Wurzel

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Wurzel,

I was looking at your Caterpillar and thought, hmmm..could be a Scarlet Tiger, but wasn't sure.

I then scrolled down and saw Pete's ID....Yes, I'm getting better at it

Cheers,

Neil F.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Neil - it's good when you get an ID right isn't it

What happened??

I had high hopes for the weekend which unfortunately didn’t come to fruition. The weather was steadily improving as the week progressed with temperatures rising nicely and so I was working out where I should go in order to add a few more species to my tally for the year.
I quick walk around at lunchtime saw a single Peacock and it was feeling decidedly cooler. Then on Saturday despite the glorious sun shining the temperature struggled to get near to double figures. I set out anyway at lunchtime in the hope that a small break in the cloud would bring out the butterflies. The gardens on the way to Middle Street offered up a few bees, but only two species which I took to be a bad omen.

Once at Middle Street I spent a good hour wandering forward and back checking all the likely looking sites and nectar sources with no joy. I did see my first Garden and Sedge Warblers of the year, a Kingfisher shot past me along the river but apart from a few Carder Bees there was nowt about. Things didn’t get any better as the clouds rolled over and then it started to rain before finally hailing and then turning back to rain. I headed home and as I trudged and dripped towards my front door.
Sunday wasn’t much better really if anything it was colder and cloudier. Still we had a family walk at Garston so I took my camera just in case and settled for taking photos of the wild flowers. The Bluebells are just starting to show in numbers and in a week or two there should be the carpets they’re famous for but the Wild Garlic doesn’t have an flower heads at all.

How did he sneak in there?

On the final stretch something rustling near a log caught my eye/ear so I stalked in closer and took a few rapid shots of a Shrew, my first ever.

So walk over and not one butterfly all weekend. I’ve read in various books that “such and such species emerges in...and reaches maximum numbers in...”; does the slow start to the season mean that these dates will be correct now or will species go into overdrive should we (ever) get any reasonable weather? Still next week looks good, right up until the bank holiday weekend ...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[essexbuzzard]

I recon we are going to be behind throughout the season,Wurzel.
We must be running a good three weeks late,in the south at least,and i cannot see us making up such a lot of lost ground.

[Wurzel]

It feels like even more here in Salisbury Essex! Still you've got to keep plugging away at it...

Work and after...

After the weekend which failed to deliver it was back to work but during my lunch I nipped out to the “outback”/wild area to see what I could find. A good selection of bees with 8 species and a possible spider wasp as well as a new shield bug and a few hover flies kept me occupied for the 20 or so minutes before I had to head back in to the grindstone.

On the journey home I was straining my eyes along the banks and verges hoping to see some whites but even though I took the back roads there were none about. I stopped for all of 2 minutes near a place called Coombe and Sand Martins were going crazy along the river but apart from a very brief encounter with a Small Tort there was nothing else of note.

Once home I took the girls to the park and again drew a butterfly blank, surely things will improve soon? In the meantime I covering the miles to build up my karma in preparation for some visits I’m planning later in the season.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Nick Broomer]

Hi Wurzel,

your first photo of the Shield Bug is just great, well done.

All the best, Nick.

[ChrisC]

and if you want an ID for the bug Tritomegas bicolor , pied shield bug.

[Neil Freeman]

It feels like even more here in Salisbury Essex! Still you've got to keep plugging away at it...
Wurzel

Hee hee, read this a bit too quickly at first and thought 'hang on, Salisbury is not in Essex .....then I read it again

Some more nice shots there Wurzel

Cheers,

Neil F.

[Wurzel]

Cheers for the kind comments (and ID ) guys

May

Here's hoping this month is when it finally gets going!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Philzoid]

Some more nice shots there Wurzel

Have to agree. I particularly like the of the bee carrying pollen on his face.

When I was a kid I used to find dead shrews all the time. I've also heard them (high pitched squeak) but I've yet to see one alive

Phil

[Wurzel]

Cheers Philzoid The last time I time I saw a live Shrew before this sighting was when I was a kid. I was helping out my Grandad with his landscaping business and I moved an old log, tried to pick up the shrew that fell out so it didn't get brained by all the other logs we were clearing and it bit me. That's gratitude for you!

