Brian Stone
A Stone chatting
A sunny day today so took a lunchtime trip to Old Sulehay Quarry in east Northamptonshire to look for Orange Underwing moth (http://cgi.ukmoths.force9.co.uk/show.php?id=871),
which flies on sunny days in late March and April in places with plenty of Birch. Several showed around the birches on the eastern side of the old quarry. They are flighty devils and we failed to locate one at rest but saw them fairly well in flight: a first for all of us.
Also quite a few Green Tiger Beetles about. This is a striking irridescent beetle and if you look at this pic you can just see the tip of the bright blueish abdomen showing at the rear, which shows very brightly as it flies in the sun.
http://www.brian.stone.care4free.net/images/green_tiger_beetle_mar_04.jpg
Plenty of butterflies on the wing here. Brimstone were most numerous, with also Peacock, Comma and Small Tortoiseshell.
A male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker showed very nicely at the western end of the wood and there were Goldcrest and Treecreeper singing and at least 2 Marsh Tits about. At least 3 Chiffchaff singing.
Also one Buzzard distantly to the west and up to 4 Red Kites over.
:t:
which flies on sunny days in late March and April in places with plenty of Birch. Several showed around the birches on the eastern side of the old quarry. They are flighty devils and we failed to locate one at rest but saw them fairly well in flight: a first for all of us.
Also quite a few Green Tiger Beetles about. This is a striking irridescent beetle and if you look at this pic you can just see the tip of the bright blueish abdomen showing at the rear, which shows very brightly as it flies in the sun.
http://www.brian.stone.care4free.net/images/green_tiger_beetle_mar_04.jpg
Plenty of butterflies on the wing here. Brimstone were most numerous, with also Peacock, Comma and Small Tortoiseshell.
A male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker showed very nicely at the western end of the wood and there were Goldcrest and Treecreeper singing and at least 2 Marsh Tits about. At least 3 Chiffchaff singing.
Also one Buzzard distantly to the west and up to 4 Red Kites over.
:t:
