Wurzel

[Katrina]

5 Small Tortoiseshells is a bit of a jackpot, I am lucky to find one. I like your description “like canon balls firing at the sun” - very exciting.

[Goldie M]

Will Do Wurzel, I'll be down there in a couple of weeks, ( hope fully ) I'll take my computer with me and check when I get down there. Fingers crossed I'll see one Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cheers Katrina I was lucky to escape with my life
Cheers Goldie Katrina saw a Grizzlie the other day so in a coupe of weeks there should be plenty - this will be your Grizzlie Year I'm sure

Middle Street 07-03-2021

The weekend arrived and it was another cool and cloudy day but risked a walk to Middle Street anyway reasoning that you have to put in the time to reap the rewards. Besides I needed something to do so it was one of those walks rather than one made in the hope of seeing a butterfly. I did the usual stomp around but there wasn’t anything showing as the wind was chilly and the sun was playing a very good game of hide and seek. I checked out the Dips but there was nothing apart from a Shrew under the mat.

As there was nothing about I turned my attention to birds and as I wandered along the mid path towards the hotspot I became aware of a cacophony of the cackling and looking up I saw a mass of black and white; if ‘Seven is for a secret never to be told’ does 23 mean a mass conspiracy?

The Hotspot proves that it lives up to its name not just in terms of butterflies as there is a nice mix of species flitting around; lots of the garden faves including Coal Tits and Treecreepers, a calling Nuthatch, woodpecker goes over and there are also Goldfinches, Reed Buntings and I’m sure I saw a couple of Redpoll. The insects start to appear as I make to leave but even the Bumble Bees dressed up in their thick fur coats are having a hard time in keeping their flight muscles warm enough so I start heading homewards.

Cloud covers the sun
A Magpie conspiracy
Too cold for insects

PS As it was a quiet trip I’ve included a map of the site…

Their ‘1’ in a red circle is the entrance to the site
N is the little nook beloved by Peacocks and Commas
Q is the Quagmire path (giggity)
H is the Hotspot
1 iDip 1
2 Dip 2
3 Dip3
E is the end

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

The Quagmire Path made me chuckle, Wurzel - I wouldn't like to speculate what goes on along there. A variation on the traditional Lovers' Lane, perhaps?

You seem to continue with your welcome abundance of Small Tortoiseshells. Very much inducing as they become fewer round here with every year that passes.

Cheers,

Dave

[bugboy]

I would have said that many magpies is a sign of the apocalypse but we've just had that so....

[trevor]

I hope things in Wilts pick up nicely for my next visit in May. Tilshead and Cotley beckon!.
Like you I've come home from trips out recently with little to show for the hours spent looking.

Great to see your Shrew , I've only ever seen dead ones.

Stay safe and well,
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave It stemmed from when it was really water logged as few years back as it was a proper quagmire but now every time I walk along it I chuckle (and go "giggity") The Small Torts do seem to be doing okay here - is it because we're a bit cooler and wetter?
Cheers Bugboy When I saw them all together I was half expecting the sun to disappear and the ground to tremble and rupture beneath me Perhaps they were foretelling the eruptions in Iceland?
Cheers Trevor Things were a lot better today Trevor - I chose to ignore the weather forecast and just went out before lunch (to avoid it clouding over in the afternoon which it has done and did) and it was certainly all white I don't know how good Cotley will be this season as it has been seriously grazed

Work 09-03-2021

The meteorological reports all showed the weekend weather as being anything but conducive to butterflies so I took the chance while there was still some sun and warmth to head out for a quick check of the Small Torts. I’ve gotten into a bit of a groove with these lunchtime trips now and I reckon that I could almost do the walk with my eyes closed…or at least scanning in all directions for butterflies and not focusing on where I’m going.
I reached the half-way point and started down the narrow track so instead of scanning all about I also narrowed my search pattern to what was directly in front of me. It was the usual fare with a brace of Small Torts. The first came quite soon after starting own the path and was feeding on Celandines in one of the miniscule scallops.

