More Clouded Yellows & friends

Went along to a site earlier in the week where there had been quite a few reports of Clouded Yellows in the last week or so and was not dissapointed. Also sharing the field with plenty of Common Blues, Small Coppers and a Holly Blue which sadly not seen many of this year.

Feeding Clouded Yellow

Common Blue

Feeding Holly Blue

Bonus Clouded Yellow

On sunday decided to get out with the butterflies so first headed down to Nomansland Common where the Small Coppers and Common Blues were out in force along with a lone Chalkhill Blue and a few fresh Painted Ladies, a few Essex Skipper some Purple Hairstreaks egglaying and good number of Silver Y Moths and the Whites though mainly Large and Smalls and Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers.

Small Copper

Painted Lady

Purple Hairstreak

Small White feeding

In the afternoon headed down to Tyttenhanger GPs the most noting factor was since my last visit the gull numbers had picked up and still good numbers of Common Terns around. While walking around the meadows was suprised to see a Clouded Yellow feeding just meters away before flying off not to be seen again but plenty of Peacocks around easily 40 on site and also Common Blue and Small Coppers doing well as well. Also around were quite a few Damselflies with plenty of Common Blues and one Blue-tailed and Common and Ruddy Darters around and a Southern Hawker.

Feeding Clouded Yellow

Common Darter

Final throw of the dice

Despite having a good hunt locally in recent weeks for Purple Emperor the best chances have always seemed to have been at Bricket Wood this year. So had a nice walk in the woods with good sightings of White Admiral, Silver-washed Fritillary and Purple Hairstreak dancing in the tree tops but no sight of the king for this year. Out on the common lots of butterflies flying around with Peacocks, Gatekeepers and Whites in very good number along with all three of the local Skippers and a bonus at the end with some nice Dragonflies with Brown and Southern very much on wing.

Female Silver-washed Fritillary

White Admiral

Southern Hawker resting

Balls Wood and Amwell

A nice walk around Herttford Heath Common and Balls Wood was very productive with 1 Purple Hairstreak seen briefly at ground level and quite a few Silver Washed Fritillarys and White Admirals along the ride with Peacocks and Large White have gone up alot in the last week though due to the heat lots seem to be salting from the ride espcally the peaccocks. Also around were 15+ green veined white, 10+ small Whites 30+ meadow brown,6 comma, 30+ large white, 20+ gatekeeper, 30+ large skipper, 30+ small skipper, 3 Essex skippers, 6 brimstone, 15 ringlet and 8 speckled wood of the butterfly and of the dragonfly family a good number of Common Blue Damselflies, Coommon and Ruddy Darters and about 5 Brown Hawkers hunteing around.

Silver Washed Fritillary

White Admiral

Pacock sunning itself

Gatekeeper in the sun

Pair of skippers

 

Small White feeding

Common Blue Damselfly

Next visted Amwell as was just down the road and with the Buddleia around lots of Peacocks and large White where around just walking up to the viewpoint. From the viewpoint a number of Common Terns and Lapwings with the Lone Wigeon and the odd Pochard and Shoveler inbetween the Coots, Tufted Ducks and Mallards. On the shore edge had 1 Common Sandpiper and 5 Little egrets. Then walked round to the hide to see what else was around lots of young birds with Reed Bunting, Chiff-chaff, Green Woodpecker, Chaffinches, Blue Tit and a young Wren the hightlights.

Reed Bunting

Young Chiff-chiff

Chaffinch

 

Young Wren

Aldbury Nowers

Another hot day I could get used to this so decided to visit Aldbury Nowers started the day off with a Broad-Barred White moth posing well in the field at the bottom then walked round the fields Marbled Whites seemed to be everywhere a low mininium of a least 300 of them and even more of the Meadow Browns. Was good to see Dark Green Fritillaries at least 11 here often fighting also around were lots of Speckled Woods and Small Heath including a mating pair and a good selection of Small and Large Skipper and a vocal Green Woodpecker was around but not seen.

Broad-Barred White Moth

Small Skipper

One of many Marbled Whites

Mating Pair

Female Close up

Sharpenhoe Clappers

With the nice weather had a day out at Sharpenhoe Clappers always a great place to be at this time of year with quite a few Orchids around though later than usual which was advantage as there where still a few Bee Orchids around along with the commoner Pyramidal Orchid and Common Spotted along Fragrant Orchid. All the flowers around combined with the sun meant there were lots of butterflies around and with Dark Green Fritillarys and Marbled White in big numbers along with Common Blues and Small Heath a nice way to spend a few hours.

Bee Orchid

Feeding Dark Green Fritillary

Feeding Marbled White

Posing Small Heath

Then on the way hop was lucky enough to see a field of Red Poppies so a few images from that delightfully scene though iam afraid the camera in my hands can never do it justice.

Poppy Field