Monday 13th July and I had a walk out to Oreston where a colony of White-tailed Hairstreaks have recently been discovered in an elm tree where the canopy of the tree is level with the footpath allowing some great views of the butterflies.
I soon found a White-letter Hairstreak on arriving at the site and there were at least 3 present in the tree top along with a Speckled Wood, a Holly Blue and a Purple Hairstreak.
White-letter Hairstreak
Purple Hairstreak
I had a look at another White-letter Hairstreak site nearby on the walk home, this time in an elm tree along the cycle path behind The Range Superstore on Billacombe Road, and after a bit of a scan around before the clouds rolled on I found one nectaring on Old Man's Beard below the elm tree before it disappeared from view.
Tuesday 14th July and we drove up to Ipswich in Suffolk for a few days away at my Mums. There were fewer than usual roadside casulalties seen on the journey to Ipswich, presumably due to the lower traffic levels following the COVID-19 lock down giving the wildlife a better chance, but I did see 3 Red Kites soaring over the M3/M25 Motorways. Even better were at least 5 Essex Skippers seen on a layby embankment along the A12 just off the M25 - we had stopped to check the car radio aerial and I had noticed some small orange butterflies flitting about over the grass which turned out to be Essex Skipper although they were very flitty and flighty.
Essex Skipper - black undersides to antennae tips
Essex Skipper
Essex Skipper - Male with short, straight and inconspicuous sex brands on upper wing
Essex Skipper
Essex Skipper
Our time in Ipswich was dry but mostly overcast so butterflying was difficult but I did have the moth box out in my Mums garden on 2 nights and I did manage a short visit to Minsmere although the hides were closed, it was very busy and only 2 of the nature trails were open
Lesser Black-backed Gull Chick, Felixstowe
Mothing was interesting with some familiar species and some new ones too and in much higher numbers than I get in my own back yard here in Plymouth. The highlights were Poplar and Elephant Hawk Moths, Box-tree Moth, Least Carpet, Marbled Beauty, Brown-tail, Dusky Sallow, Feathered Ranunculus, Festoon and Ruby Tiger amongst a good assortment of commoner species.
Box-tree Moth - a pretty pest introduced from Asia
Festoon - Male
Feathered Ranunculus(?)
Least Carpet
Small Emerald
My trip to Minsmere on July 16th gave 9 species of butterfly in the dull and grey skies - Small Copper, Small Skipper, Gatekeeper, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Large White, Red Admiral, Peacock and a Silver-washed Fritillary - but it was too cloudy for White Admirals to be enticed to fly along the woodland rides.
Silver-washed Fritillary
Peacock
Peacock
Yellow-horned Poppy
Bird wise it was much more interesting with a good range of waders seen - Redshank, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Lapwing, Turnstone, Ruff, Avocet, Green Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Spotted Redshank and Stone Curlew - along with Common Tern, Sandwich Tern, Mediterranean Gull, Kittiwake, Marsh Harrier, Hobby, Sedge Warbler and Sand Martin.
Stone Curlew
Stone Curlew
Another 3 Red Kite were seen on the journey back to Plymouth on July 18th, this time along the M3/A303, and the traffic around Stonehenge wasn't too bad for a change considering we travelled home on a July Saturday.
Sunday 19th July was cool and cloudy and so we had a walk along Devonport Leat on Dartmoor, starting at Burrator Reservoir. We have never undertaken this walk before which is surprising as the scenery was beautiful and the Leat very interesting. It was quite busy with walkers and cyclists but not too bad and I heard Green Woodpecker and Siskin and saw Swallows and House Martins plus Beautiful Demoiselles, Ringlet, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.
Beautiful Demoiselle
Beautiful Demoiselle wing
Devonport Leat Aquaduct
Brown Trout, Devonport Leat
On the way home we stopped off at Blagdon's Meadow in Plymouth where Clouded Yellows have been reported and within a few minutes of arriving I found 2 dashing across a surprisingly verdant and flower covered meadow although they rarely settled for more than a few seconds.
Monday 20th July was my last day off before returning to work and so I walked out to Oreston to look again for White-letter Hairstreaks and I soon found one perched in the eye-level elm canopy although it was very battered looking.
White-letter Hairstreak
I stopped off at Blagdon's Meadow on the walk home and again quickly found a Clouded Yellow dashing about and again it rarely settled for very long and I also saw Common Blue and Meadow Brown along with 6-spot Burnet and a Small Copper.
Clouded Yellow
Common Blue - female
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