Huddsbirder

Down to Salcey Forest this week for the Northants Butterfly Conservation walk, we knew before the day that we would be struggling for Purple Emperor and we were right , things seem to be a couple of week behind this year or is this becoming the norm? However we were hoping.

We met in the Horsebox car park, this one is free where as the visitor centre is not, the meeting time was 10:30am and when all had gathered (35) we were off, out of the car park, not towards the main road.

Soon we were picking up Ringlets, these seem to be having a good year, White Admiral was shouted by one of the group and we all got to have good views although little bit distant but it was afresh individual and was settled. Comma was seen next giving us us the hope it might be a Silver washed Fritillary before it settled to give good views. Wood Whites were next on offer along with Small Skipper, Small Tortoiseshell.

On our walk around we were also picking up other widlife as we went along Southern Hawker and Broad Bodied Chaser Dragonflies. Coming eventually across a pond, no dragonflies here but we did find a Slow worm and a few Common Lizards. Once again on the walk a few of my favourite beetles were found, the longhorns, 3 species today, the Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn, Rutpela maculata, and Rhagium mordax.

Back to the butterflies, we eventually arrived at the meadow were we found Marbled Whites, Large Skippers, Common Blue and a Painted Lady. 

A great day unfortunately no Purple Emperors, White letter or Black Hairstreaks were found whilst we were on the walk,  Black Hairstreak was after we left for the Norfolk coast and the chase of a Great Knot

We left Salcey at about 2pm and arrived at Titchwell RSPB reserve at about 4:30pm, Titchwell being the last reported place for the Great Knot.

We soon got the news that a Peregrine had disturbed the Knot flock along with the Great Knot and hadn’t been seen since 1:30pm. Not to be discouraged we worked or way thru the Knot flock, sitting in the Parrinder Hide, but alas it wasn’t there, but we looked upon Avocet, Bar tailed and Black tailed Godwits, Dunlin, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Common Tern, Pied Wagtails, distant Common Buzzrad along with a Marsh Harrier.

We decided on a walk down to the sea catching Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers, Linnets, on the way down on the beach Common Scoter out at sea, Sandwich and Little Terns overhead. 7:30pm came we decided on leaving and on leaving the car park at 7:45pm the pager went Great Knot seen at Holme next the Sea with directions, it had to be done has we were passing we couldn’t leave it could we, by  8:15pm we were looking at my first Great Knot, now thats how to end a day out

Day List Salcey Forest

Comma, Wood White, Large Skipper, Small Skipper, White Admiral Ringlet, Marbled White, Small Tortoiseshell, Common Blue, Painted Lady, Buzzard, Goldcrest, Red Kite, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Broad Bodied Chaser, Southern Hawker

Day List Titchwell

Red Admiral, Avocet, Greylag Goose, Pied Wagtail, Moorhen, Black headed Gull, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Black tailed Godwit, Knot, Dunlin, Shelduck, Common Tern, Shoveler, Coot, Woodpigeon, Buzzard, Redshank, Reed Warbler, Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Swallow, Sedge Warbler, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Cormorant, Common Scoter

Rhagium mordax Longhorn Beetle

Painted Lady Butterfly

White Admiral

Avocet

Prees Heath was the destination for this weeks target Butterfly, a place I’ve never been and is supposed to be a hot spot for the target species. I arrived at about 11:30am after doing a couple of jobs at home the weather looked good on the travels but began to look dodgy on approach, I needn’t have worried.

I hit the reserve after having some refreshments to the sound of Yellowhammers and a Great spotted Woodpecker flying overhead. I got talking to a fella who gave me the locality of lots and lots of Common Blue Butterflies and that he had actually found one Silver Studded. I found the place he was talking about to find lots and lots of Silver Studded Blues and not one Common Blue. Other butterflies here were a few Small Heath, a Small Tortoiseshell, and a Yellow Shell Moth

I spent the time 3 hours in total with the Silver Studded Blue taking photos

So if you want to see Silver Studded Blue Butterflies Prees Heath in Shorpshire  is a place to go

Silver Studded Blue

In search of the elusive and enigmatic butterfly which is restricted to about 50 colonies in the country and today I was visiting one of those colonies at Glapthorn Cow Pastures in Northamptonshire which is also a good place for Nightingale

I arrived at about 1:30pm (afternoon being the better time to see them) got tooled up and moved into the reserve. I didn’t expect it to be so easy to see them after all the reports I’ve read about how difficult they can be to come down from the canopy, within a minute of entering the reserve I found one feeding on Blackthorn along with a Meadow Brown and a Large Skipper after taking a couple of pics and then nattering to someone I knew I moved on to the “traditional hot spot” for them , and you wont be disappointed, today there was about 6 Black Hairstreaks coming down to feed giving excellent photo opputunities

