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

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

Getting Back to the Horsefield.

 The day again dawned overcast and dull. This, and the fact that I thought that it had moved on, deterred me from going to Winter's to see the buff-breasted sandpiper. Annoyingly, I discovered later that it would have still been there. Still, as the clouds cleared, I opted for the cemetery and Horsefield.

The blackthorn has gone now and the May blossonm is beginning to fade but cow parsley is coming to its peak, continuing the froth of white in the hedgerows. The horsefield is looking superb and there are loads of birds. It was good to get common and lesser whitethroat, blackcap and garden warbler.

House sparrow

Linnet

Linnet

Fledgling robin

Speckled Wood

Another Day on the Horsefield.

 The last day of the good weather today, I think. In fact it clouded over in the afternoon and rained overnight. Although sunny and warm in the morning, there was a brisk and chill wind. I was on the Horsefield again in the hope of seeing/hearing a grasshopper warbler that had been seen by a birding friend on Saturday. To no avail, however, sadly. I also dipped out on the whitethroat. I did run into some running friends, however, and they had seen what sounded like a male blackcap but I couldn't catch up with it.

It was a beautiful walk on the Horsefield, though, and as each day goes by now it looks more spring-like. I noticed red campion in flower as well as Jack-by-the-hedge (hedge garlic) and shepherds purse. Hawthorn is well in leaf and the flowers are just beginning to emerge; we shall soon move from the frothy hedgerows of blackthorn and exchange them for hawthorn before cow parsly and hogweed take their turn. One enjoyable part of walking the same 'local patch' regularly (every day during Covid Lockdown) is that you get to see in detail the changing seasons and even micro-seasons and really get to know the patch in depth.

Again there were quite a few butterflies out: my first holly blues and green-veined whites of the year as well as speckled wood, peacock, comma and small white. On the way back through the woodland burial ground I came across three roe deer.

Chaffinch

Chaffinch

Cherry

Chiffchaff

Comma

Green-veined white

Green-veined white

Comma

Roe Deer

Speckled Wood

A Satifying but Soggy Walk Around the Patch

 It was another lovely day today with sunny intervals and 15C. I was over cautious with clothing, however, and was soon far too warm. Everywhere was very wet, the 'lake' in the woodland burial ground remains and other parts of the cemetery are flooded. It is some time since I walked around The Horsefield and I have never seen it so wet. I was pleased to come across three singing chiffchaff, my first of the year and delighted to locate six singing skylark on The Horsefield; this 'waste ground' is a precious resource for animals, birds and insects and I hope that it continues to be undeveloped. I saw my first brimstone butterfly in the cemetery where the primroses are looking magnificent and found a small tortoiseshell on The Horsefield as well as three peacocks and two more peacocks in the woodland burial ground.

Blackthorn

Blackthorn

An early bee enjoying the blackthorn blossom

Blackthorn

Blackthorn

The Horsefield looking down to the cemetery.

Magpie

Peacock

Primrose

Snakeshead Fritillary

Snakeshead Fritillary

Snakeshead Fritillary

A wet woodland burial ground

Chiffchaff

Brimstone.