18th April - Magdalen Hill Down, Hampshire

The sun was shining as I walked up the hill to the reserve at Magdalen Hill.  Entering the reserve I walked through a field of Cowslips, it seemed like there were more than there had been on my last visit.  There were plenty of Brimstones flying amongst the cowslips, both bright yellow males and the whiter females.  A Green-veined White showed well on a bramble leaf.

Then along the main path a male Brimstone nectaring on a Cowslip.

A gap in the hedge afforded views across the field covered in the yellow cowslips.

A little further along the path a view across a field looking towards Winchester.

I walked through the chalk pits and then down the hill, a patch of bramble provided an opportunity for relief and it turned out to be a very good spot.  First, Peacock, Brimstone and a few Holly Blue, then a surprise, a Green Hairstreak dropped almost in front of me.

A lovely fresh looking specimen.

THere were two about and they were pinging each other which meant they moved away from me, but provided some nice scenes with the leaves.

Leaving the hairstreaks I walked down the hill to the sheltered area at the bottom of the hill, there were a few clouds about, but when the sun came out so did the butterflies.  Brimstone, Peacock and Comma, then a small one, a Grizzled Skipper, sitting nicely on the grass.

There were at least six skippers along the bottom of the hill.

Then I came across two more Green Hairstreak.

Holly Blue were difficult to count, but there must have been at least half a dozen.  This one settled on the leaf while the sun was behind a cloud and then as the sun cam out it opened the wings to show the upper side.

Looking out across the field to the south with the clouds sending sunshine out across the fields.

As I walked along the bottom of the hill I came across a singing Lesser Whitethroat, I could see the bird but it never showed well enough.  It then became a challenge and I waited and waited and finally got an acceptable shot.

This was the ninth warbler species seen today.

I decided to walk around the perimeter of the reserve following the path away to the east at the bottom of the hill and then up the slope and back to the gate by the cemetery.  No small butterflies along the path, but plenty of Brimstone, both male and female.

At the cemetery gate there were some interesting views across the cowslip covered fields.

Looking south the variation in spring greens on the far slope was impressive.

I made my way to the path that leads through the scruby area.  Once again plenty of cowslips and a trail that winds carefully through them.

Another period of the sun behind clouds had this Holly Blue settle on a leaf.

Then slowly opening the wings to show the darker blue tips once more.

On my last visit here I had found a Dotted Bee-fly, today It was the commoner Dark-edged Bee-fly.

The cowslips have been incredible this year and as I left the reserve I had to take one more photograph, that doesn't do them justice.

A better visit than the last one here, but still awaiting some of the other early butterflies

18th April - Fishlake Meadows, Hampshire

There was some unfinished business at Fishlake Meadows, I wanted to get some photographs of Garden Warbler, Cuckoo was satisfied at Pig Bush yesterday but always nice to get one there and I was hoping that maybe the Reed Warblers might give themselves up

I arrived early and walked aground to the viewpoint again.  It was a beautiful morning, lovely sunshine and hardly any wind.  With the morning light the main lake looked lovely, but there was little to see, I had hoped for a Common Tern.

I walked back tot he canal path and quickly came across a singing Garden Warbler.  This was the place there had been one last year, but like the one earlier in the week it kept well out of sight.

There were though three Chiffchaffs and one of the Chiffchaffs was not happy with the others and was shaking the wings in threat.

From the first view point there was a very distant Cuckoo calling from the very top of one of the dead trees.  Not as close as the bird at Pig Bush this week but nice to see one here.

I walked along the canal path a little further, there were plenty of Sedge Warbler singing in the reeds and the loud bursts of Cetti's Warblers from the scrub.  I found a Sedge Warbler singing from a bush.

I walked down the centre path and at the screens there were at least four Redd Warbler singing in the reeds, but not once did they show enough for the photograph.  Coming back there were male Orange Tips about, this one nectaring on the flowers of the Cumphrey.

Plenty of Blackcaps singing now and one or two Whitethroats in the scrub created by the fallen branches.

It was warming up and the butterflies were to be seen flying up and down the canal path.  A Green-veined White settled on the newly emerged leaves of the bramble.

At the spot where the Garden Warbler was singing earlier in the week it was singing once more.  I found it at the back of the bushes so it was a case of watching and waiting for it to appear and eventually it did. 

It was a case of focusing through the branches.

Garden Warblers are secretive birds with a non conspicuous plumage, brown or olive grey there are no real features, it just appears plain and at times large eyed with a stout bill.

It moved along the branch and showed in a gap.

Having finally managed to get some shots of the Garden Warbler I moved on leaving it to disappear back into the scrub.

A Whitethroat was singing in a small Alder tree.

I came across the other Garden Warbler and decided to see if I could improve on the earlier efforts.  As I stood waiting the Garden Warbler moved about at one point I thought I had it, but it turned out to be a female Blackcap.

Finally the Garden Warbler showed at first at the back of the tree and it was a case of focusing through the branches once again.

Then it came out into the open and the task was complete some great shots.

From the view point there were Swallows, Sand Martins, House Martins and a couple of Swifts once more.  Red Kite and Buzzard were soaring over the distant trees, while a Marsh Harrier was hunting around the far meadow.

I walked around to the roadside viewpoint where there was a single Common Tern flying around the dead trees, a first for the year.

Back on the canal path there was a Cetti's Warbler singing from the bush next to me.

Having achieved one and a half of the hopes this morning, the Garden Warbler and distant Cuckoo and with the temperature quite pleasant with the sunshine I decided to move on with a search for butterflies at Magdalen Hill