The heatwave continues although today was to be a little cooler with a north east breeze. However if you are on the south coast the chances are the breeze isn't getting through so it was another hot one. I met Ian just outside Browndown South. It has been open through July so far so we decided to start earl in our search for what I consider to be the county's strangest butterfly.
Walking along the main path it was already hot, as I parked the car said twenty five degrees, but with the conditions there were few butterflies about. Mostly whites there was also a few Small Copper.
We headed for the stunted oaks in the middle of the reserve, which entailed walking through shingle which seemed to make it hotter. It didn't take long to find our quarry, the Grayling.
Widespread on the coast of Britain and Ireland and on
heathland in southern Britain, the Grayling’s cryptic colouring provides it
with excellent camouflage, making it difficult to see when at rest on bare
ground, tree trunks, or stones. The wings are kept closed when not in flight
and the forewings are usually tucked behind the hind wings, concealing the
eyespots and making the butterfly appear smaller.
In flight this is a distinctive, large butterfly has a looping and gliding flight, during which the paler bands on the upper wings are visible.
While at rest the 'eye' is hidden, but watching them today I noticed the the 'eye' is exposed just before it springs into the air.
The stunted oaks on Browndown are usually a good place to find Purple Hairstreak at eye level. We shook several branches as we walked around them today and flushed a couple, but were not able to find them. Ironically as we walked the main path I saw one settle in one of the 'normal' oaks by the side of the path.
Birdlife around the rserve was limited, a juvenile Whitethroat, smart looking Linnet but in the sun and a family group of Green Woodpeckers that avoided the camera very well.
From Browndown we went to Titchfield Haven. The breeze was much more prevalent here and in the Meon Shore hide it was wonderfully cool with the window blowing into the hide through the windows. Unfortunately the birds were not so good. The Common Tern still sits on the eggs, but the island is now part of the shore as a lot more of the scrape is just dried mud. If we don't get some substantial rain any autumn waders are going to be so far away from the hide.
Very good numbers of Black-tailed Godwits around the scrape and a single Common Sandpiper. Avocet numbers were well down and of course there were plenty of Black-headed Gulls and Common Terns.
Plenty of Black-tailed Skimmers at the new pond along with a couple of Four-spot chasers. At Darter's Dip there were now four Small Red-eyed Damselflies. Their positioning on the pond weed no different to the last two visits. Close by was this Blue-tailed Damselfly.
From the Pumfrett Hide the north scrape was looking even drier and with the height of the reeds it is not possible to see all the scrape, so you wonder what is tucked away out of sight.
This sandpiper posed some questions, we initially thought it might be Green due to the lack of white reaching under the shoulder.
But a closer look revealed it was hiding the white and was in fact a Common Sandpiper.
Both scrapes were disturbed twice, one by a Spitfire and one by a Sparrowhawk. A single Mediterranean Gull was on the sand bar on the south scrape and there were two Sandwich Terns amongst the Common.
After an early lunch we walked around to the east side and down to the Knight's Bank hide. There had been a report of a Cattle Egret, but it must have been hiding in the long grass. The Kestrel family were present along the fence and around the telegraph wires.
It was now far to hot for both nature and me so it was an early end to the day. Must be the least photographs I have ever taken for a Saturday out.
No comments:
Post a Comment