SMARDALE GILL NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE-CUMBRIA

I spent this afternoon up at Smardale Gill with Jenna and me Mam as I needed Scotch Argus for my British list.The Scotch Argus is a rare sight for England,as the butterfly is at the southern limit of its natural range and there are only two populations south of the Scottish border.

Walking along the disused railway line it didn't take long before we found are first Scotch Argus on one of the wildflower verges.

Scotch Argus

As we carried on walking we must have counted at least 5 Scotch Argus butterflies but it was over cast and the temperature wasen't great so the numbers were low.Other Butterflies of note on site were:

Red Admiral

Green-Veined White

A nice afternoon out walking which was finished off with some pub grub before the journey home.

Smardale Gill Viaduct

FIVE SPECIES ADDED TO BRITISH LIST

The British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee (BOURC) has recently [13 August 2024] announced that the British list has climbed to 641 with the addition of five species.

CLICK HERE

QUEEN OF SPAIN FRITILLARY-MARTLESHAM WILDS-SUFFOLK

I visited Marlesham Wilds in Suffolk this afternoon, which was a new site for me, hoping to see a Queen of Spain Fritillary butterfly.

It took me a good hour to connect with the butterfly, but I was rewarded with stunning views as it flew in front of me and landed. Whatever its origins, it is a beautiful butterfly, and I'm glad I saw it.

(C) David Walsh

(C) David Walsh

(C)James Timms

(C)James Timms

CANVASBACK-ABBERTON RESERVOIR-ESSEX AND DARTFORD WARBLER-DUNWICH HEATH-SUFFOLK

While passing Abberton reservoir today in Essex with my good friend Owen Parsons, news broke that a Canvasback was showing well on the causeway. Owen needed the bird for Britain, so we decided to give it a while ago.

I had previously seen the Pennington flash bird in 2002 (see below)

                  

On arrival, the bird was showing really well on the causeway.

This bird is a returning bird from last year and will be the 13th record for the UK if accepted. The canvasback was found associating with a large flock of Common Pochard at Abberton Reservoir last year. If it is a genuine vagrant, there are two previous records from this site involving long-staying birds in 1999 and 2000; these two records were arguably drawn in by the presence of an exceptionally large flock of overwintering Common Pochard. What weighs against it is the fact that they are kept in captivity in the UK. In fact, 6 captive birds were released at Flixton gravel pits in 2020, only 50 miles away from Abberton reservoir. We'll let the powers that be decide on this one!

The Canvasback is the largest diving duck in North America and is very widespread. It breeds in Canada and the northern USA, migrating to the southern USA for the winter. It shares many features with our Common Pochard, with a chestnut red head and neck, a black breast, a greyish back, a black rump, and a blackish brown tail. The drake's sides, back, and belly are white with fine vermiculation resembling the weave of a canvas, which gave rise to the bird's common name. It differs from our Common Pochard in that it has a long, prominent black bill with none of the slatey grey bands always present on adult drake Common Pochard. It is also noticeably larger when seen well next to its European cousin.

ABBERTON RESERVOIR

Other birds of note on site were the Great White Egret and 5 Garganey.

Moving on from here, we called in at Dunwich Heath, where we connected with another target bird that Owen had never seen before, the Dartford Warbler.

It didn't take long as we walked around to hear the first alarm call of a Dartford warbler. The bird was a young juvenile that proved elusive at first and then gave itself up and sat out in the open.

A superb end to a cracking afternoon of birding, and Owen had two lifers on his list!

LESSER YELLOWLEGS-LILBOURNE MEADOWS NR-NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

I called in at Lilbourne Nature Reserve today as I was passing through Northamptonshire and got cracking views of a Lesser Yellowlegs.

Apparently, the last record of this species in Northamptonshire was 29 years ago! Other birds on site were Pectoral Sandpiper,2 Green Sandpiper and 6 Yellow Wagtails.

BROWN HAIRSTREAK-GRAFTON WOODS-WORCESTERSHIRE

I visited Grafton woods today with me mam to try and see the elusive Brown Hairstreak butterfly.The nationally endangered Brown Hairstreak is now extinct from all surrounding counties but survives in this small corner of Worcestershire. The most attractive of all Britain’s Hairstreak butterflies,the Brown Hairstreak breeds on sloe bushes around the edges of Grafton Wood and also on blackthorn hedgerows in the surrounding fields. The adult butterfly is on the wing from mid-August through to the end of September and the females can be spotted often basking on blackthorn leaves between bouts of egg-laying. The male butterfly is much more elusive spending most of its life at treetop level mainly around Ash trees growing on the woodland edge or along rides. Eggs remain on the blackthorn throughout the winter and are very vulnerable to annual flailing of hedgerows. Every year some 90% of all eggs laid are lost in this way and the butterfly’s long term future depends on the introduction of more sympathetic hedgerow management by local farmers. A number of hedges are already being managed on a rotation basis to benefit the Brown Hairstreak and an advisory leaflet is available from Butterfly Conservation detailing how landowners can become “Hairstreak Champions”

                   

Grafton Woods

I had never visited this site before but could clearly see that it was a well managed site for wildlife.A good assortment of Butterflies were seen on site.

Gatekeeper

Peacock

Brown Argus

Wood White

A female Banded Damselflie was also seen as we walked around the woods and

a female Southern hawker.

Banded Damselfly

Southern Hawker.

After a good few hours of walking around the wood we had no luck with seeing any Brown Hairstreaks so we started to make are way back to the car.Just as we were about to leave the woods I saw two Brown Hairstreaks on top of some Cow parsley happily foraging away,at last I had found them.

They showed really well whilst we watched them and as you can see,I managed to get some great video images of them both.

Me and me Mam

Another good dayout and another Butterfly on the list!