A Good Afternoon on the Horsefield

 The weather has turned cooler and more grey this week; not good for butterfly photography.  However after lunch the sky cleared and the sun cam out so I made my way over to the Horsefield.  It turned out to be a successful afternoon with my second brown argus record for the patch, male and female common blues and small copper, one in particular, on common fleabane, being of super colour and condition.

• Whites of varying species 12
• Meadow brown 4
• Common Blue Male 4; Female 2
• Brown Argus 1
• Gatekeeper 5
• Small Copper 3

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Common Blue female

Common Blue female

Common Blue female

Brown Argus

Common Blue, Male

Meadow Brown

Small Copper

Small Copper

Small Copper

What a Difference a Day Makes

 Although we did have some sun this afternoon and some lovely light. the difference from a couple of days again is amazing.  Gone are the cloudless blue skies and high temperatures.  Over the last two days we have had rain and now temperatures are much cooler.  The spring barley stubble has been underplanted with oil seed rape and the rain has allowed it to germinate; a flush of new green against the autumnal stubble.

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Collecting Sloes on the Last Day of Summer on the Horsefield

 What a wonderful day, but according to the weather forecast this is going to be our last day of summer.  We had temperatures of up to 25C and it was a pleasure to be out.  The spring sown barley is now harvested, the fields at the moment remain as stubble.  No doubt they will be ploughed before long.  Gone are the fresh greens of the Horsefield grasses to be replaced by the bleached fawns and gold of the seed stems.  No longer is the meadow studded with purple and yellow, instead the hedgerows are turning autumnal with greens becoming gold and fruits heavy on the shrubs: large succulent blackberries, bright red rose hips, deep scarlet haws and sloes thick on the blackthron bushes as many as I have ever seen, many with an enticing yeasty bloom.  I picked a large bag of these to freeze and to shortly turn into sloe gin for cosy winter minds beside the log burner. 

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A Butterfly Conservation Big Butterfly Count

Big Butterfly Count on the Horsefield

I was hoping today to be able to carry out my first Butterfly Conservation count of the season on the Horsefield so I was delighted when the day turned out to be warm and sunny, albeit with an indifferent start.  It turned out to be, perhaps, one of my best butterfly days on my edgeland patch.  

As I squeezed through the fence behind the lockup garages and crossed the first field of barley it was very dry and the crop is just showing the first hint of gold as it ripens.  Hoepfully it will be a good harvest as we have had plenty of rain but sun too.  It will be fingers crossed, though, as spring was very dry.  In fact I was amazed when the seed was drilled, to see green shoots only a few days later; I couldn't believe at that time that there was enough moisture in the ground.  When I reached the Horsefield  it could be seen that we are definitely in high summer: gone are the fresh greens of spring and the meadow grasses have grown up and produced ripening seed stalks, the meadow a riot of purples, golds, bronzes and fawns with a sprinkling of yellows from buttercups, mouse-ears and trefoils as well as the bright purple of large clumps of tufted vetch.  The hedges are a tangle of bramble with some still in flower, whilst others are laden with full, ripe and juicy blackberries.  Either way they are a wonderful attraction for butterflies.  Sloes are forming in the blackthorn hedges and it looks like being a good year for these too.  Large patches of knapweed are grown up now and the flowers beginning to open; these too are attractive to butterflies.  I was pleased also to find a patch of figwort and, nearby, tall yellow spikes of mignonette. 

Butterflies were numerous, especially meadow browns and ringlets.  I have been waiting patiently (or, perhaps, not so patiently!) for gatekeeprs to emerge and today they were on the wing in very good numbers; in fact more than I can remember on the patch.  I am used to seeing them more often in the woodland burial ground over the fence.  A few yellow shell moths were flying and I found singles of comma, small white and peacock.  I am hoping for more peacocks soon as in the middle of June there were large tangled masses of peacock caterpillars, black and spiky, on the brambles.  Several burnet moths were busy on birds foot trefoil and knapweed and a large southern hawker dragonfly helicoptered past but didn't stay for a photograph.  Goldfinches must have been successful as I saw a couple of charms of both young and adult birds.  Hopefully they will feed on the plentiful teasels when they are in seed and pose for some photos.  At one point I stood on a mound of soil in order to secure a better angle on a meadow brown butterfly - to my cost.  Suddenly I was aware that I was being bitten by ants who were not appreciative of my standing on their nest.  Good news to find it though.

During my 15 minute butterfly count I found the following:

• Gatekeeper 6
• Small skipper 3
• Meadow brown 18
• Ringlet 5
• Yellow shell moth 3
• Large white 2
• Small white 1
• Comma 1

My most exciting find of the day, though, was essex skipper.  Looking very much like small skippers they are difficult to differentiate, so I was delighted to find a definite two so there must be more there.

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Essex Skipper

                                                                    Essex Skipper

Essex Skipper

                                                                     Comma

 Comma

                                                                 Gatekeeper

                                                                       Comma

                                                                  Comma

                                                                  Meadow Brown

                                                                Meadow Brown

                                                                    Meadow Brown

                                                                   Meadow Brown

                                                                Small Skipper

Small Skipper

                                        Cinnabar Moth Caterpillar on its food plant, Ragwort

                                                                           Essex Skipper

                                                                Essex Skipper

                                                                    Peacock and friend

                                                                    Robins Pin Cushion

Six Spot Burnet Moth

Horsefield Butterflies

After a cool wet spell, it finally turned warm and sunny today so Heather and I went to the Horsefield; Heather to draw and me to photograph butterflies again and, hopefully find a gatekeeper.  It was warm with sunny intervals and a light breeze; perfect.  Bees were out in force and loving the vetch, we also saw ragwort, greater willowherb, lesser stitchwort, scentless mayweed and noticed that there grasshoppers were now plentiful.  Of butterflies, there were plenty on the wing, but, sadly still no gatekeepers.  Too early still.  I did see, though:

• Large white
• Small white
• Small skipper
• Meadow Brown
• Ringlet
• Small Tortoiseshell.

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Meadow Brown

                                                               Meadow Brown

Ringlet

Small Skipper

Small Skipper

Small Skipper

Small Skipper

Small Skipper

Small Skipper

Small Skipper

Small Tortoiseshell

Small Tortoiseshell

Small Tortoiseshell