Spring Butterflies

It's looking like another great butterfly year! The hot dry spring has seen several species on the wing remarkably early, including Duke Of Burgundy, Grizzled Skipper and Dingy Skipper. I rarely see any of these species before the end of April, but on Saturday morning, with the weather feeling more like mid-summer, I caught up with all three at Ivinghoe Beacon and Church End, near Pitstone Village. I found several Dukes pottering about in their usual sheltered gully near the Beacon and they posed nicely for me on Hawthorn leaves and grasses. If only all Butterflies were as easy to photograph! At Church End I counted 10 Dingy skippers but came away with taking a single shot. The newly emerged males, buzzing with sunshine were so concerned with chasing each other and battling for territory that they rarely had time to settle for more than a second. Orange Tips, Green Hairstreaks and Holly Blues are also out in good numbers and the first Red Admirals have emerged, although strangely I have yet to see a Comma, a species I would have expected to catch up with weeks ago.

Duke Of Burgundy Hamearis lucina (23/04/2011)

Grizzled Skipper Pyrgus malvea (18/05/2008)

Green Hairstreak Callophrys rubi (23/04/2011)

Dingy Skipper Eynnis tages (14/05/2008)

This afternoon I set myself the task of taking some pictures of Orange Tip, a tricky butterfly to photograph well. Orange Tips are always on the move and when they do settle, often keep their wings half closed. I have just spent an energetic hour in the late afternoon sun running up and down the Cow Parsley clad banks of Wilstone, chasing after these delicate, flighty butterflies. I managed to grab a few shots before the temperature dropped as the bank went into shade and all the butterflies suddenly disappeared for the day.

Orange Tip Anthocharis cardamines (24/04/2011)

A Cuban Interlude

I have just returned from a wonderful trip to Cuba, and it feels as if I have come back to a different country than the one I left a few weeks ago. When I left in March the first hesitant signs of spring were showing, but winter was still clinging on grimly and the nights were cold and the weather unpredictable. I stumbled out on Friday morning, eyes blurry and head fuzzy with jet lag and was astonished at how much things have changed in just three short weeks. As I stepped out of the car at Wilstone Reservoir I was greeted by a racket of Blackcaps in the hedgerows. Chiffchaffs were singing all around and Swallows and House Martins were chattering happily above me. I spent a few minutes searching through a large group of Common Terns feeding noisily over the water, hoping to find an Arctic Tern, but with no success. The sounds of spring echoed all around me, the morning sun felt warm on the back of my neck and I instantly felt the post holiday blues melt away. Over at Marsworth, Sedge Warblers were making short noisy display flights over the reed beds and a Cetti's Warbler was shouting exultantly from the bushes on the far side of the reservoir. On Saturday morning I watched at least 20 Northern Wheatear chasing each other across the rabbit scarred slopes of Ivinghoe Beacon, the air filled with their angry tacking calls. Further along the slope I was lucky to have great views of a male Ring Ouzel, feeding boldly in the open until, suddenly spooked, it disappeared into a tiny Hawthorn bush. Ring Ouzels are one of my favourite birds and each spring I look forward excitedly to seeing one of these enigmatic and shy Thrushes. This morning, wandering idly round Wilstone on another glorious sunny day accompanied by the raucous cries of the Common Terns, I heard my first Cuckoo, singing and occasionally displaying over the reed beds - a sound that sums up the joy and thrill of Spring like nothing else. If you have to come home from holiday, what better time than Spring!

But it's my blog and I'll post what I want to! This is Cuba's national bird, the vivid and beautiful Cuban Trogon Priotelus temnurus, whose repetitive deep 'toctorok' call was a constant soundtrack to my time birding in the forests of one of the most colourful and friendly countries I have ever visited.

Cuban Trogon Priotelus temnurus (11/04/2011)