29th March - 3rd April - Time to Sit Back and Unwind

Spring and summer suddenly arrived in Four Marks for the week before Easter.  The temperatures soared to the highest March temperature for over fifty years on the 30th, but then quickly tailed away to single figures over the Easter weekend, but fortunately with sunshine that kept you warm if you were out of the wind.

With the warm weather I decided on a lunchtime walk to see if there were anymore butterflies about.  The pond is usually a good spot to find them around midday as the sun hits the bank of shrubs about then.  Sure enough as I walked around the side of the pond I disturbed a Peacock butterfly, although it was looking a little worse for wear.

The periwinkle was flowering on the bank, while Lesser Celandine were dotted around the grass verge.  I managed to find this first flowering Cuckoo Flower or Lady's Smock.  It is a very delicate plant with pale pink flowers and is known as an indicator species.  The Cuckoo flower is favoured by the Green-veined White and Orange Tip butterflies, both lay their eggs on the flower.

The periwinkle was attracting several Bee Fly, they could be seen probing the flower head with their long proboscis.

Leaving the pond I walked to Old Down Wood, on the pebbles at the gate was another Bee Fly, this time resting on the stones, catching the warmth of the midday sun.

Chiffchaff were singing and several Brimstone butterflies flew past, one of which was my first female of the year.  The loud screeching call of Jays caught my attention and one flew through the trees and perched amongst the branches.  It is not that often you get the opportunity to catch one like this, despite the branches quite an acceptable shot.

I disturbed another Peacock and annoyingly my first Comma of the year which decided to fly away and out of sight.  I followed the main path to keep in the sunshine in the hope of getting some stationary butterflies, but the combination of sun and time of day meant they just kept flying past me.

At the west end of the wood was a lovely clump of wild Primroses.

The bluebells were well advanced now and in places there were flowers showing.  According to data from Natures Calendar Survey the first flowering bluebells has advanced by 17 days since 2001.

Another "blue" flower out at this time is the wild Violet, and many could be seen carpeting the south facing bank.

Walking back along the main path I came across another Peacock, although this time it was a little more confiding, the Pussy Willow flowers holding its attention.

And a different view which shows more wing damage and a fading of the scales making the wings a little translucent.

Leaving the Pond I drove around to Lye Way to check the fields, hopeful for a Wheatear.  There were no Wheatear but I did manage to find this Brown Hare sitting on one of the tractor ridges.

The garden remains busy, with the female blackbird, that was paired with our long term Blackbird, but is now with another male, feeding young as she has been seen carrying food.  If the old male is feeding she will chase him off, so we have taken to feeding him inside the kitchen, she is not that brave yet.

There are three pairs of Robin, one to the street side, one in chalk close and another in the gardens to the right.  Only one Robin will take from the hand, the others will come close with only Donald prepared to come into the kitchen.  Here is a slow motion video of the Robin taking a meal-worm.  Its partner takes a lot of time to sing, so I am assuming this is a female.

The Wren watches all this action and has started to come closer, nipping in to pinch a stray worm dropped for the Robins.

With the warmth of Tuesday still in the air I decided to put the moth trap out overnight.  I had expected a few more than I caught, but then it is still early in the season, but I did mange to catch these four new moths for the year.

First up a micro moth, Eudonia Angustea or Narrow-winged Grey, flys all year with a peak in the summer months

A Brindle Beauty 

Occurring locally throughout a large part of Britain, this species is commonest in the south, especially the Home Counties.  The moths fly in March and April, and the males at least, are attracted to light.

It prefers woodland and suburban habitats, and feeds on a range of deciduous trees

The Common Plume, one of the commonest of the 'Plume' moths all over Britain, and one of the few to be found in the early part of the year, as the adults occur in all months.  Like most of the Pterophoridae, the wings are cleft or divided, but this can be difficult to see, as the moth often rests with the wings rolled up tightly.  It occurs in any suitable habitat where the larval foodplants, bindweed grows.

Finally the Brindled Pug, another micro moth.  An early spring species, and one of the first Pugs of the season to be regularly encountered, it flies in one generation in April and May.  It inhabits deciduous woodland and is fairly common in much of Britain.

I will not be bothering with the moth trap until the weather warms up and there are some blossom and flowers around.