Wed 1st June 2011 - Shenstone

Today, I decided to return to the patch.  With things being quiet on the bird front, that is unless you count the large numbers of juvenile Starlings that are around, I decided to visit early afternoon and concentrate on the insects around Butts Lane/Barrs Lane.

I walked the circuit taking the footpath from Barrs Lane across the field to the vicarage and then back along the Butts Lane set-a-side.  The footpath along the field was fairly unproductive but 4 Skylarks were flushed.  A Common Whitethroat was singing opposite the vicarage and another was seen opposite Eastfields Farm with a mouthful of insects, which is a good indicator that there is young being fed.

The majority of butterflies and day flying moths were in the area of the set-a-side.  There had definitely been an emergence of Large Skipper as, in this area, I recorded 12.  Cinabar Moths were also very much evident with a count of 8. I also saw 4 Brown Argus, 1 ♂ Common Blue, 1 Small Copper, 1 Small Tortoiseshell, 1 Peacock, Small White and a few Green-viened Whites

Also of interest was a ♂ Broad-bodied Chaser dragonfly at the drainage pond and a Hoverfly (Volucella inflata).  Red Soldier Beetle, Garden Chafer and Thick-legged Flower Beetle were all present in smaller numbers.

Large Skippers:











































Brown Argus (worn):















Hoverfly (Volucella inflata):















Green-Veined Whites:

3 comments:

  1. I particularly like the Large Skipper photos Jason. I haven't seen one yet this year.

    I enjoyed the previous post too, it's good that the Small Tortoiseshell seems to have done much better in the last two or three years.

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  2. Thanks Shy.

    It is really heartening to see Small tortoiseshells doing well again after their decline...long may it continue!

    Jason

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  3. Plenty of flutter species to emerge yet Jase :-) Hopefully you'll get a Spot fly feeding on them :-)

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