This Whitethroat appearing in the bramble briefly just gave me the opportunity to use the new camera in anger for the first time, a bit grainy though to start
Swifts could be seen over Efford Lake so we walked along the cycle path to get a better view. There were at least six Swifts hawking across and over the lake, and they were joined by Sand Martin and Swallows. As always the Swifts were a challenge to photograph.
On the far shore of the lake there was a feeding Common Sandpiper, this always seems to be a regular spot for them in the late summer.
There was a lot of activity in the surrounding bushes, and also a lot of inactivity as birds sat in the open taking in the sunshine. Little blobs of white and cream would turn out to be Whitethroat following closer inspection.
The warmth from the sun after the heavy rain of Friday was proving to be a strong attraction, and allowed us to get quite close, another Whitethroat.
And a Chiffchaff that was calling.
With the amount of activity in the bushes we considered it a good idea to walk the track into Keyhaven. Various calls from the bushes and trees were heard, and across the marsh more calls which turned out to belong to young Linnets.
Unfortunately despite the activity there was nothing unusual to be found. We took the opportunity to view the lake at the other side of Keyhaven harbour. There was a little mud showing, and here we disturbed a Common Sandpiper that flew off across the water and out of sight.
Just as we turned to walk to the sea wall I picked up a large swift that turned out to be a Hobby flying over the houses and then heading towards the west and the outer harbour.
There was a large roost of Black-tailed Godwits in the harbour along with Redshank and several Turnstone. We walked along the sea wall where young Pied Wagtail patrolled the edge of the water and juvenile Linnets called from the grass.
Keyhaven lagoon was extremely quiet, dominated by Black-headed Gulls and one immature Great Black-backed Gull. There was no sign of any waders at all on the lagoon, but out on the saltmarsh there were many Curlew.
As we reached the west end of Keyhaven Lagoon a Wheatear was present on the far bank.
Fishtail was as equally quiet, with plenty of mud that should be attractive to waders but no one seems to have told them. There was a lone Common Sandpiper on the shingle island. However from the back of Key haven a skein of around 150 Canada Geese could, at first, be heard but ten seen as they flew low over the marsh and then turned to land on Fishtail. The Common Sandpiper then became engulfed by honking Canada Geese.
In amongst the Canada Geese were three Barnacle Geese, two of which took a liking to the Sandpipers place on the shingle island.
On the eastern end of the island were two Avocet, and adult and juvenile. We headed off to Butts Bay where there were plenty of Redshank but very few other waders, a Dunlin called and flew past, but that was it. Off the salt marsh there were five immature Eider, and Ian picked up a Peregrine heading east high over the water. On the lagoon there were several Coot,and a few tatty Mallard. There was a sizeable roost of Redshank, and sheltering from the increasing wind at the end of one of the reed islands was a single Black-tailed Godwit and two Spotted Redshank.
At Pennington Lagoon there were more Redshank and Curlew, and a single Greenshank.
On reaching the end of Pennington Lagoon a dog on the beach flushed a Wheatear from sea weed on the beach and it flew across the water and settled on a small mound on the far side. This time the Wheatear was a little closer to us.
We walked around the sea wall with very little about. Out on the water a single Great Crested Grebe, and on one of the spits the usual roosting Eider. On Oxey Marsh there was a Greenshank roosting with a Redshank, while a dog decided to ignore the shouts of its owner and leapt into the water to chase off a Little Egret.
We were heading for Normandy Marsh, and as we passed Eight Acre Lake there were quite a few waders on the rocks and sea weed. The most dominant were Redshank, they seemed to be everywhere today, thank goodness they were because if they hadn't been about there would have been no birds at all. There was a count of 24 Ringed Plover and 16 Dunlin feeding on the mud.
It was not much better at Normandy. We scanned the open water finding small numbers of Dunlin and Ringed Plover. There were two Greenshank, but once again it was the Redshank that was present in good numbers.
We headed back taking the footpath past the boating lake and four Little Grebe out in open water. The path led to Lower Woodside Lane. On the wire above us was a Swallow.
A little further along, looking out into the fields I saw a small bird drop from the hedge onto the ground. I thought it might be a Robin, but decided to check which was a worthwhile exercise as the "Robin" turned out to be a smart male Redstart. It was distant, and this is at best a record shot of the Redstart.
Coming out onto Lower Pennington Lane we came across more Whitethroats, today has been dominated by Whitethroats and Redshank. Back in the car park we had lunch and debated where to go next, the outcome was a trip to Shipton Bellinger on the Hampshire - Wiltshire border. Our quest were two special butterflies, and we hoped that the sun would stay out to encourage them to show.
It took just over an hour to get to Shipton, I had been once before a couple of years ago and had to try and recall exactly where to park. This was in a small car park close to the Village Hall and alongside the re-cycling bins.
The sun was out as we set off along the bridleway north from the car park. We came across someone who informed us that both target species had been seen, however the one that Ian was more interested in appears to have a window when it can be seen low down in the scrub. That window closed at 14.30, it was now 13.20, so time was of the essence.
Walking along the bridleway there were both Large and Small Whites, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown, on reaching a crossroads I picked up a Holly Blue that was settling on the bramble flowers.
