Paul's Birding Diary

Sunday 26th June 2011 On a very hot day with temperatures of around 30 o C, I took the opportunity to visit Collard Hill in Somerset, having had to drive to Bristol anyway. The famous Large Blue site didn't disappoint, with at least six individuals seen. The mid-afternoon heat meant most of them seemed to never settle, but one female Large Blue was egg-laying and so allowed me to get a couple of photos (above and below) . It actually flew towards me at one point and landed a few feet away, just long enough to quickly get on it with the camera as it laid its eggs on some Wild Thyme, before it was soon on its way again. Also at the site were some beautiful Wasp Orchids still just about in flower (below) , and I saw my first two Silver-washed Fritillaries of the season near the Ivy Thorn Hill car park. Wasp Orchid: Pyramidal Orchid: Collard Hill - the upper slope looking SE towards Combe Hill: Main Large Blue area: View towards King's Sedge Moor :

Saturday 25th June 2011 A very memorable day at WWT Slimbridge this morning, with a host of excellent birds. It started with a search at Zeiss Hide for the adult female RED-NECKED PHALAROPE which I eventually caught up with on the Rushy Pen (above) . A first-summer Mediterranean Gull and the pair of Ruddy Shelducks were at Zeiss Hide (as were the hybrid Ruddy-type Shelducks) and a Cuckoo was calling from the direction of South Finger. A smart breeding-plumaged Spotted Redshank from Robbie Garnett hide was my first of the year. The same, or another, Mediterranean Gull was later on South Lake (below). Also on South lake was an adult breeding-plumaged SPOONBILL which I watched and photographed for some time (below) . A great morning! Video here: http://youtu.be/-yp1FsgOSdk

Thursday 2nd June 2011 Common Club-tail In very warm sunny conditions, with temperatures reaching 24 o C, a trip to The Mythe late afternoon produced a pair of Yellow Wagtails , a male Cuckoo and a stunning array of Odonata: I noted four Common Club-tails , six Scarce Chasers , five Emperor Dragonflies , a Four-spotted Chaser , two Black-tailed Skimmers , c15 White-legged Damselflies , c30 Red-eyed Damselflies , numerous Azure , Common Blue and Blue-tailed Damselflies and c30 Banded Demoiselles ; plus, my first Large Skipper of the year. Yellow Wagtail: Common Club-tail: Scarce Chaser: Emperor Dragonfly: Four-spotted Chaser: White-legged Damselfly: Red-eyed Damselfly:

Friday 27th May 2011 At Hawling this afternoon at least two Quail were calling in the wheat field south of Roel Hill Farm near the Windrush Way at SP061243, also seven Corn Buntings (above), several Chimney Sweeper moths and a Broad-bodied Chaser nearby. Chimney Sweeper: Later at the Bill Smyllie Butterfly reserve at Prestbury Hill, a pair of Marsh Tits were feeding recently-fledged young, also seen two Tree Pipits and c10 Swifts. On the Lepidopteral front, four Dingy Skippers and several Common Blues were the butterfly highlight, and I must must have seen around 80 Five-spot Burnet moths, plus two Mother Shiptons . Dingy Skipper: Five-spot Burnets: Mother Shipton:

Saturday 21st - Sunday 22nd May 2011 Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary I've seemed to have spent a lot of the last two days in the forest - and why not, after all Linda was away on a hen weekend! Today I visted a couple of sites for butterflies with my Dad, who always seems to bring me good luck when I am in Lepidopteral mode. The weather didn't seem too promising at first, with strong winds and showers, but the rain died out and the sun came out, bringing with it the butterflies. At Brierley, the find of the day for me was a Pearl-bordered Fritillary; I don't believe this species has been recorded in the forest for some time. I also found three Wood Whites which were my reason for visiting this site, and a Green-veined White and a Small Heath . At the next site, Burnt Log (opposite New Fancy) there were at least six Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries and a Common Blue . Also here, a female Broad-bodied Chaser dragonfly. Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary: Wood White: Pearl-...

Friday 13th May 2011 Grizzled Skipper In unpromising conditions of mainly cloud, wind and moderate temperatures , I headed anyway for Breakheart Quarry this afternoon for butterflies. I'm glad I did, the sun did come out for some spells and two Grizzled Skippers were at the quarry, while the scarp of Breakheart Hill had three corking Adonis Blues , plus a Common Blue and a Brown Argus . Also in the quarry Wild Strawberry in fruit and lot's of flowering Lady's Mantle . Grizzled Skipper: Adonis Blue: View from Breakheart Hill: Wild Strawberry : Lady's Mantle: At Stinchcome Hill nearby, it was less sheltered and therefore more windy, but I still saw a good range of butterflies, including five Dingy Skippers , six Common Blues , five Brown Arguses , and four Small Heaths and also a Burnet Companion moth and a Hornet . View from Stinchcombe Hill towards North Nibley: Hornet:

Friday 6th May 2011 On a very warm and sunny afternoon I visited a number of local butterfly sites on Friday. I started at Rudge Hill NNR (Edge Common), with eight Duke of Burgundy a short distance from the roadside car park, and a Small Blue , three Small Heaths , three Brown Argus and seven Dingy Skippers among the other butterflies, also a Burnet Companion moth and a Red and Black Frogghopper ( Cercopsis vulnerata) . Duke of Burgundy : Brown Argus: Red and Black Froghopper: My next stop was Strawberry Banks NR , near Chalford (top photo) . At least 60 Marsh Fritillaries were quite a spectacle, with a supporting cast including four Small Blues , c10 Common Blues , two Small Coppers , and c8 Dingy Skippers . Marsh Fritillaries: Small Blue: Not far away, I visited Daglingworth Path, part of the Cirencester Park Bathurst Estate. I didn't have to walk far into the woods until I found at least 30 Pearl-bordered Fritillaries on the wing, and nectaring on Bugle . I crouched on ...