New butterfly species for the parish + invasion

Another long walk today, again beginning at Tescos and entering the parish near Little Plantings Wood. Under the bridge and followed the footpath to Hadham Hall, the irrigation ponds and then back to Chapel Lane. New butterfly was recorded in the form of a small copper, shown below.

However, the main event was the huge invasion of painted lady butterflies that have migrated from the Atlas Mountains in North Africa. Reported numbers are beyond 10 million on the move! Today, I gave up counting after reaching 250, but estimate I saw over 1000 whilst out. They were everywhere! One shown below.

Other butterflies of note were:

orange tip 25+

large white 40+

small white 25+ including 1 tiny individual, presumed to be a male shown below. (plant petal is oil seed rape)

small copper 1

red admiral 1 (1st of the year)

small heath 2 (1st of the year)

common blue 5

Also, first silver y moths of the year. Up to 10 in one field near the A120. Again, shown below.

Azure damselflies were to be seen at the ponds behind Hadham Hall, with up to 50 present whilst I observed. One shown here.

Bird wise, quite quiet, with common buzzard, mallard, coot, grey heron, reed bunting and mistle thrush being added to the 36 species I recorded yesterday. A goldfinch posed on Hadham Hall roof and there were plenty of young coots, mallards and moorhens on the ponds.

Whilst searching the vegetation for moths and butterflies I also managed to photo a green shield bug and a soldier beetle of the order canthabis rustica, a common predatory creature. Also shown here is a male scorpion fly. Although it looks like a stinger, it is quite harmless.
Run the cursor over the photos and click on them to enlarge and see the species name.

New species on long wander 27th May

Starting at Tescos and soon entering the parish, I ventured to cover both sides of the Ash valley today. From Stocking Wood I took the path along the parish boundary towards Much Hadham G.C. before heading towards Acremore Street and down to the Ford. From hear, after a short break to recharge the camera batteries, I wandered up Chapel Lane, around the back of Caley Wood and back over the golf course footpaths. In all: 36 species of birds and over 45 species of flowering plant were recorded, along with a new species of butterfly for the parish and a new insect from the hemiptera order.
However, the highlight for me was recording the first turtle dove for the parish. One bird, "purring" as I wandered along the footpath south of Bury Green that eventually arrives at Danebridge. A fine sight, unfortunately shielded by vegetation to permit a worthwhile photo. Certainly a declining summer visitor, with only 4 records so far this year for the whole of the Stortford district.
Another new addition to the natural history list was a painted lady butterfly. This, too is a migratory species, moving north from North Africa and the Mediterranean coast. This was an expected sighting this year, with, I suspect, a major invasion underway. I am sure it will become a common sight this summer.
Other birds of note were a pair of bullfinches, linnets, good numbers of house martins and swallows, 5 singing chiffchaffs and 4 singing blackcaps but only 1 whitethroat and no willow warblers were heard or observed.
Plant wise the list is long with many new additions to my list: hedge mustard, ribwort, cat's ear, prickly sow's ear, bladder campion and narrow leaved everlasting pea were a few that I managed to record. Unfortunately, the damp and blustery conditions were not conducive to good plant photography, but I include several here.
A mirus striatus beetle was found on nettles, shown below. A striking insect, visible from May to August.
All in all, a successful day, considering the poor weather conditions. Hopefully a few day's sun will bring out more insects and have the birds singing again.

Photos today show the yellow wood avens plant, the elegant mirus striatus insect, cut leaved crane's bill (pink), bladder campion and the underwings of the painted lady. After half an hour of following and waiting, the insect had still not rested showing its salmon pink upper wings! Shown below are splendid specimens of field poppy and briar rose as well as an unidentified spider and a 7 spot ladybird.

Weekend sightings

The highlight of the weekend was recording a holly blue butterfly in the garden, the first for 2009. Other butterflies were also recorded, with large and small whites and green veined whites. A great spotted woodpecker was photographed at the garden nut feeder. Also in the garden, a first for me, was a resplendent male bullfinch. Unfortunately it stayed too briefly as I tried to get to the camera. At the allotment a kestrel was seen overhead along with good numbers of swifts. A juvenile starling was being fed by a parent in the garden this evening. More brimstone moths were evident around The Ford and a final first, a common blue damselfly seen patrolling damson trees on the allotment.

Weekend round up

Highlight for theweek was recording my first cuckoo. This was on the 13th at Little Hadham cricket club, where it called and then gave a good fly over view.

A Drinker moth caterpillar was recorded near Acremore Street and a brimstone moth was found nin Ford Hill. Usual species continue to call with blackcaps, chiffchaffs, whitethroats and willow warblers all being evident. Bullfinches were apparent along Hoecroft Lane and skylarks sang over the golf course.

Plants are coming into flower, with yellow archangel, jacob's ladder, herb robert, red and white campion all being found in hedgeows and roadside verges.

Photos here show the Drinker moth caterpillar, brimstone moth, a male chaffinch, the blue germander speedwell in flower, pink herb robert, a green veined white butterfly and an underwing view of a speckled wood butterfly. Finally, a clump of hybrid campions, a cross between the red and white giving a large pink flower. These were found in the hedgerow along Acremore Street.

The green veined white butterfly was another new recording for the year.

7th May local birding on the allotment.

An hour watching from the allotment proved a great success, with both swift and hobby being recorded for the first time this year. Coincidentally, my first record of swift in 2008 was also the 7th May. Willow warblers, chiffchaffs, whitethroats and blackcaps also sang on my patch. A 1st year herring gull headed south along the Ash valley. From the village green opposite the Nags Head, I recorded an impressive 18 species in 30 minutes.

In all 27 species were heard and/or observed. Photo shows a male singing yellowhammer with a threatening sky behind.

Chapel Lane/Westland Green walk 6th May

An evening wander in good weather. New for the year were 3 house martins, recorded over Chapel Lane, heading north west. Also on offer were swallows, skylarks, a hunting kestrel, blackcap, common whitethroat and mallard. A great spotted woodpecker called from an old oak whereas green woodpeckers were heard on three occasions. One (a female as it only has a black "moustache", whilst the male shows red in the black) was photographed in long grass on the golf course. Shown here. A large white butterfly was the only insect of note in a list that contained 32 species of birds.

Photos attached show the green woodpecker, a young rabbit, jacob's ladder plant, found along lanes in Westland Green and a name carved in a holly tree. This carving was some 18 feet up the trunk and so could be anything up to 50 years old as holly are not fast growing trees.

Saturday 2nd May

A long morning walk, beginning from The Ford and following the River Ash to Winding Hill, before spending some good time around the Henry Moore estate and Boure Lane, Much Hadham. In all, in the parish I recorded 25 species, with a mobbed common buzzard, several swallows and skylarks being the highlights. A green veined white butterfly was new for the year, but still no cuckoo! The great spotted woodpecker, nesting along the river was evident as were the yellowhammers, song thrushes and usual finches and tits.

Photos attached show the mobbed buzzard, a comma butterfly as well as the green veined white, a drake mallard on the Ash at The Ford and another buzzard, a darker specimen, seen over Much Hadham.

Evening walk 30th April

A short wander along the River Ash and on to the golf course footpaths along the 6th fairway gave good sightings of several usual residents. A common buzzard flew overhead along with yellowhammers, skylarks a solitary pied wagtail and 3 linnets. A fly over mallard was heading for the river as a song thrush sang from near The Ford. Blackcaps joined the chorus of regular singers, including blackbird, great tit, blue tit, chiffchaff and chaffinch.

Today's photos show a male blackbird on the chapel roof, a view north east from the golf course and a view of an oak, looking west.