A rather cloudy, cool morning allowed the opportunity for photographing some chilled butterflies, but also meant that dragonflies were hard to find.
As far as birds were concerned there was no real change to report, apart from a record count of 98 Swifts hunting insects over the farmland. Four Green Sandpipers and a Little Ringed Plover, plus 20 Lapwings occupied the ever increasing muddy margins of pool and flash. The local Tit flocks are now much in evidence, and one by the flash included Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, and about six Chiffchaffs.
Butterflies included an estimated 100 Meadow Browns and Ringlets, about 20 each of Marbled Whites, Large Skippers, and Small Tortoiseshells, and smaller numbers of Small Heaths plus a Comma, a Peacock, a Painted Lady, and the first Small Skippers of the year.
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| Small Skipper |
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| Large Skipper |
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| Marbled White |
Other interesting insects included a little group of male Dark Bush Crickets, and two Large Yellow Underwing moths reflecting how variable the pattern of the upper wings can be.
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| Dark Bush Cricket |
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| Large Yellow Underwing |
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| Another Large Yellow Underwing |
One slightly disappointing piece of news concerns Margrove Coppice. I was able to speak to the gamekeeper there, and he confirmed that it is private, so can only be viewed from the road or from the footpath along it's short northern edge.
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