Today was Different!

It was an early start for my other half as she went in early on her very last day at work before she starts her new job on Monday at Blunsdon. Saturdays are pretty busy on most of the local areas I walk, such as Stratton Wood and Mouldon Hill. So to avoid the maddening crowds and with the forecast of rain I thought I'd see how far I could walk around Nightingale Wood. I dropped Dawn off in town and made my way to South Marston.

I arrived in the car park at 7:45am and wasn't really surprised to see a car already parked up. However if you've never been to Nightingale Wood it's quite easy to have several cars in the car park and actually walk all the way round and not bump into anyone. Today however was different!

With Benji unleashed and heading off up the path, a flutter caught caught my eye and there in the hedgerow was a Meadow Brown, then several Ringlets. Well that destroyed any myth I had about butterflies not being out until late morning and in temperatures around 11°C. The urge to drink nectar and mate must have been quite strong for them to have been out in what was quite a chilly start to the day. If that wasn't enough as I made my way around to the log run I came across 3 Marbled Whites.

Meadow Brown

A 3 winged Ringlet

White-tailed Bumblebee

A Marbled White photographed at 8:15am

Though dawn was a lot earlier, there were still lots of birds singing, including Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Garden Warbler and Common Whitethroat. On the telephone wires leading down to the cottages a Linnet sat singing away. As I carried on towards the log run a Yellow Wagtail flew over and as I turned the corner a Roe Deer was feeding in the meadow. I managed to take one photo before it turned round and shot off into the wood. I knew it wasn't me, but I soon found out why, as a jogger came sprinting round the bend. And there I was thinking I had the wood to myself. Oh well at least saw one briefly. The Deer that is, not the jogger.

Linnet on the wires leading down to the cottages

A Roe Deer spots the jogger..............

Down at Brook Meadow I was amazed by how overgrown it was, but what perfect habitat for a lot of birds though. I could hear Common Whitethroat, Reed Buntings, at least 2 Willow Warblers, Robins, Blackbirds and Yellowhammer. I made my way into the hide just as a Cuckoo made its way along the tree line at the far side of the Meadow, calling as it did so. There were quite a few Whitethroat close by and I suspect there were some youngsters about, as the parents were very busy collecting food and disappearing into the dense vegetation to my left.

A male Common Whitethroat

I stayed for a good 20 minutes and then noticed that black clouds were coming over. Yep rain, a slight drizzle at first but enough to convince me that I should be heading back to the car. On the way back there wasn't a single butterfly to be seen, they must have known, but instead Black Slugs started to appear on the paths.  As I approached the access road to the cottages I had a quick look across the farmers field to the left.  Perched in a dead tree on the far side of the field was a Buzzard, which posed for a second or two before heading off for shelter.

The rain falls and the Black Slugs emerge

I'm coming through....................

A Buzzard surveys his patch

But as the rain comes he moves on.

I turned back and behind me up the track to the cottage I could hear at least 2 Jays scolding something. Suspecting a Fox I walked slowly towards the cottages and a Buzzard dropped out of a tall tree, pursued by the Jays. I knew they were upset with something, but I wasn't expecting a Buzzard.

The rain started to ease off so I took a slight detour around the car park and followed a track down towards the horse paddock. A Chiffchaff was singing away from the tree top to my left and as I zoomed in on him, I noticed he had a ring on his leg. Perhaps one of Phil or Graham Deacons "birds".

A Chiffchaff displaying a ring on its right leg.

Chiffchaff

Further up the track I managed to come across a handful of baby bunnies and a Ringlet just as the rain came down heavy again. So taking a short cut through the trees, Benji and I made our way back to the car, just as others were arriving to take their dogs for a walk. For once I got the timing just right and I was dry for a change. Just as I was about to pull away 2 more Buzzards came into view and drifted east.

Ringlet

Another Buzzard

Birds Recorded: 4 Buzzard, 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Cuckoo, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Skylark, 2 Swallow, 1 Yellow Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 4 Song Thrush, 3 Garden Warbler, 7 Common Whitethroat, 4 Blackcap, 5 Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, 2 Jay, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, 3 Linnet, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting.

Butterflies: 1 Meadow Brown, 6 Ringlets and 3 Marbled White

Bees: White-tailed Bumblebee

Home Visitors

The wonderful thing about wildlife is that more often or not you don't have to venture far from the house to see it. In fact in the past couple of days the wildlife has been in the house with a couple of moth species -Common Pug and a pair of mating Brown House Moths. Today as I was waking up, there was the familiar sound behind the curtain of a Daddy-long-legs (Crane Fly), trying to get back out through the window. Or so I thought. In fact as the curtains were pulled back it turned out to be a Common Blue Damselfly. What a pleasant surprise. After a couple of photos the net curtain was pulled to one side and away he went.

Common Pug

A pair of Brown House Moths

Brown House Moth

A male Common Blue Damselfly

A male Common Blue Damselfly

Away from the house and in the back garden the Buddleia is starting to bloom and it's a battle of the Hoverflies and Butterflies against the House Sparrows in a contest to see who will gain from the nectar its producing. At the moment the local House Sparrows are winning and are literally cutting off the flower stalks and taking them back to their nests. If they can't be bothered doing that, they are pecking away at the flower heads, leaving nothing but the stalks.

When sparrows have had enough then there's been Small Tortoiseshell, Green-veined Whites and Drone Flies present.

Drone Fly 

Just after lunch today the chirping of the sparrows stopped and for a moment there wasn't as single bird calling. Normally this is a sign that a raptor is about, and as I stepped outside the back door sure enough above me was a Sparrowhawk. He made a couple of wide circles before diving bombing into a garden at the other end of the estate.

Sparrowhawk - note the downward curved beak

A quick glide above the estate

Before turning and going into a dive

This evening the 3 "resident" Swifts and a pair that passed through. Also 2 Herring Gulls and 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Butterflies Galore

A visit to Stratton Wood this lunchtime in the blazing sun, was well rewarded with dozens and dozens of Marbled Whites, Ringlets, Meadow Browns and several Small Heath. There were many 5-spot Burnets about and I came across a beautiful White Plume moth, but it flew off before I could photograph it. A couple of surprises were a Red-legged Partridge, my first at Stratton Wood, a pair of Common Blue Damselflies in the meadows which is well away from any water and there were also several Orchids sp.

No big write up today: Just a few photos to sum up a brilliant day for butterflies.

One of the meadows at Stratton Wood full of butterflies.

Orchid sp.

Orchid sp.

Marbled White

Marbled White

Marbled White

Marbled White

Meadow Brown

Ringlet

Ringlet

5-spot Burnet moth

Large Skipper

Meadow

Small Heath

Common Blue Damselfly (female)

Common Blue Damselfly (male)

Possibly a Garden Grass-veneer.

Grasshopper

Another Meadow

And a butterflies view from ground level

Speckled Wood

Small Tortoiseshell

5-spot Burnet moth

Small Blue

Small Blue

Small Emerald

Birds recorded: Red Kite, Red-Legged Partridge, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, 2 Garden Warbler, 5 Blackcap, 9 Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Bullfinch.

Butterflies seen: 1 Peacock, 30+ Marbled White, dozens of Ringlet, several Meadow Brown, 3 Speckled Wood, 8+ Small Tortoiseshell and 8+ Large Skippers several Small Heath.

Moths seen: 1 Small Emerald, 12+ 5-spot Burnet moth, Cinnabar, White Plume moth (Pterophorus pentadactyla) and possibly a Garden Grass-veneer.

Damselflies seen: A pair of Common Blue Damselflies.

Other insects: Drone Fly, Harlequin Ladybird, Cardinal Beetle