23rd May - Martin Down, Hampshire - Butterflies and more

We have a heatwave, with temperatures forecast to hit thirty degrees today, so of course where do Ian and I meet, why Martin Down of course.  This year everything seems to be significantly early in emerging so we were hoping to catch up on the remainder of the early summer Butterflies and maybe a few orchids.  The day turned out to be something special later and there will be a separate post on that.  But for now we will concentrate on what we originally came for.

Walking up the hill we came across the Grizzled Skipper.

Which was quickly followed by the other skipper found at this time of year, the Dingy Skipper.

Even though it was only 8:30 there were plenty of butterflies about.  The skippers were followed by a few Small Heath.

At the top of the Bokerly Ditch is usually a good spot for the Greater Butterfly Orchid.  This is a good spot and there can be quite a few at this spot, there were spikes and a few with flowering heads.

So it was then the walk down hill alongside the dyke.  There were plenty of Dog Rose flowering on the far side of the dyke and there was a Hummingbird Hawkmoth nectaring on the flowers, but staying too far away.

This year has been heralded as a Painted Lady year, with plenty being seen moving north through the country.  On the same Dog Rose bushes we cam across one looking a little faded.

Then another, still a little faded but with damage to the wing on a different side.

A third was in much better condition.

Then two more, making five in this area.

In the entire walk today we counted fifteen Painted Lady, so yes, it looks like it is a Painted Lady year.

I walked at the bottom of the dyke and came across the first Large Skippers of the year, again, and early one.

At the footpath crossing there were more butterflies, a smart Small Copper, my first of the year.

Then the UK's smallest butterfly, the Small White.

We walked alongside the wood, and came across a couple of Brown Hare in the field.  

Coming back there was a Peacock on the path.

A Common Blue nectaring on the Trefoil.

Then a flash of electric blue and an Adonis Blue, looking a little worn settled on the seed heads.

It wasn't just butterflies, there were day flying moths too.  Here a Five-spot Burnet.

Not an adult moth, but the caterpillar of an Oak Eggar Moth.

And a Mother Shipton Moth.

The fourth "blue" of the day, a Holly BLue which has been numerous this spring.

A much better looking male Adonis Blue.  The key difference, other than the electric blue, are the dark black lines that extend to the end of the wings through the white edge.

Then just as we were thinking it wasn't going to happen we came across the butterfly that this area is known for at this time of year, the Marsh Fritillary.

But then it was gone, would there be more?  Well we did come across another but it was chased away by this feisty Brown Argus.

Another Holly Blue.

And a Grizzled Skipper showing the underwing.

The second cross roads is always a good place for Green Hairstreak, the Juniper bushes are the attraction.  It didn't take long to find one.

This area is also known for the Burnt Tip Orchids, however the last two years have not been kind to this rare chalkland orchid, last year's drought meant they were rather stunted and this year they look even smaller.  There were only two present, both circled with stones to stop them being stepped on, because they were so small.

The other chalkland rarity is the Fleawort, this one looking superb in the sunshine.

We walked to the rifle ranges and then on to the shot cropped grass.  We walked around the edge looking for Common Spotted Orchids, we found one, but just a spike.  We checker around the bushes and then crossed the grass area towards where we had seen the Frog Orchid last year.  I looked down and saw this small male Adder out in the open.  It started to crawl away, but did stop and allow some photographs.

It then started to lift the had as if feeling threatened.

It was possible to get a little closer.

And a glimpse of the forked tongue.

It then moved away and headed towards Ian who was filming it, he held his nerve and it turned away and headed into the gorse.

We walked around the range and into the smaller ranges.  It was a little taller grass here and there were several Marsh Fritillaries.

Ian then came across these two Marsh Fritillaries, initially they looked like they were mating.

But they split up very quickly and the female looked like it was searching for a suitable place to lay eggs, a good enough reason to fight off the attention of the male.

In the middle of the range there were several green Forester moths, their colour flashing in the sunshine.

