Re: jackz432r
Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2015 10:41 pm
I seem to be way behind with my diary, here is a few bits from June:
Sunday/Wednesday 21/24.6.2015 Knowle Village/Aytesbury Copse
I thought I would have a look for an early White Admiral before going to search for Hairstreaks. No White yet but Red Admirals, Speckled Wood, my first Marbled White and Meadow Brown of the year. I still can not believe that I spent so much time at this site last year and did not see a single Common Blue. I have now seen several here this year and there is acres of vetch to keep them here. I have also seen my first Small Heath at this site. I have hardly seen any Large Whites anywhere this year, just one today as well as a single Green Veined White. The stars by far were the Small Tortoiseshell, lots of them mostly very fresh and very active in the warm sunshine. Plenty of egg laying going on as well. Thursday 25.6.2015 New Forest
I happened to be working in the New Forest all day so I stopped off for ten minutes near Telegraph HIll. It was already hot at 9am and the Silver Studded Blues were already active by the side of the road. Lots of males and a few females seen in the short time I was there as well as a couple of Small Heath. The thing that caught my eye though was an unbelievably huge fly at rest on a Heather twig. It looked quite a mean character and, at a guess, I would say an inch and a half long. Apparently this is the Dark Giant Horsefly Tabanus sudeticus it is the heaviest fly in Europe and can apparently draw blood when it bites Luckily this one stayed at rest. Saturday 27.6.2015 Monks Brook/Stoneham Meadows
This is a new area for me this season. There are a lot of Elm Trees here so I thought I would check some out for White Letter Hairsteaks. Unfortunately I did not find any, but there are more Elms here to check. Plenty of Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Large and Small Skipper around. I also found my first Gatekeeper of the year but failed to get a photo. A single Comma and Red Admiral also made an appearance.
Sunday/Wednesday 21/24.6.2015 Knowle Village/Aytesbury Copse
I thought I would have a look for an early White Admiral before going to search for Hairstreaks. No White yet but Red Admirals, Speckled Wood, my first Marbled White and Meadow Brown of the year. I still can not believe that I spent so much time at this site last year and did not see a single Common Blue. I have now seen several here this year and there is acres of vetch to keep them here. I have also seen my first Small Heath at this site. I have hardly seen any Large Whites anywhere this year, just one today as well as a single Green Veined White. The stars by far were the Small Tortoiseshell, lots of them mostly very fresh and very active in the warm sunshine. Plenty of egg laying going on as well. Thursday 25.6.2015 New Forest
I happened to be working in the New Forest all day so I stopped off for ten minutes near Telegraph HIll. It was already hot at 9am and the Silver Studded Blues were already active by the side of the road. Lots of males and a few females seen in the short time I was there as well as a couple of Small Heath. The thing that caught my eye though was an unbelievably huge fly at rest on a Heather twig. It looked quite a mean character and, at a guess, I would say an inch and a half long. Apparently this is the Dark Giant Horsefly Tabanus sudeticus it is the heaviest fly in Europe and can apparently draw blood when it bites Luckily this one stayed at rest. Saturday 27.6.2015 Monks Brook/Stoneham Meadows
This is a new area for me this season. There are a lot of Elm Trees here so I thought I would check some out for White Letter Hairsteaks. Unfortunately I did not find any, but there are more Elms here to check. Plenty of Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Large and Small Skipper around. I also found my first Gatekeeper of the year but failed to get a photo. A single Comma and Red Admiral also made an appearance.