Re: Bugboys mission
Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2015 7:57 pm
3rd October, looking for the LTB......again
So on Saturday I decided to have another shot at getting a sighting of a LTB, down at Newhaven again. Another early start with fog for most of the journey down but arriving at the site, the sun started burning through and the sun came out. Unlike Wednesday there was only the merest whisper of a breeze which meant that it felt decidedly warmer, things seemed very promising . In between checking the two main patches of Everlasting Pea, the ‘puny’ patch where the LTB were seen mating and the huge swathe which stretches for about 40 meters along a bramble hedge, I did some proper Birdwatching as well, something I’ve not done since the spring. I’ve never seen Dunlin before so that was a nice one to tick off, And there was still a nice flock of Redshank feeding in the channel running along the north side of the site. There were lots of flocks of small passerines feeding in the scrubby patches, Green & Goldfinch, Meadow Pipits, Skylarks, Linnets to name a few.
I also noticed lots of these caterpillar webbings. I think they are young Brown-tail Moth cats unless anyone more knowledgeable says differently. As the day warmed up a few butterflies began to appear. Like Wednesday Small Whites were the commonest species but I also saw one each of Large and Green-veined, here’s a nice one for you David M. At one stage I missed a few heartbeats when I caught sight in my peripheral vision of something rather large crawling up my arm.... A couple of Small Heath were still flitting around, a Comma made a fleeting appearance and I had a couple of Red Admiral visitations but I only came across the one Small Copper this time. To make up for the lack of numbers she happened to be a lovely fresh animal and posed for me for some time. Remembering the ovipositing female from Wednesday I decided to see if I could locate the egg she laid on the stone. I surprised myself in finding it quickly despite the stone having rolled down the slope. After a few pics I wedged it up against some Sorrel leaves in the shade. They really are miniature marvels when seen close up. Still no sign of any LTB’s though, until I was slowly walking up and down the large swathe of Peas, something small and lycid like flitted past along the hedge. With the sun behind me it looked pale brown and had a ‘jinking’ flight pattern. I tried to follow it but it vanished only to reappear a couple of minutes later whereby it flew off across the channel of water.....never to be seen again ! Having no experience of LTB’s I can’t be sure of what I saw, it just looked like what I would expect them to look like, or maybe it was just wishful thinking .
Well a couple of minutes later another small thing fluttered by along the fence line of the scrapyard that borders the site. This time the sun was in my face so I wasn’t able to make out any colours or pattern. The little blighter tormented me for some time, flying back and forth until it eventually settled long enough for me to identify a male Vapouror . He’s lucky I’m not a collector, I might have caught and pinned him out of spite!
I figured my luck was out today but one last consolation prize was this absolute stunner of a Peacock who landed and basked in the hazy sun. 4th October
I woke up Sunday and decided to give it one last shot. What with work and the current weather forcast it was probably going to be my last chance.
The journey took longer than planned, the dreaded bus replacement service (which I wasn’t aware of until after I’d bought the tickets) added nearly an hour so I got there not long before noon, almost immediately bumping into B’rex again who was with a fellow butterflyer. Thankfully for me no LTB’s had been seen yet. Unfortunately that remained the state of play for the rest of the day. A very fresh male Clouded yellow was seen but didn’t settle long enough to grab a snap. Other than a few Small whites and a couple of Small Heath that was it for the day.
I did however manage to tick off another avian lifer. A pale wader caught my eye and at the time neither Rex or I could ID it, my gut feeling kept saying ‘Grey Plover’ but it wasn’t until I got home that my suspicions were confirmed. So no LTB’s but certainly not a wasted weekend. Overall 32 bird species and 9 Butterfly species seen.
So on Saturday I decided to have another shot at getting a sighting of a LTB, down at Newhaven again. Another early start with fog for most of the journey down but arriving at the site, the sun started burning through and the sun came out. Unlike Wednesday there was only the merest whisper of a breeze which meant that it felt decidedly warmer, things seemed very promising . In between checking the two main patches of Everlasting Pea, the ‘puny’ patch where the LTB were seen mating and the huge swathe which stretches for about 40 meters along a bramble hedge, I did some proper Birdwatching as well, something I’ve not done since the spring. I’ve never seen Dunlin before so that was a nice one to tick off, And there was still a nice flock of Redshank feeding in the channel running along the north side of the site. There were lots of flocks of small passerines feeding in the scrubby patches, Green & Goldfinch, Meadow Pipits, Skylarks, Linnets to name a few.
I also noticed lots of these caterpillar webbings. I think they are young Brown-tail Moth cats unless anyone more knowledgeable says differently. As the day warmed up a few butterflies began to appear. Like Wednesday Small Whites were the commonest species but I also saw one each of Large and Green-veined, here’s a nice one for you David M. At one stage I missed a few heartbeats when I caught sight in my peripheral vision of something rather large crawling up my arm.... A couple of Small Heath were still flitting around, a Comma made a fleeting appearance and I had a couple of Red Admiral visitations but I only came across the one Small Copper this time. To make up for the lack of numbers she happened to be a lovely fresh animal and posed for me for some time. Remembering the ovipositing female from Wednesday I decided to see if I could locate the egg she laid on the stone. I surprised myself in finding it quickly despite the stone having rolled down the slope. After a few pics I wedged it up against some Sorrel leaves in the shade. They really are miniature marvels when seen close up. Still no sign of any LTB’s though, until I was slowly walking up and down the large swathe of Peas, something small and lycid like flitted past along the hedge. With the sun behind me it looked pale brown and had a ‘jinking’ flight pattern. I tried to follow it but it vanished only to reappear a couple of minutes later whereby it flew off across the channel of water.....never to be seen again ! Having no experience of LTB’s I can’t be sure of what I saw, it just looked like what I would expect them to look like, or maybe it was just wishful thinking .
Well a couple of minutes later another small thing fluttered by along the fence line of the scrapyard that borders the site. This time the sun was in my face so I wasn’t able to make out any colours or pattern. The little blighter tormented me for some time, flying back and forth until it eventually settled long enough for me to identify a male Vapouror . He’s lucky I’m not a collector, I might have caught and pinned him out of spite!
I figured my luck was out today but one last consolation prize was this absolute stunner of a Peacock who landed and basked in the hazy sun. 4th October
I woke up Sunday and decided to give it one last shot. What with work and the current weather forcast it was probably going to be my last chance.
The journey took longer than planned, the dreaded bus replacement service (which I wasn’t aware of until after I’d bought the tickets) added nearly an hour so I got there not long before noon, almost immediately bumping into B’rex again who was with a fellow butterflyer. Thankfully for me no LTB’s had been seen yet. Unfortunately that remained the state of play for the rest of the day. A very fresh male Clouded yellow was seen but didn’t settle long enough to grab a snap. Other than a few Small whites and a couple of Small Heath that was it for the day.
I did however manage to tick off another avian lifer. A pale wader caught my eye and at the time neither Rex or I could ID it, my gut feeling kept saying ‘Grey Plover’ but it wasn’t until I got home that my suspicions were confirmed. So no LTB’s but certainly not a wasted weekend. Overall 32 bird species and 9 Butterfly species seen.