Monday 1 June 2009

Botley Wood

Went to watch butterflies at Botley Wood today and having never been there before we weren’t sure what to expect.

When we arrived a nightingale could be heard and throughout the trip we heard a minimum of 5 but there were probably many more. It seemed a very good spot for them and I even watched one beating a caterpillar to death on a branch!! Great stuff!

The tall scrub seemed alive with blackcaps, Common Whitethroat, Garden Warbler and long tailed tits as well as the nightingales.

Having come to see butterflies we hadn’t seen any yet. But there were tens of common spotted orchids to be seen:

It was when photographing these that I spotted a skipper, I new it was either a grizzled or dingy but it wasn’t until I got home and looked on the net that I could confirm it as grizzled:

We found one grass snake and many slow worms:

Into the wood there was a small pond with thick vegetation around it and several Downy Emeralds (I think?) were patrolling the water. As they didn’t land I had to get flight shots to ID them from which was tricky but got enough I think:

Also present was what I assume to be an emerald damselfly but it doesn’t look quite like the pics on the web, any ideas?:

The last ID problem of the day was this caterpillar, any ideas?:

More birding tomorrow as I am a free man now, no exams left!!!

Dan

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