Rudge Hill NR

Sunday 13th May 2012
Duke of Burgundy
I visited Edge Common (AKA Rudge Hill NR) late morning with Linda looking for Duke of Burgundy. It was some time before Linda at last spotted a lone individual - is that one? Yes! Nice one! Also a Green Hairstreak, seven Dingy Skippers, a Brimstone, two Green-veined Whites and three Peacocks.
Green Hairstreak
Dingy Skipper
On the bird front, a Tree Pipit was singing its heart out almost continually, but the best was a pair of Spotted Flycatchers, hawking flies above a gate in the wood. I was chuffed at seeing these, as my morning in the forest on Saturday had failed to produced Spot Fly, although I had got just about everything else including Firecests and Tawny Owl at Yew Tree Brake, Pied Flycatchers at Woorgreens and Nagshead, and Wood Warbler and Hawfinch at Nagshead.
Spotted Flycatcher
Weekend garden butterflies included a Holly Blue, 3+ Green-veined Whites, a Large White and an Orange Tip. Also on the insect front a Large Red Damselfly on both days in the garden, and a Cuckoo Bee of the genus Nomada possibly flava - an impressive looking insect. On Saturday I found a White-legged Millipede whilst gardening.
Large Red Damselfy
Nomada sp.  Cuckoo Bee
White-legged Millipede

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