On then to a familiar reserve Tywell Hills and Dales were I was hoping to get Marbled White, after stopping off at Bedford Perlieus but rain stopped play there. Tywell I got to see Marbled White, Small Heath, Common Blue Butterflies and a Cinnabar Moth

Birds for the day Glapthorn…Red Kite, Common Buzzard, Chiffchaff and Chaffinch

Tywell Hills…Red Kite, Yellowhammer, Common Whitethroat

Black Hairstreak Butterfly

Marbled White

Decided on a quick visit to Bullcliffe Reserve since the sun was shining and the days are now longer. Willow Warblers were around so was a Kestrel and Common Buzzards high and riding the thermals, but I was here for butterflies and Small Heaths were now in abundance along with a few Dingy Skippers, a few Orange tip.

Damselfly were seen but at a distance and plenty of Green Sheildbugs

Small Heath

Here we are again don’t seem two minutes since I was here looking at my first Green Hairstreaks and Pearl bordered Fritillary and climbing that hill.

Parking the car in the small car park, near to the Old School Brewery, which today was shut :-(, I was soon for the set off but a Large White Butterfly was taking my attention has I was leaving. I made the climb, that got the old heart going again, it was worth it has you look out over the Morecambe Bay looking down towards Blackpool, brilliant views

Anyway on to the crag very little flying only Brimstone has I made it to the far end of the crag. I decided on going down lower to where it seemed things were more sheltered. It wasn’t long before the hunch paid off, Small Heath Butterflies were numerous, the males doing mid-air battles. There was also a few very worn Green Hairstreaks about and still guarding territory, Dingy Skippers were also still in good numbers along various parts of the crag. Large Skippers were now flying and I  found a few along the crag seeing off anything that came near including Small Pearl bordered Fritillary. Brown Argus Butterflies are also out now and the crag held a few today giving good photo opportunities.

A couple of moth species were seen including Mint Moths and Brown silver line

Brown Argus

Large Skipper

Plan today was onto Blacktoft Sands firstly (Montagus Harrier) and then onto Twyford Woods for Grizzled Skipper when it was warmer

Arrived Blacktoft Sands about 11am after a visit along one of the farm tracks in the nearby fields near to Blacktoft, this is where I picked up Corn Bunting, Yellow Wagtails, Skylark, Reed Buntings and Common Whitethroat

On to the reserve first birds seen are usually the Robins, Pheasants, Tree Sparrows, Woodpigeons and Wrens around the car park and Bird table

After the introduction to check RSPB membership at the centre and a brief summary of where things were, I was off and running and soon watching my first Sedge Warbler of the day, my first hide of the day was Townend Hide where I enjoyed Avocets, Shoveler, Gadwall, Mallard, Swallow, Marsh Harriers but no Montagu’s Harrier to be seen

From around the reserve also seen were Little Egret, Swift, House Martin, Sand Martin, Cormorant, Little Grebe, Grey Heron and Shelduck

On then to Twyford Woods arriving 2 hours over due to traffic, on site the first butterfly encountered was a Dinky Skipper, nice but not the target species. Along walk ensued to get to the butterfly glades but on the way Common Whitethroat, Garden Wabler, Goldcrest, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff, Common Buzzard and Cuckoo could al been seen or heard

On at the glade Dinky Skipper was the first butterfly seen again but it wasn’t long when a Grizzled Skipper showed up, bit of a tatty one, but non the less my first, it wasn’t long before more were encountered and photos were taken. Common Blue Butterfly were about along with Small White, and Large white, Green veined White and Peacock

Grizzled Skipper

Robin at Blacktoft Sands

Decided on a quick tour lof the nature reserve, hadn’t been for a long time and was hoping to find a few insects about.

It was difficult there wasn’t a lot flying but patience paid off with a single Dingy Skipper, and a look around the pond I did manage eventually to find a Large Red Damselfly. (gets the Dragons off to a year start)

Hope the next visit is a bit more eventful

Dingy Skipper

Large Red Damselfly

It was good to get out again and the Butterfly Conservation event today dragged me out to Warton Crag near the RSPB Leighton Moss site, the event not being till 1pm we decided on going up early and having a wander around the Leighton Moss site.

We started around the Eric Morecambe  hides picking up very little due to the storm damage, so alas the pools were nearly dry, so no Avocets to be seen but we picked up a solitary Greenshank, numerous Oystercatchers, Shelduck, Gadwall, a solitary Little Egret and a female Chaffinch we rescued after flying into one of the hide windows, On the way back to the car park we picked up a couple of reeling Grasshopper Warblers

On the reserve we caught up with the Spoonbill and a few Black tailed Godwits, a few Sedge Warblers but no Reed. Also of surprise were no Marsh Harriers and no Black headed Gull colony

On then to Warton Crags for the butterfly walk along with Martin Wain of the Butterfly Conservation. Martin explained a lot about the crags its history and the butterflies of Warton and their needs. Butterflies of the day were of course the Pearl bordered fritillary of which there were plenty but very difficult to photograph, numerous Green Hairstreak

Other butterflies on the day at the crag were Dingy Skipper, Holly Blue, Small Heath, Orange-tip, Green veined White,.