Work is full steam ahead at the moment so I haven't had time to sort through my photos but looking about here and there today I managed to see my first Red Admiral, Orange-tip, Speckled Wood, Green-Veined White and Large White along with Brimstone, Small Whites and a Peacock it was a pretty good day

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Work and home...

Yesterday was a golden day for me (although nowhere near as good as Dave's!). After over 3 months of searching, scanning the verges, visiting particular key sites and walking mile upon mile there were finally butterflies all around. My yearly tally went from a hard fought 5 to an easy 10 within the space of 9 hours!

It started with my first Red Admiral of the year on my drive to work. I pulled up at a set of traffic lights and looked out of my side window at the shops lining the pavement. There flitting along a window pane was a Red Admiral when it reached the corner it settled against the corner pane. It looked browner than a Peacock and once it settled I could see the red stripes. Then I realised why its identification had been so tricky – it was inside the shop trying to get out. That’s why it had appeared brown, I was seeing the underside and I wouldn’t have seen the usual view from above had it not been for the corner window. The lights changed and I drove on, tally up to 6!

Once at work I settled down to it but cringed every time I caught a glimpse of a distant white! At lunch I headed out, camera slung over my shoulder, to the wildlife area. Amongst the bees and the blessed Spider Wasp that I keep failing to get a shot off there were Masons, Mining, Ashy Mining, Tawny and Carder Bees but no butterflies. So I headed in and then a Large White flew over the fence from the railway embankment and landed on a Dandelion (tally up to 7). I tried to get as close as I could but it was fully charged so shot off with barely a chance for a record shot.

Further along behind the old sheds there were a couple of Small Whites and one decided to feed on a Dandelion that was more in the shade and this seemed to have a calming effect so I was able to make a much closer approach.

I then had to wait until after work to try for a few more butterflies. I pulled into a lay-by on one of the back roads that I’ve been sussing out for a few weeks now. It turned out to be a butterfly magnet. A couple of male Brimstones were knocking around as well as a couple of Small Whites and a Green Veined which refused to play nice and come out of the vegetation so I could get a clear shot of it (tally up to !

Then what I was really hoping for arrived, a male Orange-tip shot by like a rocket, quickly followed by another. I set my camera to sport mode as grabbed flight shots seemed the only way to get anything as they weren’t stopping for anything or no-one! Still tally up to 9.

While I was messing around trying to get some shots of Brimstone a Speckled Wood put in a very brief appearance before deciding it was far too crowded and shot by (tally up to 10) so I went back to trying to get flight shots of Brimstone.

I then realised that I’d been here for a whole 8 minutes and I better head home before I was missed! However I called in at another stop off pint where I’ve seen this and that but missed photographing a Peacock on several occasions. As I pulled up I spotted some movement, got out camera in hand, got my shots and was back on the road in 2 minutes!

The photos are well below par but that’s the thing with whites at this time of year – they are really flighty, seldom stopping for long enough to even make an approach. Still now they’re here and I’ve started seeing them the pressure is off effectively and I’m sure there will be other opportunities . A few morning or early evening visits should find them more accommodating .

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Looks like a brilliant day to me, Wurzel!

I'm very envious of the open-wing Brimstone...

And I still haven't seen a Large White around these here parts yet.

Dave

[Paul Harfield]

I then realised that I’d been here for a whole 8 minutes and I better head home before I was missed! However I called in at another stop off pint where I’ve seen this and that but missed photographing a Peacock on several occasions.

Hi Wurzel
Good to see you getting your tally up. It is obviously thirsty work Stopping off for a quick one

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave - tell you what I'll swap all of my tally for just one of your Green Hairstreaks!

Cheers Jack - that's the danger of mixing typing and drinking, especially when it's a "Crafty Old Hen"

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

especially when it's a "Crafty Old Hen"

Wurzel

That's just what I've been drinking this evening after my exertions! Wonderful value when you can get them at three for a fiver...

Dave

[David M]

Good stuff, Wurzel. Nice glimpse of the Brimstone's upperwings there.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave, literally I was contemplating trying the Hen for a while and then the 3 for fiver offer appeared and it seemed like far to good an opportunity to miss. I might start stockpiling them for when the offer ends!

Cheers Dave If only it had been a bit sharper focused, oh well something to try for again.

Enrichment

The enrichment lessons finally came to fruition yesterday when we went out with cameras round the local area. We ended up at a local nature reserve of course and while they were looking to get images for a photo competition I kept my eyes open for butterflies. First up was a Peacock contrasting gloriously with the yellow of a Dandelion.

A little further on a Small White and Brimstone put in an appearance and were gone again almost as quickly only to be replaced with a Small Tortoiseshell which wasn’t in the worst state of repair but wasn’t exactly fresh either.

As we entered the reserve it started off as down land and Brimstones flitted along the hedge line a pair of Peacocks were disturbed by my charges and tore away down the down so we followed them and on into a small area of original “fen”. Once in the dappled fen, stomping on boardwalks the pupils put up a Speckled Wood, Small White and at one point they stood agog watching a pair of Green Veined whites spiralling upwards locked together in coitus. The return journey was much more rushed as we had to get back for the buses but there were the pair of Peacocks and they were joined by 2 male Orange-tips and a female Brimstone.
We were almost back at the school when we encountered a pair of Small Whites. They separated as we approached but one didn’t fly very far and looked almost lemon in colour which I thought at first was just because of the under wings. When I relocated it I noticed that its wings were torn and crumpled and it looked more cream/very pale lemon in colour than white?

Hopefully we’ll be able to get out again in a fortnights time and by then there may be a few more Specklies and possibly a blue or two?
Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Lovely Peacock, Wurzel - it makes you think when you realise it's probably been around for the best part of nine, possibly ten, months... And the Small White - definitely a lemon tinge. But that must be the third one I've seen posted here which has been deformed in some way (the first one I saw was, too). I wonder why?

Dave

(PS - I think the offer closes on 22nd May, but I'd check... )

[Neil Freeman]

Lovely Peacock, Wurzel - it makes you think when you realise it's probably been around for the best part of nine, possibly ten, months...

I was thinking this with some of the early Peacocks that I have seen over the past couple of years then I remembered last year when I saw loads of fresh example at a local spot one weekend and by the next weekend they had all but disappeared.
Last year they were up to 4 weeks later out around here than normal and went into hibernation very quickly, maybe helps explain why some of them still look fresh.

Nice shots as usual Wurzel, keep it up

Neil F.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave for info, and also the confirmation that it's not just my bleary eyes seeing things
Cheers Neil for the kind comments

I'm running a bit behind, I'm still on Friday!

Football Rescue Friday

Having written a post on earlier in the week bemoaning how annoying Whites are at this time of year which ended with something along the lines of “I’m sure I’ll get other opportunities this season” I didn’t expect the opportunity to come so soon. On Friday we were just starting the Friday 5 a-side football staff vs year 11 game when I had to call time as a Large White landed on the floor of the Sports Hall. Luckily this one was the first time in a very long time when we had enough team members to have subs, so I transferred him to the ref, played and when I went off I legged it back to the lab to get my camera and a few shots. As I didn’t know when the next time I’d be able to get this close I tried for the classic shots, side one, open wing, close up and after he realized that I meant him no harm he seemed to like my company, climbing up onto my hand and perching on my finger tip! In the end I took him outside and placed him amongst a large group of Dandelions before heading back to come on and play again. I don’t know what tired me out more – playing the rest of the game or the run to get my camera?

I was lucky enough to leave early as I needed to get home to speak to a man about some windows but to calm myself down I pulled in briefly to the lay-by in Enford. It wasn’t as packed as usual but there was a Peacock, 2 male Orange-tips patrolling a few Small Whites and also a Green Veined White popped in and stayed for a while. The windows got sorted once I was back as well, which was nice.

Over the weekend I was away in Worcester so didn’t get out to start looking for my nemesis but next weekend little green butterflies better beware!!

Have a goodun

Wurzel