A couple of weeks ago I paid a visit to Riverside Park Nature reserve, Guildford and noticed a profusion of cuckoo flower … ideal for Orange-tips and perhaps a little bit more ‘peaceful’ than my usual haunt for this species:- the Basingstoke canal towpath in Woking which has become severely ‘inundated’ lately.
The day didn’t get off to a good start when I realised I’d left the one of my camera’s batteries on the charger at home
. Switching lenses between my two DSLR’s would be the order of the day.
The Cuckoo flower plants were in full bloom as I headed along to the boardwalk area. However, the first butterfly I was to see was a very obliging Red Admiral.
Next butterfly seen was my first for the season Peacock. Although they turned out to be in plentiful numbers, unlike the Red admiral they were very alert and very difficult to get the lens on them. Later on, I managed one or two passable shots.
The next butterfly was what I’d come to see, an Orange-tip, a male patrolling in the way that they do, checking out all the cuckoo flower, tantalisingly close to landing but never doing so.
I wasn’t going to give up of course and followed him backwards and forwards along the boardwalk … and in the end he surprised me and put down some 6 foot away from the boards. I don’t think I’ve ever managed to photo an Orange-tip in near midday sun. Generally, if you want to get pictures the best time is in the late afternoon when they are settling down to roost.
Afterwards I made my way back to the car, planning on going to Chiddingfold. As I approached the exit gate I saw two butterflies do battle and one return to a clump of nettles next to the gate. The butterfly was a Small Tortoiseshell, which although considered common is quite a rare sight in Woking, (just up the road from Guildford and my part of Surrey). The butterfly was readily spooked but it had a strong affinity for the nettles, always returning to guard its territory. A chap I’d met earlier when shown the butterfly said: - “I thought that was a Red Admiral”? It seems a common mistake but I was able to show him the Red Admiral on my camera taken earlier.
At Botany Bay Chiddingfold I made my way along the track and was immediately met with a male Brimstone which conveniently stopped to refuel on a dandelion. All I’d seen this year were a couple of fly-bys, so it was good to be able to get in fairly close to get a shot off.
I counted around 15 in total over the two hours I was there, all but two were males.
Although primrose flowers were more plentiful the Brimstones erred to the Dandelions (perhaps because they yield more or better quality nectar
).
As I moved along the ride I kept putting up Peacocks which would re-settle a further 10 or so yards further on. Focussing on one individual I crept up slowly and then a Holly Blue hove into view
. Which one to go for
……. The Holly Blue, I bet Wurzel hasn’t seen one of them yet
.
The Holly blue jinked around a few inches above the ground occasionally alighting to take salts. By the time I’d finished with it, the Peacock was gone … but there would be plenty more (all more difficult to get near to than I ever remember a Peacock being.) The Holly Blue took my seasons tally to seven.
The ride bends to the right for around 50 yards then straightens again before heading down to a little bridge then upwards to the “triangle”. The ‘50 yarder section’ yielded another Holly Blue (I’d seen them in this area in previous years, one of them even landing on my camera
)
Beyond the little bridge the track leading to the triangle is usually the first spot you see Wood Whites when you go in mid-May – June (1st brood) or late July (2nd brood). As my normal first call on Chiddingfold is in May I had to keep reminding myself to switch off thinking about the Wood Whites .. that is still to come. There were plenty of Brimstones (15); Peacocks (20+) plus a single Orange-tip and Comma put in an appearance as well as Green Tiger beetles along the track (none of which I could get close enough to for a decent shot). My only disappointment was not seeing a Speckled Wood.
Sunshine, sounds of spring, solitude and seven species … can’t get much better, can it
Phil