karen's country calendar

The last time I visited Church Hill at Therfield Heath was to see blue butterflies but I found that this area was also well known for its abundance of the rare Pasque flowers which flower around Easter, hence their name. So I decided this year I would visit when they were in flower. Today I had to go to Cambourne first thing which is on route though the weather was forecast to be overcast this morning, However the sun was out earlier than predicted and  after a 5 minute walk through woodland I came out onto the top of the hill and was soon able to spot the pretty purple flowers covering the grassy hillside

 Following a tip off I popped over to Earith where there had been reports for several days of 3 Glossy Ibis near the river.   I parked in the recommended small carpark but initially couldnt see them, however, a photographer with a large lens camera pointed out they were visible from the road side slightly further down the road. I followed his instructions and sure enough three black birds with long curved bills were visible in my binoculars.  I managed a quick photo but not that clear as too far away but never the less a first sighting for me. I also spotted a couple of oyster catchers though didnt manage a photo but another tick. Glossy Ibis

On New Years day I have often spent the day out with  my sister at a nature reserve to build a good total of birds to start the years list but not being possible this year, I had to make do with our garden and the farm at Bluntisham. However I did manage to see a respectable 17  species despite the damp dreary weather. Having recently put up a bird feeding station at the farm I was pleased to see it in use by bluetits, great tits, long tailed tits and a robin.  A walk round the orchards provided lots of fieldfares and redwings, starlings, blackbirds, wood pigeons, wren and dunnock.   I also added to my list later, mallards and moorhens, a buzzard and chaffinch and just before it got dark at home I heard the unmistakable noise of a pheasant and not being visible from the house I went outside and spotted it on the neighbours garage roof!  I am hoping we may get a bit of sunshine in the next few days to enable some decent photos!   

 Having heard there was a single cattle egret in a field in Fen Drayton a few weeks ago I drove over to have a look. Sure enough amongst the gulls in a field of  cattle was the cattle egret. As I watched a farmworker appeared and the egret took flight but happily landed in a better position for me to take photographs!  

 Following a tip off via facebook, today I drove to Hampton just south of Peterborough and parked up at a newly created nature reserve round a lake where I was told 20 clouded yellows had recently been seen amongst the scrub along the lakes edge.  The vegetation looked past its best and not very inviting for butterflies and it was also quite breezy so I decided to sit on a bench and enjoy the warm sunshine and the view and wait. It wasnt long before I noticed a butterfly flying over the scrub a little way in front of me and I suddenly realised it was bright yellow not the usual white at this time of year.  Was it a clouded yellow or just a moth?  I couldnt get close enough to determine but then saw another and this time I could definitely see the brown edges to the wings.  I followed it but to start with it refused to land so I felt resigned to just having to tick it off but then it eventually stopped on a yellow flower but trying to identify a yellow butterfly ...

After visiting Knapwell Wood I then went on to Therfield Heath but there was a large cloud cover over the sun and for the first 10 minutes or so there were hardly any butterflies visible although I did see a small skipper which I hadnt seen before this year.  Then the sun came out and the heath became alive, with small butterflies, mainly meadow browns, gatekeepers and whites but then a number of the pretty chalkhill blues began to flutter about near the ground - I often wonder where they have all been hiding.  A few posed for photographs and  I also found a rather tatty small copper. I didnt see any dark green fritillaries which I have seen about this time before but I had already ticked them off from an earlier visit.   chalkhill blue   chalkhill blue chalkhill blue   chalkhill blue small skipper small copper

  On Tuesday my quest was to add two more butterflies to this years sightings so I planned to drive the 30 minutes to Therfield Heath via Knapwell Wood which is where I had previously seen whiteletter hair streaks. I knew exactly the glade to make for, a large bramble area surrounded by elm trees.  It was slightly cloudy but the sun came out just as I got to the glade and sure enough it wasnt long before I spotted a couple of white letter hairstreaks, with the W clearly visible on their folded wings. together with simply dozens of other butterflies enjoying the sunshine - commas, red admirals, peacocks, gatekeepers, ringlets and meadow browns. I dont think there is another place where I have seen so many species together at the same time! See next blog for Therfield Heath    White letter hairstreak   white letter hairstreak    white letter hairstreak    comma     peacock     red admiral ...