The second was on past the Parrot garden and the pile of rotting nut shells and was just in the field right at the edge. So I had to get down low and stretch out my camera between the wires and hope for a decent shot. Luckily for me it moved slightly closer as I was setting up my first set of shots.

With the butterfly fix attained I headed back hoping that they’d gotten the weather reports wrong and pondering the numbers of Small Torts. We’re only just into March but the weather has already been a bit bipolar so the season seems to have come in fits and starts, not like the strong consistent beginning that we had in 2020. I reckon this could mean that I won’t be seeing large daily counts of Small Torts over a short period of time but small clumps that emerge and then move on to be replaced the next time the weather becomes better; amore drip feed of Small Torts rather than a fleeting torrent.

Butterfly watchers
Are controlled by the weather
Get out when you can!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Lovely shots Wurzel, I'm seeing more but not getting the shots yet, roll on Kent Goldie

[Chris L]

Nice to find that little shrew Wurzel. I too have only ever seen dead ones before.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Goldie I saw my first Grizzlies today so I reckon there will be buckets loads in Kent when you get down there
Cheers Otep That's the thing about butterflying even when there's no butterflies there's always something

Wood Store 13-03-2021

Well the Weather Forecasters had called it correct. It had been cloudy, cool and windy for a few days and the when I awoke on Saturday morning it looked to be exactly the same. How come they’re always able to predict poor weather so accurately yet and also why do they smile so much when telling us that the weather is going to be bad? “And so we’re due so much rain it would be a good idea to build an Ark” – grin so big it covers the screen…

The weather was set to ‘sh!£e’ so I just cracked on and got a load of chores done one of which was restocking the wood baskets round the wood burner. So come the afternoon when the sun threatened to creep out from the cloud cover for maybe 30 seconds at a time I found myself outside availing myself of wood from the very meagre supply. As I loaded logs into the hessian bag to carry them into the house (fewer trips and catches all the dust) a Peacock flew weakly towards me, circled and then landed on the edge of the wood store. Whether it had just dropped in or had been nestled in the whole winter I wasn’t too sure gut after a few days without a butterfly sighting this was a nice surprise and welcome relief all rolled into one. I called “camera” through the back door and my daughters who I’ve obviously trained well appeared almost instantly with my camera, lens cap removed and switched on.

The Peacock was right in the way and so after a few shots I moved him further into the wood store away from the section which I was removing logs from and also out of the chilling breeze. Of course this meant that the Peacock was perched for a short time on my finger so I tried for a few ‘in the hand’ shots which proved tricky to capture as the butterfly is so large that I couldn’t stretch my arm far enough away for it to come out nice and sharp. Gently coaxing him down I got on with my task and once I’d finished lowered the cover back down leaving a few large gaps round the edges so that should it want the butterfly could get out.

Cool cloudy weather
Not great for butterflies…BUT
Peacock in the hand!

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[trevor]

A butterfly for very little effort!. I like the sound of that. .

Stay well,
Trevor.

[Benjamin]

I called “camera” through the back door and my daughters who I’ve obviously trained well appeared almost instantly with my camera, lens cap removed and switched on.

Wow! You are an inspiration!

[millerd]

You have trained them astonishingly well, Wurzel! If I tried that with my son it would be a while for the sound to penetrate the headphones, and then a conversation would ensue about the exact location of the camera...

