Local Walk

My regular wander back from town to the village on a Monday morning. Today, went past East Wood and around to Stocking Wood and Bury Green, before checking in on Millennium Wood and then down Brick Kiln Hill to home.
A super walk with a diverse collection of things seen. Near East Wood blackcaps and whitethroats sang and a cuckoo was heard from deep in the wood. However, the first highlight, a small yellow underwing moth in the grass. Didn't hang around for a photo, one here from last year.

Another cuckoo over Stocking Wood before I came across early purple orchid adjacent to the footpath. 7 spikes here at present, with several showing they had been around for a week or so. Chiffchaffs, great and blue tits made the list before a yellowhammer called as I entered Bury Green.
From here, through Bury Green and into Millennium Wood. Excellent: a pair of great tits that have taken up residence in nest box 7 are now feeding young. Super to watch. Also, an adult bullfinch busy carrying food so they are breeding within the wood for the second year running.
As I headed down Brick Kiln Hill, I checked buttercup heads and came up with plenty of the tiny micro moth Glyphipterix simpliciella. shown here.

As I sat on Brick Kiln Hill a red kite glided past. I climbed a little higher and was pleased to get the foillowing shots:

All in all, a most successful wander with over 30 bird species, 7 butterfly species, including this stunning male orange tip in Stocking Wood, feeding on red campion, along with the 2 new for year moth species, plus the usual plant species to be found in mid May.

Orange tip

speckled wood

red campion