To Standon and back: 05.07.09

A long lunchtime walk offered the opportunity to use new paths within the parish boundary, before entering Standon parish and enjoying a pint at the Star in the High Street.
At Westland Green a new butterfly for my records was seen briefly: a purple hairstreak. This small and high flying creature is found around established oaks. One was witnessed near the road adjacent to the Green, where also, some 6 spot burnet moths were also recorded. These were the first for the year. The brambles along the verges of Chapel Lane were full of all the common species of butterfly, many shown here. Today's photos show: the br

ight black and red burnet moth, the underwing and upperwing of a gatekeeper (note the two white dots in the "eye spot" and a ringlet. Latter takes its name from the small rings on the hindwing.

05.07.09: Behind Hadham Hall and 1 new butterfly for 2009

Due to the increasingly hot weather, I thought a morning walk to the ponds behind and around Hadham Hall would be good for butterflies and dragonflies. However, it turned into a reasonable birding session. To start with a turtle dove was heard purring near the war memorial in the village before common buzzard was seen soaring over the hall. A whitethroat called from the undergrowth near a pond and plenty of martins and swallows were using the largest lake for drinking. An autumnal sight was a party of 50+ linnets perched on the wires east of the Hall. A little early for such a large group but perhaps they’d finished their first brood having enjoyed nesting in and near the rape.
As I arrived at the largest sand of water an emperor dragonfly was hawking over the water, shown here and numerous common blue, azure and blue tailed damselflies were evident. The latter being a new species for the parish records No sign of last week’s black tailed skimmers.
New butterfly for the year was noted in the shape of a gatekeeper along with all usual specimens as noted in the previous report.
Other interesting insects observed around the large lake were oedemera nobilis, a bright green beetle with swollen hind legs (male only) as shown here. Also a grasshopper, thought to be a field grasshopper, but in the process of being properly identified by an expert. Many soldier beetles were also seen, mostly feeding on pollen of the cow and hedge parsley

As I left an unusual sight were 3 green woodpeckers on one telegraph pole, shown here in rather poor light. other photos show the grasshopper, an immature azure damselfly, the oederma nobilis and the emperor dragonfly in flight.

Butterfly walk along the Ash Valley 01.07.09

A first walk of the month on a hot July evening. In all 24 species of birds were observed and, without anything being outstanding my attention turned to the numerous butterflies to be found on the wild majoram that is now flowering along the River Ash south of the Ford.
A total of 12 species were seen, including numerous meadow browns (shown here), along with ringlets, green veined whites, large and small whites, commas, small tortoiseshell, small skipper, essex skipper, large skipper, painted lady and peacock.. All these were within an hour between 5.30pm and 6.30pm. Certainly shaping up to be a good butterfly yea.
Of the birds, the highlights were a solitary herring gull returning to winter quarters, several skylarks and yellowhammers as well as numerous swallows and swifts overhead. Photos attached show a small tortoiseshell, green veined white

, essex skipper (here) and a large skipper (top photo) as well as the meadow brown. Latter identifiable by the "eye" and 2 small black dots.

New records everywhere. 27th June

A remarkable afternoon out around Hadham Hall. The intention was to capture dragonfly photos but the day became more successful than anticipated. Firstly, a marbled white butterfly appeared (1st for year). Unfortunately, after 25 minutes of trying to get a photo it headed off over the rape. Secondly, 10+ black tailed skimmers ( blue bodies) were observed and photographed (a first for the parish list) then remarkably 2 ringed plovers dropped down, alighted on the "shore" for a few seconds before heading off north, rapidly gaining height. Again, a first for the parish. An large skipper ( shown here) was then witnessed (1st for year) along with numerous meadow browns, a common blue, several small and large whites, 1 peacock butterfly and 1 ringlet. 3 emperor dragonflies ( blue and green) were also observed and photographed

Other highlights were linnets, yellowhammers, green woodpecker, a heron, a flyover cormorant, a common buzzard and a pied wagtail. A super few hours before the thunderstorm.
Also depicted are a pair of soldier beetles, (rhagonycha fulva) a one legged blackbird, and the local heron. The flyover cormorant and the rather tatty common blue are also shown.

Late news: last night 2 lapwings headed west over my allotment. Another first for the year.

Hadham Hall walk 26th June

An eveing walk under heavy grey skies, looking for dragonflies. As I arrived at the pond the heavens opened and little was recorded. 1 emperor dragonfly was a new addition to the parish list but little else apart from several azure damselflies.

Birds were in good numbers, with both coot and moorhen feeding young. 2 grey herons alighted in a local tree and a reed bunting sang from on top of the rape. Skylarks were also in good voice once the rain stopped and plenty of swallows and house martins sat on the wires or drank from the lake. A song thrush (shown here) was heard near The Hall.

A good find was a bee orchid on the banks of the largest lake, shown here. Other photographs show the distant reed bunting and a peacock! The latter will not be on my bird list.

Millennium Wood 25th June

An evening wander to Millennium Wood for a spot of early evening butterfly photography. 1st for the year were small skipper (shown here) and ringlet (above), with also meadow brown, small tortoiseshell (above), painted lady, speckled wood, comma (below) and small white. A successful evening.

On the bird front, nothing unusual with chiffchaff and blackcap being vociferous. Plenty of swifts feeding and screaming overhead.

To Much Hadham and back

An evening walk, in fine weather took me along the ridge path and then back along te River Ash Valley. In all 20 species recorded, with highlights being a solitary lesser black backed gull heading north west, and swifts and swallows over the barley fileds.

Several painted lady butterflies, 4 meadow browns and a particularly impressive white plume moth were also witnessed.

This evening's photos show the white plume moth in take off mode, as well as alighted, a greying sky full of jackdaws and rooks at pre roost and, an as yet, unidentified moth.

UPDATE: moth now identified as Yellow Shell, a new moth for me, as in fact are nearly all of them as I am just beginning to study these with a view to identifying to species.

Short evening walk along New Road

A quick evening wander gave up all the usual local species, with 3 herring gulls being recorded heading north west, numerous painted lady butterflies. However, the highlight being 2 turtle doves purring on my allotment.
Late news. A red kite was well observed over the Nags Head pub and Brick Kiln Hill on the 14th.

Brick Kiln Hill and Millennium Wood

A recording walk on the 18th June was successful in as much as I recorded a respectable 26 species of bird along with several insects.

Swifts were noisy overhead and yellowhammers equally so from local hedgerow. At Millennium Wood the evening chorus started with great tits and blue tits before blackcaps, whitethroats and willow warblers joined in. These were soon joined by a few chiffchaffs, before a noisy lesser whitethroat began calling from near the polo field in Hoecroft Lane. Only the 5th recording of this species this year. An adult lesser black backed gull headed south in the evening light as long tailed tits, a family party, "buzzed" from the hedges that border the bridleway.

A newly emerged nest of peacock caterpillars was observed, shown here and meadow brown and painted lady butterflies were evident. Ladybirds, both the invasive harlequin and the regular 7 spotted were also found in nettle patches by Muggins Wood. Both dog rose and honeysuckle flowered in hedgerows, as shown here.

Chapel Lane wander 06.06.09

A brief morning walk up Chapel Lane in search of reported Little Owls. None were on offer, and in all a very quiet bird morning.

Skylarks sang over the golf course as a common buzzard mewed overhead. A sparrow hawk disturbed the peace in a roadside hedge whilst linnets and blackcaps sang along the bridleway towards Westland Green.

Photos attached show a goldfinch near the stables and the first harlequin ladybird for 2009