Wednesday 8 June 2011

Wednesday 8th. June 2011

I was working today up on the Greensand Ridge , so nothing to post from there , but am using this post to catch up on yesterday afternoon's visit to Spring Park Pond . I set off from home in sunshine , but , as I parked the car , the clouds rolled in . Leaving the pond till later , I went to check on the Peacock butterflies on the Nettles by the sheltered small meadow . Since my last visit , the Bracken had shot up , and it took quite some time to find them again . When I did , it was surprising how little they had grown , but the Bracken will definitely provide them shelter from predators . In the same area , I came across this female spider , I believe her to be Pisaura mirabilis , unfortunately no common name , carrying beneath her a very large egg sack . At the end of the small meadow is a horse paddock , and it would appear that Spring had sprung there as well . Walking back through the wood to the large meadow , the first flowers of another of my favourite plants , Enchanter's Nightshade/Circaea lutetiana , were just starting to open . As I got back to the meadow , a Short-tailed Vole ran across the path in front of me , and I just about got a sort of shot , before it disappeared into the long grass . At the pond , the odd pair of Smooth/Common Newts were still courting , with the male flashing his tail , and the female taking no notice at all . Just two Large Red Damselflies and a pair of Azure Damselflies , the female ovipositing while still in tandem with the male , were all that were recorded . That is if you don't count this male , bound up in spiders web , his flying days over . A walk around the meadow found a family of Blackcaps working their way along the woodland edge . I think there were 3 or 4 young with the two adults , but they were all very mobile , and not very helpful to be photographed .
And finally , a couple of moths found , that I'm going to have a stab at .I think this might be a worn Green Oak Tortrix moth ,
and hope that this might be a Rannock Looper , a moth that only used to breed in Scotland , but for some reason seem to be visiting the South East in good numbers at the moment . Alan / Sissinghurst Birds posted one last night , and I'm keeping my fingers crossed . But of course , I always stand to be corrected .

4 comments:

Phil said...

You must have been quick on the draw to get a pic of that Vole Greenie.
I'm pretty sure I got a shot of a Rannock Looper at NH the other day. I'll post it up next time for confirmation hopefully.

Alan Pavey said...

Hi Greenie that is indeed a Rannoch Looper! and it looks like the Tortrix is Green Oak as you say. You did well to catch that Field Vole running!

ShySongbird said...

You were on the ball with the Rannoch Looper Greenie, I had seen Alan's mention of it also.

I too was impressed that you managed to capture the Vole.

Ken. said...

Hi Greenie
Quick reactions on your part to get a shot of the Vole.
Nice shot of the Rannock Looper Moth.
Would like to see one while they are about.