, the birds have been very vocal here. Skylarks singing, woodpeckers drumming, quite a cacophony of thrushes, blackbirds and tits in the woods ... I do hope there are not tragedies in store.

Today saw at least three commas in our back garden, competing for the same sunspots, at least one peacock in the garden and another in local woods, a small tortoiseshell in the garden and a brimstone at the local garden centre. Yesterday a (or perhaps more than one) brimstone was regularly roding through the garden. However, a cycle ride around local woodland yesterday produced nothing at all and in total I have seen just three individual butterflies in wild habitats. I do wonder if the garden butterflies have been brought out of hibernation by gardeners getting active in the sun, clearing up rough patches and having bonfires &c.

Here are three different commas from today:







And the underside of the second one:



And here a peacock from local woods:



Guy

[Wurzel]

Great Commas Guy Interesting the way they show different amounts of wear on them - the first looks immaculate and the then the second is hairless down the abdomen

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

I love those Comma shots, Guy, particularly the one showing the underside.

You must think you're back in Switzerland right now with all this butterfly activity. Sadly, there are no Queens nor Clouded Yellows, but it has been, without doubt, a unique spell of weather for the UK so early in the year.

[Padfield]

Thanks David. To be honest, five species by the end of February is a good year even in Switzerland - but yes, I do miss the Queens. Maybe I'll get a large tortoiseshell to make up for it ...

Today was another Commafest. I've already posted these pictures in the February page, but I'll repeat them here for the record - they don't take up any quota in the file count as they're stored on my own servers:


(a different indivdual from any of yesterday's)


(another individual - at least the fifth for my garden)






(all shots of that first one)

I have an embarrassing correction to make. Lee Woods (from Suffolk Birding with BINS) has pointed out that my tree pipit is a woodlark. My bad entirely. You all trusted that I'd heard it singing - which I had - and had identified it correctly - which I hadn't. I'm not sure I've heard a woodlark singing before, though I've heard lots of tree pipits. It would have been obvious if I'd posted another of my shots, which for some reason I still took to be a pipit even though it clearly isn't:



Ah well - sometimes you just have to suck it up ... But I'm pleased with the shots of woodlark I've now got!

Elsewhere in Suffolk I saw peacocks and brimstones today.

Guy