March 2016

[Testudo Man]

Good Friday....well, it was good for me too!
Wall to wall sunshine here in Kent which meant for good numbers of Butterflies on the wing.

At least 3 of each - Brimstone, Peacock and Comma seen.
Also 5 Common Lizards, 4 Adders, loads of Bees...and i heard a couple of Tawny Owls calling, deep in the woods.

Location - Kent, cheers Paul.

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[richardjackie]

More mounds of spawn from one of my favourite patches in Reigate this was the picture 3/3, last week it looked more or less just the same. I think it is frogs, although the area is most famous for it's Toad Crossing road signs. I must get a phone with a decent camera next time

We went down to Pagham Harbour on what was definitely a Good Friday. Plenty of Peacocks and several Small Torts.

[David M]

45 minute lunchtime walk round the scrubby areas near my workplace yielded all 4 endemic UK adult overwinterers - Brimstone, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell & Comma.

Another week or so should see Speckled Woods, Holly Blues, Large/Small/GV Whites & Orange Tips!

[Mikhail]

Plenty of sun, but a coolish north wind, suggested a walk in the shelter of the cliffs. Not a lot about, other than Small Whites, but I did see my first Clouded Yellow of the spring. I had missed out on the one seen by False Apollo (Mike Gibbons) on the 25th. Today's was decidedly undersized, about Orange Tip size. I imagine the final instar larva must have been on short commons, but nevertheless managed to pupate successfully.

M.

[richardjackie]

Got a chance to enjoy revisiting the spawn pond in an early afternoon spot of Spring sunshine at the local copse. Differing areas are regularly coppiced and it is rightly locally celebrated for its annual blaze of Bluebells whose scent was already laying down in the still warmed air. The area is on clay, and today was riven with streams and spangled with Wood Anemone, and starred with Lesser Celandine.

The pond was fizzing with tadpoles and a pair of Mallards were wading through black slicks of them. A shallow stream exited the pond into Redhill Brook, really it was like an ejaculation of tadpoles, yet more were squirming through rough grass down into a field.

The Chiff Chaffs seem to have lost a little magic for me, as I am suspicious that they may be the overwintering males, whereas the sight of the first male Orange Tip proves that the planet is still working. I didn't see any, but there is a space in the corner of my eye, as this is where they usually show first around here.