Sunday 29 September 2013

Well I never...

A blog post!

Hello all!
It was my birthday over the weekend and as a special birthday treat the hooded birder and his hooded girlfriend went to Spurn for a couple of days which coincided nicely with some easterlies and a humungous movement of Yellow-browed Warblers - things were looking good(ish) from the outset.

BUT

Before I tell you all about Spurn I'd better catch up with stuff that pre-dates the Spurn trip - as you're probably aware this is the first post in months and If I don't catch up now I never will!

SO

Cast your minds back a few months to the glorious summer we had.... the Hooded Birder couldn't help but notice that there was lots of stuff flying around that wasn't birds - namely Butterflies and Dragonflies. The Hooded Birder quickly realised his I.D skills in relation to these taxa were not up to scratch so that became the focus of the summer. It was also realised that the Hooded Birder knows nothing about moths either. But that can wait until next year....

 
Butterflies
 
 
Small Tortoiseshell

Peacock

Red Admiral

Comma

Meadow Brown


Common Blue

And again

Chalkhill Blue - Bloody Oaks Quarry Lrwt


Chalkhill Blue - Bloody Oaks Quarry Lrwt

poor shot of a Silver-studded Blue - Arne Rspb

Small Copper - Burrough-on-the-Hill
Grizzled Skipper  - Ketton Quarry Lrwt
 
Dingy Skipper - Ketton Quarry Lrwt

Lulworth Skipper - Lulworth Cove

Lulworth Skipper (+beastie) - Lulworth Cove

Green Hairstreak - Dovedale

Marbled White - Lulworth Cove

Terrible shot of a Grayling - Arne Rspb

Silver-washed Fritillary (it landed on my foot!) - Fermyn Woods.
(Thanks Mr Llama)

White Admiral - Fermyn Woods
 
 
Dragonflies
 
Broad-bodied Chaser - Pickwell

Broad-bodied Chaser - Pickwell

Broad-bodied Chaser - Pickwell

Broad-bodied Chaser - Pickwell

Four-spotted Chaser - Rutland Water

Migrant Hawker - Studland Heath

Southern Hawker - Studland Heath

Keeled Skimmer - Arne Rspb

Banded Demoiselle - Knettishall Heath
If I've made any I.D gaffes let me know...otherwise brace yourself for a summary of my recent trip to Spurn!

Edit: Sticking with the things-that-aren't-birds theme, I also finally county-ticked Adder earlier this year at Ketton, and very nice it was too.

 


4 comments:

  1. Belated birthday greetings, I too got hooked on butterflies this summer and haven't got a clue what I saw and tried photograhping, it was so addictive I brought myself a macro and id book and now can't wait for next summer

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  2. The 'Small Blues' are Common Blues - Small Blue isn't actually blue at all, but dark brown above, and the undersides are very pale grey with black spots, a bit like Holly Blue. And the unidentified frit at Fermyn is a knackered Silver-washed.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Andy, I knew they were common blues but for some reason I wrote "small" - getting confused with small heaths I reckon. And thanks for the Frit I.D - its what we suspected but as it was so knackered we weren't sure!

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