BUTTERCUPS AND BRIMSTONES

More sunny weather on Tuesday 24th and the spring marches on. Something different catches the eye every day and this carpet of buttercups in the country park is not a scene that has been eyecatching in previous years. Maybe the wet winter and the sunny spring have provided ideal conditions.

The surround-sound chorus of summer migrants on the park today included the regulars such as the two nightingales, one or two lesser whitethroats, blackcap, chiffchaff and the first of the common whitethroats back from Africa last night. The first view of one was from by back door as it perched up on a bush as it let out its scratchy little song.

The peace and serenity on the pond was rudely shattered briefly in the middle of the day. The resident crows spotted an approaching male marsh harrier which was out for a leisurely hunt around fields and ditches. This striking male had a pale sandy-coloured head and with pale grey wings that it flapped effortlessly.
The harrier disappeared behind the trees and out of view but there soon followed some very loud distressed coot calls as if an attack had taken place. The harrier soon flew past with nothing in its talons but interestingly the male swan looked very angry and flew across the water with some very deliberate beating of the water with its wings, as it "chased" the harrier off.

Moth trapping had a few interesting species such as several of these colourful brimstone moths. Also seen were lunar marbled brown, common carpet, first latticed heath, several brindled pugs, first two Chinese characters and a pair of spectacles!