Walking around the range their were plenty of butterflies, several more Brown Argus that are prepared to fight off butterflies much bigger than them.

And yet another Green Hairstreak.

There was a seat at the first range so we walked back there to have lunch.  Sitting there looking at my phone, there was a message that was of interest and changed the rest of the day.  This will form the basis of the next post and more details of the birds seen.

21st May - Pig Bush, New Forest, Hampshire

Back from Suffolk, I thought long and hard about where to go today, in the end I opted for the New Forest to look for Spotted Flycatcher, the last real common migrant I needed to see this spring.  It was a glorious day, not too hot and hopefully it would stay dry.  From the car park I walked through the wood and as I came out on to the heath a female Redstart flew from the ground to an oak tree.  I scanned the dead trees close by and immediately saw my first Spotted Flycatcher of the year at the top of the branches.

It was calling from the branches, a very thin wispy squeak, completely un hearable from below, but the bill was moving so I had to assume it was calling.

I walked across the heath and over the stream and out towards the main wood by the Rowbarrow.  There has been some rain recently and the ruts were full of water.

As I came into the wood a male Redstart dropped from a low branch to pick up something on the ground.

It then returned to the tree and sat.  it wa quite gloomy and there was the need for an high ISO.

I reached the Nightjar trees but couldn't find any Nightjars, but there were a pair of Redstart and plenty of calling.  Both adults were carrying food and it looked like there was a juvenile close by.

Some views of the female Redstart for a change.

I walked on and started to hear Redstart calling once more and they were joined by Chaffinch, and a Blackbird.  As I looked I saw a brown largish bird fly across the path and into a tree close by.  I walked down the path and found a Tawny Owl on a branch close to the trunk.

Turning to check me out.

But not that bothered with me as it started to close its eyes.

I walked around to the other side to see if the view was better.  The owl snoozing having fought off the attention of the small birds.

This was one of three Tawny Owls I have seen this year, one of my better years.

I set off out of the wood and across the heath, I was surprised to see a tractor and four by four coming along the path.  It turns out they were going on to the bog to retrieve a burnt out car that had been dumped and torched.  The funny thing though was that the cows followed the tractor out and later I saw them following it back.

Just before the small wood by the railway line, I stopped for a Willow Warbler singing and in front of me there were two Dartford Warblers calling in a small hawthorn bush.  The male was showing well.

I wa;lkled around the wood but there were hardly any Redstart, I found a pair but they were elusive.  Last year there were several Spotted Flycatchers around the cattle pens and as I walked around the area I could hear them calling, but they were very difficult to locate.  Finally I found one that had dropped to almost eye level.

I mentioned earlier the flycatcher's squeaky call and here i could hear it and you have to wonder why it needs such an open beak to deliver it.

It then moved to a closer bush, showing well.

Continued to call

Then to a branch in an area where you are likely to see a Flycatcher sitting in th eopen under an open canopy where the insects get.

Still singing.

Leaving the Spotted Flycatcher I found a male Firecrest singing close by and he also showed well.

Nice against the dark background.

Then it did this, almost lying on the branch and stretching out its wings.  Maybe sunbathing, I am not sure, but the only thing I could consider.

I walked around the wood looking fro Redstart, but without any luck.  I did come across this Song Thrush, singing from a very convenient branch.

Still images will capture the beauty of the bird, but there is a lot of beauty in the song of the Song Thrush, so I captured this with this video clip.

I walked back towards the car park with Cuckoo calling in the distance and Stonechats calling, probably feeding young.

In the wood Redstart sang and as I approached the Nightjar tree a pair of Woodlark dropped on to the path in front of me.  I don't recall ever seeing Woodlark inside a wood before.

I decided to settle in around the Redstart pair I had seen earlier feeding young.  Sitting down amongst the bracken I ate my lunch and watched the pair as they caught insects.  The male liked a particular spot on the oak tree opposite and returned regularly.

A lovely morning in the forest and I managed to find my target bird and a little bit more.