Purple Emperor - oh yes !Silver-washed Fritillary
His Majesty sat high above us
Lots of colour all along the path
Silver-washed Fritillary
After a poor morning at the pits I decided to try Oversley Wood to see if I could find an early Purple Emperor. The car park has been closed and new fencing errected since my last visit so I was pleased that access to the car park was again possible even though there were huge pot holes by the gate. These pot holes would damage a car so please be careful.
The Squire joined me, first walk since recovering from virus, and we didn't need to work very hard as a stonking male came down for salts on dog excrement. From one angle simply no purple was on display yet when I walked to the other side we witness full purple wings.
Also during our visit we recorded our first Silver-washed Fritillarys of the year, Large Skipper, Ringlet, Meadow Brown and Marbled White.
Jons Sunday count included: 6 pairs Little Grebe, 2 Cormorant, very close views of an almost tame Great Egret on the works pool, 2 Grey Herons, 11 Mute Swans and young, 11 Greylag, 51 Canada Geese, 280 Mallard (new broods took total to 20), 74 Tufted Duck, 9 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 100 Coot now, 3 pairs of LR Plover - new brood of chicks out, 1 Ringed Plover heard flying over during shower, 27 Lapwing, 1 Curlew SW, NO sandpipers!, usual 3 spp of gulls, 1 male Cuckoo seen in usual tree near main pit but now silent, 80 Swift, 2 Sand Martin, 1 Treecreeper in plantation, 2 Corn Buntings in wheat field, all the usual warblers, Yellow Wagtails etc. Butterflies included Marbled White and Small Skipper. Nitgrass in flower. 1 Weasel seen.
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