Cheers,

Dave

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, did you get any shots of the Grizzlies ? I'll be putting feelers out in a few days Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cheers Trevor "A butterfly for very little effort!" - I don't know about that - I did have to lug a fair few logs in
Cheers Benjamin I'll have to try it a few more times just to make sure that it wasn't a fluke
Cheers Dave I've got round that one by leaving my camera in pride of place on the sofa where all can see it. As for the headphones...I think I caught a break there as they must have been between calls, spotify or whatever it is that they have going on
Cheers Goldie I did manage a few shots - coming to UKB sometime around July at the rate I'm going I've seen reports coming in from loads of sites and in increasing numbers so I think that Operation Grizzlie has a high probability of success

Work 15-03-2021

Different week, same weather – cool, cloudy and grey. I still headed out at lunch anyway just for something to do more than for any other reason. As expected there weren’t any butterflies about – far too sensible but I did come across a cat or moth larva. It was out in the open on top of the pallet pile near the end of my walk. It was obviously confident in the security of its hairs and spines.

On the return leg instead of Small Torts feeding on the Celandines it was the turn of a Bee-fly, their furry jacket proving effective insulation. This one, unlike most of the others that I’ve seen sat and fed with its wings still so I was able to get a clear view of the black leading edge which told me that it was a Bombylius major the Dark-edged Bee-fly, as did the dark wedge shaped mark on its side.

Work 16-03-2021

Today the weather seemed to be on the turn with the thick cloud that we’ve had for almost a week now starting to break. I was more than glad to see little peeps of blue sky through the morning as I’d almost forgotten what the sun looked and felt like. It meant that the outing was a tale of two halves almost; when the sun was out there would be butterflies but the minute it went in (almost to the second in fact) there would be nowt. It made me question where they go when they vanish with such velocity.

The cloud seemed to be following me when I left the Science block so I took the short cut through the estate to reach the half way point more quickly. It paid off for as soon as I got there I spotted a Small Tort. It was in one of the miniscule scallops up against the edge of the bank soaking up the sun for all it was worth.

I manged to get a few shots before the cloud caught me up, the sky darkened, the breeze picked up and the temperature dropped noticeably. From my first sighting to the end I was accompanied by the thick cloud which kept the butterflies hidden. Then as I reached the end and contemplated a miserable return journey I watched as the sun started to reappear and the clouds broke. The passage of the sun was marked by a blanket of light and warmth that I could see fast approaching, streaming towards me; one side of it dark, dull and cool and on the other awash in a golden haze. As it reached me and washed around where before there had been nothing all of a sudden there were butterflies.

I watch as my second Small Tort gets scared away by a third before one of the two returns and spooks a fourth. These antics were great to watch but played havoc with my counting – would this be a total of 2, 3 or 4? I could definitely count 2 as I’d seen them together at the same time and luckily one of the ‘possible three’ returned and sat for a few shots (or was this a fifth ahhhh). Still trying to wrap my head around how to record the butterflies seen my task suddenly became even harder as the cloud returned, swallowed up the sun for, what turned out to be, the remainder of the afternoon. This meant that the butterflies were gone, they’d vamoosed and wouldn’t be showing themselves anymore.

Sun means butterflies
Have a counting conundrum
Sun in, they are gone

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Great shots of the Small Torts Wurzel, Any of those Grizzled Skipper sites seen near Canterbury? Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cheers Goldie I had a quick look on the sites section on here - Denge Wood for Duke, Lydden Down for all manner of butterflies - it doesn't mention Grizzlies but does say Dingies are there so you might find Grizzlies and also Dungeness has Grizzlies (and also Small Copper).

Work 22-03-2021

After a brace of Brimstones yesterday I was hopeful of some more today but despite the favourable weather forecast it remained cloudy all morning. I would regularly refresh the weather apps and then take a sneaky look out of the window but with each passing hour the weather apps updated to show the cloud lasting a little bit longer every time I checked. It wasn’t looking good so I gave up all thoughts of getting out for a walk over lunch…that is until my pre-lunch class had packed up and were awaiting the second ‘go’ bell. The sun was back so I grabbed my camera and set off like a sprinter from the blocks only not with a starter pistol but a starter bell.

