Searching the Horsefield for Red Clover and Coluded Yellows

 Although warm at 25C I was somewhat thwarted by overcast skies when I set out to search Gooseman's Field for the possibility of clouded yellow and red clover, the butterfly's larval food plant. Unfortunately there was none of either. In fact the field is now tinder dry and with very few flowers left other than ragwort. Blackberries and sloes, however, are fruiting amazingly well, and very early.

There were quite a few butterflies about, especially when the sun came ot at 5.00 pm.

Brown Argus

Brown Argus

Brown Argus

Large White

Speckled Wood

An Excellent Day on Gooseman's Field.

 Rain overnight but a very pleasant day with sunny intervals, 23C. I went for a walk around the woodland burial ground and Gooseman's field looking for butterflies. An excellent session with 78 individuals from 11 species. The highlights were small heath, common blue, brown agus, painted lady and small/Essex skipper.

Brown Argus

Brown Argus

Cinnabar Moth Caterpiller

Common Blue

Common Blue

Green-veined White

Large White

Large White

Large White

Meadow Brown

Muntjac Deer

Painted Lady

Painted Lady

Scarce Silver Lines Moth

Shaded Broad Bar Moth

Small Heath

Small/Essex Skipper

Small/Essex Skipper

Small/Essex Skipper

Small/Essex Skipper

Speckled Wood

A Better Day on the Horsefield,

 A much better day for weather today with only a gentle westerly breeze. Sunny intervals gave a very warm 24C.

21 bird species were found and the sound of skylarks while standing in the centre of the Horsefield was amazing. They were everywhere and the air resounded with their songs. I did much better with butterflies today with 10 species giving 41 individuals including my first meadow browns, the most numerous, ringlets and small/Essex skipper. I found a cinnabar moth as well as some narrow-bordered five spot burnet moths.

Whitethroat

Small white, taken in the garden in the morning.

Small/Essex skipper.

Small/Essex skipper.

Ringlet

Ringlet

Meadow Brown

Linnet

Linnet

Cinnabar Moth

Burnet Moths

Burnet Moths

Burnet Moth

My First Large Skippers of the Year

 A walk around the cemetery and Horsefield today. Warm and overcast but a strong SE wind made conditions very difficult. I saw 20 bird species and found my first large skippers of the year.

Dog Rose

Large skipper, male and female.

Large skipper

Large skipper

Sycamore seeds

Small tortoiseshell