Sunshine and Butterflies

A two blog day.  Extra number crunching has been carried out by Tony and added to the earlier blog.  The numbers are amazing and every piece of data helps with the conservation of not only the birds but the habitats in which they live. 

It was a good job that we carried out CES yesterday as the birds would have been blown away, along the the bird ringers, today!  Taking photographs with the calendar competition in mind (closing date Friday 15th September - more details on the events page) in the gale proved interesting.  I decided that the Stone Circle would not move.  Took it and saw the beautiful dark grey sky!

By the afternoon, wind still blowing strongly, but blue sky and sunshine, another try.  There is a bit of blue sky!

Ambling around in the morning not a Speckled Wood Butterfly was to be seen but once the sun came out they were flying and defending their territories in every sunny space.

 In some sheltered places butterfllies were seen feeding.  This Peacock Butterfly was feeding on Devil's Bit Scabious.

Hemp Agrimony was providing food for a Red Admiral.

And at long last, after chasing Brimstone Butterflies, here, there and everywhere, I caught one feeding on Purple Loosestrife.

And another on Fleabane.

However there appear to be very few Comma and Small Tortoiseshell Butterflies around.  Please watch for them and if seen record it on the Observation Board in the Field Centre and let the Reserve Managers know where you have seen them.  Thank you.

Dog Daisy Avenue is well over as far as the Dog Daisies are concerend, but down by the lake they are still flowering.  No butterflies but a hoverfly feeding.