As I cut through the estate making for the half way point of the back path I was briefly joined by a Small Tort. It was fluttering about on the other side of the garden under the window sills so I left it and pressed on. At half way point a second Small Tort landed on a Celandine and fed for a while so I managed a couple of shots. Slightly further on I encountered another three but they’re all up high partaking of nectar from, what I think is a Cherry blossom. I’d not seen it looking so heavily laden before and it might not make my life any better. It seemed like the butterflies preferred a drop of the pinky white stuff to the yellow Celandines which meant they were up high away from my lens and not fluttering down around my feet!

Still I’d notched up 5 to this point but I didn’t add anymore on the final stretch up to the end. When I made the return journey I spied out two Small Torts but I didn’t count them so as not to double count. The first was early on in my return and was hanging about on the bank near the mountain of nut shells behind the Parrott sheds. The other was further along the path while I walked back the long way towards the field. It was in the neighbouring field again too far for my lens.

Work 23-03-2021

After the success of yesterday I again ventured forth with the mantra of fortune favouring the brave ringing in my ears I cut through the housing estate the cloud swallowed the sun up completely. Suddenly I wondered about that particular mantra but my musings were cut short as I spied a single large break in the cloud which looked to be heading the right way and at the correct speed to hit just as I reached the halfway point. So with a slight spring in my step I pressed on.

In my eagerness I arrived a little too soon but took advantage of the cooler conditions under the cloud by capturing a couple of shots of a Carder Bee. The slightly lower temperature and the shade had calmed it down and it seemed happy to sit and patiently wait, its head buried head deep in a Dandelion. Slightly further on Bee-fly was also slightly comatose in the coolness so I got a few shot of it while it was actually sitting still. As for the butterflies? Well the sun never did reach the path while I was there so they were all sitting out the cool/shade. Oh well there’s always tomorrow…

Hit and miss weather
Means hit and miss insect shots
Hope that things improve…

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wuzel

[Wurzel]

Work 24-03-2021

I did manage to get out at this lunchtime but it was still cool and cloudy. In the end it turned out to be a little too cool and cloudy with only two Small Torts seen both seen near the far end on the top of the bank near the most recently cleared sections. Tomorrow looks warmer and sunnier so hopefully things might be a bit easier although it is set to be breezier…so I might see some butterflies as they’re swept off into the distance…

Work 25-03-2021

“The sun doth shine and the wind doth blo-ow” to misquote Tenacious D pretty much summed up the weather today. When there was a lull in the wind it was beautifully tranquil else times it was very blowy and the breeze had a sharp edge to it, hacking the temperatures back down. I reckoned that the field would be a bust as it’s exposed nature would rally let the wind would really let rip and so I dove down through the housing estate to the half-way point though despite the shelter offered by hedges, walls and the buildings themselves I didn’t see anything until I was wandering along the narrow trackway.

First butterfly of the day was unsurprisingly a Small Tort at the edge of the field and so I had to pull the usual – reach hands through the fence trick which I’m getting quite good at now. It seems odd that they often position themselves with their backs to the fence – I suppose the longer tussocks of grass must make them feel secure behind and the greatest threat/mortal rival will arrive from the field?

I carry on right to the end with nothing new to add and at the end I start musing as to whether it’s going to be one of those days. My inner reflection is brought to a shattering and heart stopping finale as one of the neighbours dogs head suddenly appears a few inches from my face. I watch as it runs back towards the house, turns and sprints back across the garden launching itself at the fence so its head rears over the top like a stomach bursting Alien, a wall teeth, growls and saliva. Normally I don’t mind dogs but in this case it looks like I might need to bring a cricket bat…
On the return the wind quietens down a little and so the butterflies start making an appearance. At the large patch of Celandines near the Parrot mound I soy two Small Torts and manage a couple of shots before the breeze once again picks up and whips them away across the field when they try and move from one patch to another. When the breeze dies down again there’s another different Small Tort making it 4 for the day.

