Butterflies and friends at Aldbury

Before work this week headed now to Aldbury Nowers a great sight at this time for year with the flowers out and the butterflies going about their business when i got there the Marbled Whites were in full flow throughout the meadows with a few hundred easily with good numbers of Small Tortoiseshell, Meadow Brown, Skippers and Ringlets feeding in the first field and a few Large Whites and Red Admiral feeding as well.

Then moved on to the 2nd field where had the pleasure of seeing a few Dark Green Fritillary but too fast for me!!! At the edge of the field along the main footpath was lucky enough to find a sunny spot where a heavy pregnant lizard was sunning herself before moving myself down to main chalk pit where I had a few Common Blues and a lovely family of Blackcaps with a male feeding three young ones.

Feeding Marbled White

Ringlet in the sun

Feeding Large Skipper

Sunbathing Lizard

Adult Blackcap getting food for youngster

Calling young Blakcap

Lakenheath and breckland

After a few weeks off to scotland (more on that later) and the back to work a nice weekend was insstore so headed to Lakenheath for my annual visit a bit later than usually which turned out was a productive visit with Hundreds of Small Tortoiseshells around along with Green-veined Whites, Commas and singles of Red Admiral and Painted Lady on the butterfly front.

Birdwise walked to the first view point where had lots of Warblers singing and Wrens and woodland birds in the woods. From the viewpoint itself Reed warbler and Reed bunting showed themselves from the Reeds a nice flyby kingfisher and in the distance a Hobby and Marsh harrier were hunting.

Then headed down to the new hide where a Cetti Warbler was singing and Dragonflies where hunting over the water mainly Black-tailed Skimmer and Four-spotted Chaser. Then had a bittern fly through which more than likely was nesting in the reeds and a lovely flock of Bearded Tits flew through.

Then walked down to the last viewpoint where a few Swifts where feeding high up and a pair of Marsh Harriers hunting before walking down the river where a pair of Cranes where feeding before walking back along the river which was full of insects life a real hot for the butterflies and a few Five-spotted Burnet moths and Azure Damselflies, Banded Damselflies and a super Golden Bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle.

Reed Warbler

Young Bearded Tit

Singing Reed Bunting

Wren in the reeds

Comma

Small Tortoiseshell feeding

Five-spotted Burnet Moth

Banded Damselfly

Golden Bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle

Then ended the day at Weeting Heath where there where 7 Stone curlews where present though distance. but the highlight was from the hide with lots of small birds around the water including a Super pair of Spotted Flycaychers, Yellowhammer and lots of young Goldfinches then back a brief view of a feeding Treecreeper in with the coal tit flock.

Spotted Flycatcher posing

Down for a drink

Foraging treecreeper

A weekend of Orchids

Had a nice weekend first headed to Pegsdon Hills area on the saturday to see how along the flowers where at the top only one Common Spotted-Orchid so far but a nice selections of insects around with a few Common Blues, Small Heath, Speckled Wood, Orange Tips, Yellow-barred Long-horn and a super looking Weevil.

Common Spotted-Orchid

Speckled Wood

Yellow-barred Long-horn

Weevil

Then headed to nearby Knocking Hoe for the Burnt-tip Orchid a super looking plant flower and the bonus of a super Red Kite overhead.

Burnt-tip Orchid

Hunting Red Kite

Double dose at Tyttenhanger

Last weekend had a nice walk around Tyttenhanger with the local RSPB group a nice selection of spring birds with lots of warblers singing in the scrub mainly Blackcap and Whitethroat but did manage to see one Garden Warbler briefly and a couple of Chiff-chaffs and one Willow Warbler. Around the main pit had Oystercatcher fly over to its nearby nest and Common Terns hunting along the River Colne and on the spit one Little-Ringed Plover was seen and at the end of the walk a Cuckoo was heard but not seen.

Next day got in from week to find a pair of Temminck's Stints had been seen the next day but them seemed to be pass throughs but was lucky for them to reappear and sat around for the next three days so popped down before work and for this species and the site were showing really well along with a few Lingle Ringed Plovers

Temminck's Stint reflecting in the water

Next to a Little-ringed Plover to show size difference

Duke of Burgundy and friends

After main years of struggling to find Duke of Burgundy had a successful trip to Ivinghoe Beacon at the weekend where the fine weather brought them out at one point there seemed to be everywhere and a nice support cast of Green Hairstreaks also in good numbers, Dingy Skippers, Common Blue and Holy Blue and a Wood Tiger Moth a new species for me.

Duke of Burgundy

Green Hairstreak

Dingy Skipper

Wood Tiger moth

Wader day at Amwell

Had a nice saturday morning at Amwell despite being the weather was forecast at being very wet so with a sun out decided to head down to amwell and with rewarded with a nice selection of waders around the viewpoint with Common Sandpiper and Two Little Ringed Plover and a Single Ringed Plover feeding well but the star of the day was a beautiful Summer plumage Turnstone showing well and further out at least one Redshank was till around. Walked around to Holycross lake to see if any dragonflies had appeared which they had't but nice to see a few of the Orchids appearing before I wandered back along the canal with Common terns for company.

Thr Turnstone

Common Sandpiper

Ringed Plover

Little Ringed Plover

Common Terns by the canal