Green Hairstreak and Speckled Wood.

The Spring is now moving at a fast pace as new butterflies appear. Today I was on a long walk when I came across Neville and Janet Richardson who told me they had seen a Green Hairstreak. I tried to relocate it but was unable to find it. I then looked around a couple of areas where I had seen them in the past and I managed to see 2 others, 1 of which I managed to get a poor record shot before it vanished. This sighting is 9 days earlier than I have seen this species before and several weeks earlier than last year. Around 15 Speckled Wood were also seen including 2 females and one Green Veined White.

My first Green Hairstreak of 2014

Speckled Wood

Male Speckled Wood.

Torts, Tips and Damselfly.

A day spent around Arlington today produced 2 new butterflies for the year as well as my first damselfly of the year. In sunny conditions, but a cool breeze, I started off with a Green Veined White near the reservoir. It was then mainly Small Tortoiseshell seen with the odd Peacock and Brimstone. Quite a bit of egg laying was going on on the nettle banks including one group of 3 all laying on the same nettle. Several Drinker Moth larva were seen along the hedgerows before seeing my first Orange-tips of the year around the Cuckoo Flower. Probably around 12 Orange-tips seen all together including one female. It was a bit breezy to get any decent photos of these. Apart from the Orange-tips the highlight of the day was my first Damselfly of the year in the shape of a Large Red Damselfly.

egg laying Small Tortoiseshell

Drinker Moth larva

female Orange-tip

Large Red Damselfly

Marbled White larva.

I had just over an hour today trying and failing again to find a Wall Brown pupa. It is amazing how well hidden they are. I did find another near fully grown larva so there is still quite a bit of time to find one. I also found several moth larvae and what I believe to be a green form Marbled White larva. This larva is rarely seen as when they are fully grown they become nocturnal.

 Marbled White larva

Also today I attempted photographing one of the local Robins. They have been quite active recently as they have a nest with chicks nearby.

The Emperor Moth.

With the weather being very poor today I decided in my small window of opportunity to once again look for some Wall Brown pupa. I have now spent a few hours this year looking for them with absolutely no luck, and today was much the same. I'm really glad that I found one 2 years ago, but I want another one!

 I did find a couple of very small Emperor Moth larva as well as a tiny Wall Brown larva and a few large moth larva. With the back beginning to ache I decided I had had enough but with the Emperor larva as well as the female Emperor wing the other day on my mind I thought I would just look around the bushes in the very faint hope of seeing my first ever Emperor Moth. I was walking very slowly past a bush when I saw what I thought was a large leaf, I did a double take as amazingly it was a female Emperor Moth just sitting there in the dull damp conditions. Fortunately it did eventually brighten up just enough to get a few photos. Despite a little wing damage it was a fabulous sight and one which I thought I would never ever see. It just goes to show that it is always worth putting in the effort to get out there!!

I also saw my first Swallow of the year today.

Wasteland. What Wasteland?

With less than an hour available late morning I quickly visited the so called wasteland nearby where a massive amount of stinging nettles were growing. Immediately Small Tortoiseshell were very evident with several flying around and settling, with some looking for egg laying sites. There was one old male that was so tatty it was only just possible to identify it as a Small Tortoiseshell. However, when other males came near he was still able to see off the best of the opposition!! There were also several Comma flying along with a Brimstone and a couple of Peacock. I was so engrossed with all this activity that I was running a little late. I was rushing home when a newly emerged female Holly Blue fluttered down in front of me. I managed an underside shot of this as another Holly Blue flew over me. Unfortunately, with the wind blowing she wouldn't perform by opening her wings for me.

Small Tortoiseshell

Small Tortoiseshell

Small Tortoiseshell egg laying

Comma

Comma

female Holly Blue

Specklies emerge on a mixed day

A very mixed day with warm sunshine for only an hour before the clouds came back. During the sunny part I came across a Slow Worm warming itself up. Then wandering along the woodland rides several Peacock butterflies were seen along with small numbers of Small Tortoiseshell, Comma and Brimstone. The hoped for Orange-tips were not seen as the weather went downhill, but it won't be long now as several of these beauties have been reported. I have been trying to get better photographs of the Orange Underwing moths this Spring. Unfortunately for me these moths are so well camouflaged that they are difficult to see when they are on the ground taking on minerals and moisture, as soon as they are disturbed they fly in a zigzag formation so they are hard to follow and often they fly up to the tops of the trees. Today however I was lucky to spot one which resettled on the ground, this shows how well they are camouflaged. This one was also the Light Orange Underwing which is the rarer of the 2 Orange Underwing species.

Slow Worm

Peacock

Light Orange Underwing

Later in the day at a different local woodland 2 Speckled Wood were seen, my first sighting of this species this year. They will soon be flying in good numbers nearby.

Holly and Herald

At last I had the moth trap out last night for the first time this year. On opening it this morning I found the first Herald that I've caught in the trap, a very smart moth. Another first for me was a Twenty-plume Moth. This is a tiny micro moth with fantastic feathery wings. Along with these gems there were several of the more expected common early moths. I then left the house heading up to Frog Firle hoping for a Wall Brown pupa. I have been looking a few times now with no success, I haven't even managed to find many larva in the last week. On driving out the Close I saw my first Holly Blue of the year. Near High and Over I met Nigel doing his transect and he came across a wing of an Emperor Moth, a moth that I've never seen before. This poor creature was probably eaten by a bird before it had even flown. After Nigel had moved on I returned to hunting for the Wall pupa. Once again I wasn't lucky. I was very near to giving up when I found a near fully grown larva. I will have to carry on and try again!!

Herald

Twenty-plume Moth

Wing of Female Emperor Moth

Fully grown Wall Brown larva