The Blues on chalk hillsides

The forecast for last Friday morning seemed to suggest wall-to-wall sunshine. It was actually more like wall-to-wall cloud, with the occasional ray of warmth. Plus, a stiff breeze. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Anyway, the foot of Ivinghoe Beacon, on the west side, was peppered with splashes of sky blue. Delicate, tissue paper thin Harebells matched the males of the Chalkhill Blues fluttering low over the chalk grassland….the very butterflies I was hoping to see and photograph.

Almost immediately after I arrived, I spotted a mating pair. The light was flat and dull and so I decided to sit down beside them and wait for the clouds to pass. I offered them my finger, seeing if they might like to climb on. The promise of warmth was obviously appealing and they settled quickly, finding a position whereby both their bodies were in contact with my skin so as to absorb as much heat as possible. I was glad to be of service!

Nearly half an hour we waited, me and the butterflies, nestled patiently amongst the Harebells. At long last, the sun popped its head out, the temperature rose instantly, the stiff, chilling breeze dropped, and the male opened his wings in welcome. I took a few photos and then returned the pair to the ground, glad to have been an inadvertent part of their courtship.

In the afternoon, I checked out another chalk hillside, the verge of the A41 in Bourne End/Hemel Hempstead, where I’d discovered the Small Blue colony earlier this Spring. I have been visiting regularly over the last few weeks, seeing how the larvae have been developing and wanting to catch the first of the second generation adults, if there were any. I was as pleased as punch to find 3 fresh Small Blues! And, on the westbound slip-road, in one small area, I counted 32 Six-Spot Burnets, including numerous mating pairs, all on Field Scabious! I’ve never seen so many at once.

All in all, a good day with the Blues on chalk hillsides.

Hemel Hempstead Small Blues: from larva to adult

Who stole the sunshine?

Bovingdon (BMT): My word, it’s been a cold, grey, windy, wet week. It’s a good job I’ve had more than sun-loving invertebrates to adore. This Summer has been a bumper year for baby birds at the Brickworks. I’ve not managed any photographs worth sharing but the experiences have been special. Nuthatches, Whitethroats, Linnets, Mistle Thrushes, Blackcaps, Robins and all the Tit families have courted, created and encouraged their noisy and nervous youngsters out into the woodland and surrounding scrub. I’ve loved running into them.

The little flock that is holding my interest at the moment is a party of 4+ freshly fledged, belle-of-the-ball Bullfinches (I really rather love Bullfinches...). Each time I arrive at the Brickworks, there they are, in the woodland, right by the entrance. If I approach quietly, and stay hidden, I’m able to watch the youngsters flit through the branches, sighing softly and occasionally finding buds or grubs that are actually worth eating. They don’t seem to stray far from this area except when I have to unlatch the gate and take the footpath past it, unfortunately. Then, they zoom off, scattering like Red Arrows breaking formation, a trail of white rumps, all making for the more dense woodland on the opposite side of the path. Still, they stay close by, giving themselves away with frequent calling. And, it isn’t too long before they’re all back in that same small area from which they fled, finding comfort and safety in its familiarity, and harvesting food and experience for life outside the nest.

Secrecy and sensitivity are part of this species’ charisma. There’s also the male’s peachy red, black and handsome grey colouring with that bull neck, neat little bill and glossy black head to attract the discerning eye. Smart, stout and enigmatic, it’s always special to see these birds. I’m making the most of the youngsters whilst they stay faithful to this one small pocket of woodland. Although they won’t move far, I guess they will spread out a little as they mature and find mates of their own.

The sighing of a Bullfinch…

Returning to the subject of sunshine, if there’s anything that can brighten up a cold, blustery day it’s the dazzling yellow of Ragwort and the burning orange of a Small Copper butterfly. The two combined this morning at Roughdown Common. It was only my second Small Copper of the year too, so, really great to see.

And, a couple of sunnier photos (below) from last weekend at the Brickworks. A 6-Spot Burnet (with photobombing hoverfly) on Rosebay Willowherb and a migrant moth, a Silver Y, in amongst Bird's-foot Trefoil. That reminds me, I read a very interesting article on moth migration recently. Stop sniggering. It really was interesting. It turns out that moths don't just fling themselves into the air willy-nilly, hoping they end up somewhere hospitable. Oh no, these canny little flutterers know exactly when to stay put and when to ride the wind-streams. There is serious precision involved….and…the research was carried out by Rothamsted Research, based just up the road in Harpenden. Oh…so now you're interested….ok, well the article is HERE, if you fancy a look.