Noar Hill - Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina L.)

Having noted a window of opportunity in the weather forecast this afternoon - we headed to Noar Hill, where Duke of Norfolk butterfly have been reported since the 18th of April.

Hitting the briefest of sunny patches between 13:00 and 15:00 we were lucky to find up to 8 individuals, a fine showing in comparison to the singles of orange tip (Anthocharis cardamines), brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) and holly blue (Celastrina argiolus). Also of note was a common purple and gold moth (Pyrausta purpuralis), and a common or dark bordered bee-fly (Bombylius major).

Burton Mill Pond - damsels on the wing

I first got sight of a damselfly on the wing at Burton Mill Pond, on the 15th of this month it was dark and very flighty and defied a positive ID. Returning today with camera in tow, I found Ca. 8 - 10 individual large red damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) hugging the waterside vegetation and hedgerow along the dam crest.

Local patch - weekend round up

Two med gulls (Ichthyaemus melanocephalus) an ad + 2nd sum, on Swan Lake, Milton Common on the evening of the 10th. A single foraging pipistrelle (Pipistrellus sp) was seen along the path and foreshore shortly after. Cetti's (Cettia Cetti) were still calling across the site.

On the 11th a walk into the city centre, produced my first singing willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) of the spring, amongst a mixed flock of five willow/chiffs at the entrance to Victoria Park.

A welcome return to Compartments 1 & 2 on Portsdown Hill on a sunny but somewhat blustery afternoon - produced singles of comma (Polygonia c-album), orange tip (Anthrocharis cardamines), and brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni); along with seven each of small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae), and peacock (Aglais io); a flighty white failed to nail the ID.

A single whitethroat (Sylvia communis) in song at the top of Compartment 1 and two very vocal blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), and a half dozen chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collibyta) made it a four warbler day! And a five warbler weekend.

A late start on the 12th found two swallow (Hirundo rustica) flying through at Milton Common Ca. 11:30 a pair of med gull, Ca. eight cetti's warbler (Cettia cetti), willow warbler, chiffchaff and a half heard blackcap added further interest.

Fort Cumberland between and 12:00 and 13:00 was generally quiet, although four very mobile linnet (Carduelis cannabina) were very noisy. The site did produce my first reptile sighting of the year, with five common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) found sunning themselves on a scrap of wooden pallet, half hidden in the gorse (Ulex europaeus).