Monday 25 April 2022

Time to Catch up with Life on The Patch

 I like to keep tabs on what is happening on my local patch, particularly when bird migrants are arriving and to record and count butterflies for Butterfly Conservation.  Today I set out on an afternoon of mixed sun and cloud with, yet again, that cold NE wind off the sea keeping temperatures down to a maximum of only 12 C.  As I entered the cemetery and turned off to follow mu usual route, I was surprised to see a roe deer buck.  Normally I only see these in the woodland burial ground but I was ven more surprised when it allowed a relatively close approach.  It was only when I was examining the images that I could see there was a problem with it's right eye.  I wondered if had been injured while fighting with a rival buck.  Giving it some space I continued, but today reversed my usual route, taking in the Horsefield first.  I was hoping for whitethroat but none have arrived in the usual location yet so I am perhaps a tad early, although Last year had photographed them by now.  Chiffchaff and blackcap were calling, however, and a skylark was displaying over the Horsefield.  Despite the cold, there were quite a few butterflies on the wing and I recorded 6 small tortoiseshell, 2 peacock, 2 green-veined white, 4 speckled wood and a single small white.

To view large, please click on an image.

Tawny mining bee
Green-veined White
Green-veined White
Green-veined White
Hawthorn
Hawthorn
Roe Deer buck
Roe Deer buck
Roe Deer buck
Roe Deer buck
Speckled Wood
Speckled Wood
Speckled Wood

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