The chalk path then opens out into a large field, and ahead of us was a bank of mixed trees including Ash trees, and below it plenty of scrub including Hawthorn, Blackthorn and Bramble. It was along here two years ago that I had found the butterfly we were initially searching for.
Once again there was plenty of Meadow Brown about, and the slightly smaller Gatekeeper that would set the heart racing as they are similar to the target species. Brimstones were also around in plenty, posing nicely on the small purple flowers.
Both male and female were present, the shape of the wings very similar to taht of a leaf.
Unintentionally Ian and I had split up, it happens when you wander with your head down staring into the scrub. Ian then shouted for me and I ran back to the main path. He had found a Wall Brown, one of our targets here, but in turning to call for me had lost sight of it. We waited and after what seemed an age it re-appeared and settled on the chalky path in front of us.
The Wall Brown is one of the rarest, if not the rarest of Hampshire's butterflies. I have seen plenty outside of Hampshire, but this was a county lifer for me. Then as quickly as it appeared it was gone. We looked na waited, but couldn't locate it. We had been told that they were also seen on the main path, so we decided to return to the hedgerow in search of the other butterfly.
We wandered slightly apart once again, but then suddenly I saw a splash of orange on a leaf about a foot above the ground. I call Ian, he came running and the butterfly stayed put. A Brown Hairstreak, a first for Ian, and a quality butterfly for me.
As it sat in the sun it opened its wings fuller.
The brown hairstreak is the largest hairstreak in the united
Kingdom and has brown upperwings and small 'tails' protruding from the
hindwings. The female, seen here, is particularly
beautiful, with forewings that contain large orange patches, and was once
considered to be a separate species known as the "Golden Hairstreak".
The male has brown upperwings. In both sexes the underwings are a
distinctive bright orange, with two white lines streaked across them.
She was moving slowly across the leaves, and would fly out only to return closer into the scrub.
The brown hairstreak is an elusive butterfly that spends
much of its time in the treetops feeding on aphid honeydew. It is found in
woodland and along hedgerows where Blackthorn grows. It is a local species that lives in
self-contained colonies that breed in the same area year after year.
The males are the more-elusive of the two sexes,
congregating high on ash "master trees" that are positioned around
the breeding area, where they feed on honeydew. They occasionally come down to
feed on various nectar sources, such as Hemp Agrimony, probably when honeydew
is scarce. Mating occurs without any discernable courtship, typically high in a
tree.
Females also spend their time on the master trees until the
eggs have matured and they are ready to lay. They then disperse and alternate
between basking in the warm sunshine, feeding from nectar sources, and
egg-laying. Egg-laying sites are typically in sheltered areas at the edges of
woodland or hedgerows where younger growth that is south-facing is favoured.
The female will crawl among the branches of the foodplant, feeling the branches
for appropriate sites, when egg-laying, which is what this one was doing here.
As she sat she would slowly open the wings to show the orange flash on the upperwing
A beautiful butterfly, and if the Wall Brown is the rarest in the county, then the Brown Hairstreak is close behind it.
We left her to find suitable sites within the scrub to lay her eggs and turned the attention back to the Wall Brown. A member of the "brown" butterfly family, it is arguably the most attractive marked. In hot weather they will patrol fast and low looking for females, but in cooler weather they will look to bask on the ground in sunny spots, and then fly up to either intercept a female or to drive other males away.
The hope was that the Wall we had seen earlier was still about, and as we walked back we quickly found it basking on the ground. Te delicate patterns of the underside providing good camouflage against the dry chalky soil.
Members of the "brown" family aside from the Marbled White have this combination of orange brown colour with an eye spot. However only the Wall Brown has a combination of one large eyespot on the upper wing, and four smaller eyespots on the hindwing.
The Wall Brown is on the wing in two or three broods between April and October. It likes hot sunny sites such as open grassland, sand dunes , rocky foreshores and quarries, where it can be found taking in the warmth from the sun on either walls, rocks and the open soil.
The Wall Brown has become one of Hampshire's rarest butterflies, and over the past year's the only confirmed colony was along the sea wall at Keyhaven. There have been other sightings such as Portsdown Hill, but these are considered to be wanderers from Sussex colonies. Numbers in the county have reduced by up to 90% since the mid seventies, with distribution reducing in very much the same percentages too
Shipton Bellinger though provides a hope, there have been several sightings of more than single butterflies for the last few years. With the site close to Salisbury Plain, where there are several colonies, the thought is that wanderers from there are beginning to set up a colony. Only time will tell if this is successful.
Then it shot up, and away and we lost it. We searched, finding male and female Common Blues, but not the Wall. After a time we decided to walk back down the bridleway. They had been reported there recently, but we could find any.
Back at the Village Hall there was a flowering buddleia playing host to a Red Admiral and Painted Lady. The Red Admiral did not hang around but the Painted Lady did stay for photographs.
The upperwing has the colour, but the underwing shows some delightful patterns.
And so a day that started off with high hopes and expectations that suddenly disappeared with the distinct lack of birds was rekindled on the Hampshire-Wiltshire border delivering two of the counties rarest butterflies. These types of days remain in the memory for some time.
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