Cheers Goldie
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
I better start sorting out the next one now then
Shipton Bellinger 03-08-2021
It was time I felt to start my annual series of visits to Shipton Bellinger. I’d seen one of the first Brostreaks in the country already and so I was hoping that during my sojourn in Wales the Brostreaks would have started emerging at Shipton and so kit loaded into the boot, lime pickle liberally spread over sandwiches and Iron Maiden blaring I set off for my ‘No Quite So Local Patch’.
My enthusiasm meant that I arrived a good hour before the typical curtain call so I set about examining the Hedge looking for likely perching and feeding spots. I’d only just started on my recce when I got chatting to another enthusiast, a friendly chap called Ian who was trying to photograph all the butterflies of Hampshire. After pointing him in roughly the right direction for Walls I carried on along the hedge. It felt like more and more butterflies were appearing with each footstep I took. There were plenty each of Hedgies (or at this time of year what I refer to as ‘False Streaks’) and Meadow Browns and this gave me an opportunity to freshen my memory about how they behave differently to my target quarry; less jinky, more flappy and often coming back down low or flying out to the fields rather than heading up and into the depths of the hedge. By the time I’d reached the corner at the far end of the hedge I’d added a nice Peacock and Small White to the list of shots but the Small Tort, Green-veined White, Red Admiral and numerous Holly Blues had all played hard to get. A Comma paused on the corner possibly as consolation.
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I pressed on as I had a few more likely spots to look into and as I wandered I continued seeing similar species and added a few Brimstones to the days tally as they were all hanging out in the little section which butts up to the main road. I was starting to wonder if perhaps the Brosteaks had yet to put in an appearance but when I reached the Nettle Bed I soon saw that they must have emerged as there were a couple of trackways/trampled paths leading deep into the Nettles. Noting these spots to try later (as it was still before the golden hours) I followed the narrow track and worked my way back round to the main hedge. Along the way there were a few more nice bits in amidst the metaphorical sea of browns – another Comma, another Red Admiral and a Large White. Once back along the Hedge I managed to catch up with the Small Tort and there were also (probably the same ones) Commas and Red Admirals as well some Holly Blues that had now started to come down a little lower now that the day was warming up. Checking in with Ian who was still staking out the little area just after the start of the hedge I carried on round. On the main track a horse or three had left their packets of fertiliser and a brace of Holly Blue were feasting on the salts and moisture. I do like to anthropomorphise so to my mind they looked a little like a couple on a first date, one which wasn’t going too well though as one of them promptly turned their back on the other and wandered off to another part of the turd.
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Loving the Lovers to their tiff I walked back round to the main hedge and once I reached the first hot spot I spotted something almost immediately. Ian who was still surveilling spotted something too so while he followed one I kept a beady eye on the other. My one flitted about along the tops of the trees and then landed up high for a while. Luckily it then came back down and after a dizzying and jinking run settled down about just above head height. Keeping my eyes fixed on it I gingerly approached and raising my arms up with camera set of autofocus I was all ready to click away when it took to the air once more. Cursing I again watched its jinking run and then it settled once more but this time even lower down and even closer! Chuffed by tis accommodating nature I actually managed to click away at this cracking male Brostreak.
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Once this one had flown I nipped back round the corner to check on the dating couple and things still weren’t going well so I left them to it in the hope that they would iron out their differences and set off on another trawl of the hedge and other environs. As I began a small orange blur caught my eye. It was too small to be a Brostreak but I had an inkling that it was one of the ‘distractor moffs’ that fly at this time of year in exactly the same places as Brostreaks and cause so much “is/was that one?” confusion. Unusually this one actually landed and so I managed a few snaps of what is, for now, an unknown moff – although it does remind me of a Brick? After a quick chat Ian decided that it was time for him to find his Wall and almost as soon as he set off I spotted another Brostreak up high (possibly the one Ian had followed earlier?). Too high for me, I could only manage a record shot but Ian came back and with his telephoto lens pulled off some cracking shots of a lusciously fresh male. I carry on and bump into Alan Thornbury for the first time ever – and say a massive thank you as his website put me onto so many of my ‘firsts’. Eventually my wandering took me along the hedge, through the small section and onto the Nettle Bed. I paused at the edge for another pair of Holly Blues out on a hot date. Again things looked like they were going south; one was sat at the table eating away whilst the other remained propping up the bar!
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I made straight for the far end of the Nettle Bed to the little inlet that had been trampled previously and once there I stood and waited patiently scanning about and checking each of the creeping Thistle tops in turn. There were the ubiquitous Browns and a Brimstone which seemed like a poor return and then, as if by magic, there before me was a male Brostreak. I swear that it hadn’t been there before because just a few seconds previously I’d been staring intently at the exact same flower top that it was now feeding on. After a few shots I stood back and just watched it while it fussed away feeding. In previous years they’ve favoured one particular flower, in one case staying fixed to the spot for a couple of hours. This one however had quickly had his fill as he abruptly took off and jinked his way to the top of a Field Maple. I carried on, my return route taking me back along the tiny path which was all quiet save for a Comma, Red Admiral and a Smessex. Then it back along the Hedge with the usual suspects and plenty of talking and watching the Hedge.
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It stayed quiet so I set off back towards the Nettle Bed and I’m joined on the way by another gent who has never seen a Brostreak before. As we walk I scan the Hedge just in case as well as checking out all the little nooks and crannies in the little patch next to the road but to no avail. We even draw a blank at the little trample inlet. Wondering what was up with them this year we head back and then I spot one out of the corner of my eye. It’s hiding down among some Creeping Thistles; crawling in between them so a clear view isn’t really possible. Eventually it breaks from cover but it was off up to the top of the Maple again; they seemed quite flighty this season?
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I set up shop and wait for it to come back down passing the time by munching down on my favourite sandwich – extra hot lime pickle with a sprinkling of Nootch. I’m only a couple of bites in when the other gent calls out as he’s found on in the creeping thistles at the edge of the narrow track. With the chilli burning a hole in my cheek I scurried round and this one was far better behaved than any of its predecessors and was in very fine fettle too! After a quite a few shots I wander back to where the Brostreak had been hiding before and carry on to the end where sure enough one is down in the initial trampled inlet.
Brilliant stuff and so almost all Brostreaked out I wander blissfully back to the car, crank up Maiden and make for Perham!
Lots of Hedge watching
Which eventually pays off
With Shipton Brostreaks!
Have a goodun and stay safe
Wurzel