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

22nd April - Noar Hill, Hampshire

There was some nice sunshine early morning, but it wasn't supposed to last through out the day.  I decided to make the annual pilgrimage to Noar Hill to hopefully find the Dukes.  Our last trip at the start of the month had drawn a blank, but I think we were maybe too optimistic that the good weather we were having would bring them out early.

This morning's visit was on the back of reports of good numbers of Duke of Burgundy at the reserve.  I turned up quite early, just after 9.00am but intended to walk as much of the reserve as I could.  At this time of year the hollows and quarries along with most of the open areas are covered in the yellow Cowslips.

Another flower I was hoping to see was the Early Purple Orchid.  I had to walk well into the reserve before I managed to find some.  They were though in very good condition.

A close up of the petals, much orchid like and distinguished from the other purple orchid that is out at this time, the Green-veined.  The Green-veined has green veins through the petals, the Early Purple is plain.

I walked to the far pits and was taken by these fresh Beech leaves hanging in the sunshine with a dark background.

I almost stepped on the this delicate fungi.  About three inches tall it is a Pleated Inkcap, the gills fringed with black.  I was able to get down low to appreciate this little beauty.

A view of the gills.

Like the dew drop on the grass stem close by.

Walking into the far pit the first butterfly was a Speckled Wood and then in the warmth of the quarry there were at least two Green-veined Whites.

Looking out across the surrounding fields the flowers of the rape were emerging.

And in the hazel coppice the Ransome's was in flower.

A Goldcrest was singing along the bridleway.  It lacks the white supercillium found in it cousin the Firecrest.

It was now just after 10:30 and more butterflies were emerging and one of the spring butterflies you always want to photograph but never stops, a male Orange Tip.  This one though eventually paused as the sun went in behind the clouds.

On the move once again, but then settled on a dandelion and showed the beautiful pattern of the underwing.

Another insect inspecting the Cowslips, this time a Dark-edged Bee-Fly.

At a small clump of Yew trees a Firecrest was singing and this gave the opportunity to see the difference with the Goldcrest.  The crest is more defined and a deeper orange, while the black on the crown and the white supercillium make the bird appear, in my opinion, more striking.

Backout intot he open from the coppiced hazel there were singing Yellowhammer and several Whitethroat that were difficult to see, but you could hear them.

A lovely scene looking across the fields towards the Selbourne Hanger.

Having made once circuit of the reserve I started to make the second.  It was quite warm now despite the breeze, the pits and quarries providing the shelter.  At the first pit from the main gate I came across the other Bee-Fly species, the Dotted Bee-fly.  It was nectaring on the cowslips so I decided to try and catch the wings with a very high shutter speed, 1/8000!

But as you can see, this wasn't fast enough.

Not bad on this one.

But some strange patterns with these two.

On the second circuit I was surprised to find a lot more Early Purple Orchids, surely they haven't just emerged.

The perfect back and fore ground for this Cowslips.

With the warmth now, if the Dukes were here surely they would show and they did.  Not one but two in the same area meant that they kept chasing each other away.

One of the earliest butterflies to emerge and to go away so it is easy to forget how beautiful their markings are.  Once upon a time thought to be a Fritillary, but now recognised as being related to the metal mark family.  They also surprise watchers by being so small, but that doesn't stop them supplying a punch.

A little further along I found another, this one was a little paler.

But was another male, the butterfly only having four legs.

In another pit there were two more, this one showing very well on this small branch.

I searched the far pits but couldn't find anymore Dukes, I did though come across this Marsh Tit.

I walked back to the main gate and checked the first chalk pit.  I couldn't find anymore Dukes but did come across these two Dingy Skippers.  Their name doesn't really do this little butterfly justice.  Look closely, freshly emerged they have some exquisite markings.

 

I walked out of the pit, but as I looked down I decided to return as an Orange Tip was flying around the bramble.  When I got back though the sun went in and the butterfly settled on a leaf with wings closed.  No problem the underwing is made up of lovely green and white markings.

I had a short walk around the early pits but the clouds were gathering and my time was running out.  There was one more Duke in the first chalk pit, making a total of six for me today.  The pilgrimage is over for yet another year, not sure if I will return again this spring, maybe in the summer.