We didn’t see the Peregrine or Ravens of Warton Crag

Green Hairstreak

js

Pearl bordered Fritillary

A place I hadn’t been for a while so a visit was long overdue on arriving I headed down to the Tree Sparrow Farm where I caught up with a few species like, Siskin, Reed Bunting,  Greenfinch,  Robin, Dunnock, Chaffinch, and of course Tree Sparrows. 

A quick walk then towards the Family Hide where I encountered a very friendly Robin looking for a hand out I think which I didn’t have (remember for next time, hopefully). From the hide itself Black headed Gulls, Tufed Duck, Gadwall,  Mallard, Coot and a few distant Wigeon

Down on to the field pool hide where Mute Swan, Pochard, Teal, Lapwing, Black headed and Common Gulls were seen

Wader scrape hide produced Goosander, Cormorant, Shoveler, Pied Wagtail , Goldeneye (male and Female) to the list along with Great Crested and Little Grebes

Robin

Day List

Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Heron, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Shoveler, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Goosander, Moorhen, Coot, Lapwing, Black headed Gull, Common Gull, Woodpigeon, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Redwing, Long tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Jackdaw, Crow, Starling, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer

Rufford Country Park in Nottinghamshire  was the first stop of the day in search of a very large finch which is best seen in the winter months, Rufford Park is now one of the better places to seen them. Car Park was free, which we all like, we arrived at about 8am and proceeded to search the nearby tress finding Siskin, Chaffinch, Brambling,  before finally a large bird landed at the very top of a nearby tree, which these birds like doing, followed by two other birds, the search was over 3 Hawfinch, our largest UK Finch with a bill too that can crack cherry stones, a big powerful bird, they gave good distant views before disappearing. Other birds we saw here or heard here were Common Buzzard, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long tailed Tit, Goldcrest, Mistle Thrush, Fieldfare, Redwing, Blackbird, Black headed Gulls, Lesser Black backed Gull.

The search then moved on to a migratory duck which was being seen at Eakring Flash, we first stopped off at a local pig farm to search for reported Caspian Gulls, which was no joy but we did pick up a Yellow legged Herring Gull along with plenty Black headed Gulls, Lesser Black backed Gulls, Common Gulls, Herring Gulls. So the search was back at Eakring, which proved a difficult place to find but find we did, and the bird we were searching for was in the middle of the pond, having a kip along with Mallards, the Garganey this one being a splendid Male bird in its breeding colours. These birds usually visit the UK in the summer months, spending the winter months in southern Africa, India, and Australia so seeing one here in January was very unusual, a first for me.

Our next search was to be up at Alkborough Flats Nature Reserve up on the Humber Estuary for Raptors coming into roost, our fingers were crossed for Hen Harrier. The journey to Alkborough was to be via Wroot  in search of Bewicks Swan our search gave us only Whooper Swans.

We finally arrived Alkborough and proceeded immediately down to the Estuary hide seeing on route Peregrine playing around with the Dunlin as they swirled to escape capture, Common Redshank were seen along with Lapwing and Golden Plover in the adjoining fields. Settling in the hide as dusk was approaching Marsh Harriers were dancing over the reedbeds, Gulls were coming in down the Humber as they sort refuse for the night, Curlew gave flight, the Peregrine again was harassing the Dunlin with no success and retreated once again this time coming back over the hide and giving us once again excellent views, we watched and heard the spectacle of thousands of Starlings in the murmaration and the sounds of whooshing and chattering starlings as they came by the hide, again a spectacle to behold, then the geese started coming in to roost hundreds coming in off the estuary calling all the way, we enjoyed this spectacle from outside the hide and enjoyed every second, then to finish the night off a Short eared Owl came floating by the hide before settling in amongst the grass and disappearing to sight to the now ever fading light, no Hen Harrier

The Day List 🙂

Cormorant, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Pink footed Goose, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Shelduck, Mallard, Garganey, Marsh harrier, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Buzzard, Peregrine, Pheasant, Moorhen, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Dunlin, Snipe, Curlew, Redshank, Black headed Gull, Lesser Black backed Gull, Herring Gull, Yellow legged Gull, Great Black backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Collard Dove, Short eared Owl, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Long tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Brambling, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin, Hawfinch

Rufford Country Park