13th July - The Purple One

With the extremely hot weather we have been experiencing there has been an increase in the butterflies visiting the garden.  Up to today the most significant was a Ringlet that bounced its way through the garden on the 10th, but this was surpassed this afternoon when I picked up a small grey looking butterfly that was flitting around the trees in the garden.  I knew immediately what it was and watched as it finally settled on the euonymus bush.

A Purple Hairstreak in the garden!  We don't have any oak trees in the garden and the nearest is probably on the corner of Reads Field with Lymington Bottom.  But here in front of me was a Purple Hairstreak, the 19th butterfly I have seen actually in the garden and the 29th in the Four Marks area.  The only way I could get a record shot though was to use my phone and here is an extremely poor record.

Purple Hairstreak are normally associated with oak trees and can be difficult to see as they spend most of the time flying around the tops of the canopy where they feed on honey dew.  I have spent a lot of time in Old Down Wood scanning the oak trees in hope of seeing one but have never been successful, so to have one in the garden is quite mind blowing.  When I did make the effort to go and get the camera it decided to leave, which again is a shame so I am left with the record.

Other sightings of note was a Swift seen over the garden on Sunday the 10th and the fact that there are House Martins back in Reads Field but only a handful of nests.

Our tame Blackbird was ousted this year by, we believe, one of his sons.  The son has had two broods and as been aggressively protecting the mealworm sources.  He behaves just like his father, stares us out from the patio table and will come into the kitchen.

What has been nice is that our blackbird has also returned to be fed, although he is a little nervous and will fly off if the son is about.  It would appear he has not bred this year but it is just so good to have him back.