Chuffed by this I started on my walk back and for some reason found myself on the path along the back rather than cutting through the estate. I didn’t mind though as I was joined by an Oil Beetle and back on the school field there was a Peacock on the corner waiting to say hello.

Sunny yet breezy
The butterflies struggle on
Strong fragility?

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[millerd]

Nice Tortoiseshells again, Wurzel. I've noticed that they really don't seem much bothered by windy conditions and let themselves be carried around by the gusts (whereas apparently more robust Peacocks prefer to seek out sheltered sunny corners).

Cheers,

Dave

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave They certainly are less wussy than the Peacocks

Middle Street 27-03-2021

The sun was shining and my Saturday morning chores were completed so I decided to take a quick wander to Middle Street…Of course as soon as I got to the other side of the Town Path it clouded over. I swear the clouds lurk up at the Race course and wait for me to set off before they roll down the hills and across the city. Oh well I was out and I’d walked so far that I may as well push on…

Down to and around the Hotspot was all quiet so I carried on checking out the Dips. There was nothing doing here either apart from a Bee Fly. In the cloud induced cool it sat with wings beating but I could still just make out sets of spots on each which allowing me to ID it as a Bombylius discolour- Dotted Bee-fly. The black bum would have been the other feature to use and as this was lacking a line of white spots this particular individual was a male.

I did a circuit round but didn’t see much else apart from a Nuthatch down on the deck which seemed a little odd. Back at the Hotspot I snuck under the Willow and tried to use it as a bird hide. It would have worked a treat as I could focus on the bird feeders in the neighbouring garden however a set of reeds keep being blown across just at inopportune moments and the birds were a bit jittery. I spotted a black triangle in the distance in the garden and in the lightest of breaks the butterfly unfolded its wings and promptly disappeared from view. Its normally the other way round but because of where I was I was the same plane as the now flat butterfly. It stayed there for about 15 minutes, not moving and neither did I as I was hoping that it might be able to absorb just enough of the suns’ heat to enable it to take a little foray flight but alas the cloud banked back over and so my patient vigil was to no avail.

I worked back round to Dip 1 again and again all seemed quiet. A Bee-fly again caught my eye and this time it sat with its wings still so I could get a shot of the spots on the transparent wings. I lovely looking little beasty I thought and then my opinion changed somewhat as I remembered that it parasitizes various bees!

As I was disconsolately making my way back towards the Hotspot to see if the Peacock had moved an individual of that very same species flew towards me down the path, went round my head once and then flew/dropped into some vegetation at the edge of the path. It crawled about and when I leant over to try for a few shots it flashed its eyes at me no doubt trying to convince me that it wasn’t an ickle butterfly but a rabid monster!

At this juncture the weather cut me some slack and the sun didn’t so much as come out but kind of illuminated the clouds so there was a slight brightening and with it an infinitesimal increase in the temperature. It was so slight that I didn’t think it would make a difference but it was just enough to encourage the butterfly to come out and try and bask a little. I watched at it crawled rather than flew to a more open spot in the vegetation and then it opened up, starting with the slightest flicker and then each subsequent flicker became deeper and broader until it was wings a kimbo. As the cloud thickened and absorbed the sun more efficiently the Peacock was still out in the open so I offered it my finger and after a few shots in payment I placed it in a small nook in the vegetation from where it crawled back into deeper cover. This allowed me to get a nice close up view – I love that their eyes are chequered

Leaving this Peacock here I quickly made my way back to the Hotspot, dove under the Willow and scanned across the garden – the first Peacock was still place so was a different individual. Cheered by this I developed a sense of false hope and therefore made another circuit round with nothing new to add!

After lunch I took another trip out – just to Fiver Rivers but again the weather was against me and it seems that I’d used up all my luck earlier. The best I could come up with was a Tawny Mining Bee – nice but no butterfly.

A chance encounter
Despite the thick cloud cover
Peacocks shining bright

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel