Re: David M
Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:06 pm
Sunday 30th June 2013 - 14 hour day....
Spent the day in the illuminating company of Willrow (Bill) today, searching for the elusive Black Hairstreak in both Whitecross Green Wood and then Bernwood Forest.
I'm delighted to say we saw about a dozen of these striking insects, most notably in the much frequented pond area of Whitecross, where a minimum of 5 were seen in the scrubby area by the water, and another absolute minimum of 3 in the main ride by the entrance to the pond.
They were frustrating subjects at first, and it was only when Bill and I decided to come away from the pond area that I got lucky and saw one at chest level on some blackthorn:
It was only when an egg-laying female was spotted that we all got a reasonably close audience:
I think she may have actually just laid an egg in this image, but she flew out at this point and in my determination to track her I obviously lost sight of the original spot where she'd been twisting her abdomen round the fresh growth:
I wasn't the only UKB'er seeing this species for the first time - Rob S was also present and managed to get a few decent shots in - we also traded insect repellant!
Bill and I moved on to Bernwood Forest down the lane, but although we didn't see any Marbled Whites, we DID find another two Black Hairstreaks in the compensation area right next to the M40 motorway. This was between 4.15 and 5pm, so this species will fly quite late into the afternoon.
Not too many other species about to be honest. I had half hoped to see a Silver Washed Fritillary but no doubt in a week's time these will be around in decent numbers. Ringlets were around in decent numbers but that will become a 'given' in a week or so.
All in all, a marathon day (I left a grey and drizzly Swansea at 7am and returned to a grey and drizzly Swansea at 9.30pm), but a highly rewarding one.
Spent the day in the illuminating company of Willrow (Bill) today, searching for the elusive Black Hairstreak in both Whitecross Green Wood and then Bernwood Forest.
I'm delighted to say we saw about a dozen of these striking insects, most notably in the much frequented pond area of Whitecross, where a minimum of 5 were seen in the scrubby area by the water, and another absolute minimum of 3 in the main ride by the entrance to the pond.
They were frustrating subjects at first, and it was only when Bill and I decided to come away from the pond area that I got lucky and saw one at chest level on some blackthorn:
It was only when an egg-laying female was spotted that we all got a reasonably close audience:
I think she may have actually just laid an egg in this image, but she flew out at this point and in my determination to track her I obviously lost sight of the original spot where she'd been twisting her abdomen round the fresh growth:
I wasn't the only UKB'er seeing this species for the first time - Rob S was also present and managed to get a few decent shots in - we also traded insect repellant!
Bill and I moved on to Bernwood Forest down the lane, but although we didn't see any Marbled Whites, we DID find another two Black Hairstreaks in the compensation area right next to the M40 motorway. This was between 4.15 and 5pm, so this species will fly quite late into the afternoon.
Not too many other species about to be honest. I had half hoped to see a Silver Washed Fritillary but no doubt in a week's time these will be around in decent numbers. Ringlets were around in decent numbers but that will become a 'given' in a week or so.
All in all, a marathon day (I left a grey and drizzly Swansea at 7am and returned to a grey and drizzly Swansea at 9.30pm), but a highly rewarding one.