A pleasant afternoon wander around the north and the east of the parish. At Hadham Hall, I encountered this common darter by the ponds where also plenty of house martins were overhead.
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| common darter |
A few migrant hawkers were about, but not roosting for a photo. However, this fine common blue damselfly did want to pose. Over the water were 35 or so, frequently resting on floating leaves.
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| common blue damselfly |
Bird-wise, very quiet. A common buzzard overhead, magpies, linnets, goldfinches, corvids and a few chiffchaffs were about it along with 2 flyover mallards. 3 swallows were dropping down to drink. Trying to get a sharp photo in cloudy conditions was tricky, but this photo may help us understand why the Tudors thought that swallows lived at the bottom of lakes. They saw them doing this on their migration and then, didn't see them again until the following spring.
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| common blue damsels |
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| linnet |
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| drinking swallow |
However, around the pond at Hadham Hall I noted 2 flowering plants, firstly a mint species which I believe to be water mint and next to this a stand of purple loose-strife. 2 new plants and then, even better, a small brown butterfly appeared near the footpath heading east towards Hadham End. I followed it and eventually rested, giving me the opportunity to identify as a brown argus, a new butterfly for my parish records. The black dash on the forewing, the white streak on the underwing and the 2 dots, one large, one small on the top of the hind underwing are all diagnostic of this species, helping to distinguish it from the superficially similar common blue (female.)
All in all, a good few hours.
Edit: water mint now confirmed
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| brown argus |
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| underwing of brown argus to clinch identification |
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| purple loose-strife |
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| water mint |
On my way back to Chapel Lane, I noted a stand of hazel, all showing blisters on the leaf, signs of the hazel blister moth has been present; a tiny leaf mining moth. Also, in the grass, nearby an
Agriphila tristella.
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| Signs of the hazel blister moth |
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| Agriphila tristella |
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