Flycatchers and a Hairstreak

The patch is continuing to prove productive. Yesterday I was joined by Richard Draper and we found a new Common Redstart along Slangs, quickly followed by a Spotted Flycatcher which was most appreciated by both of us. This is the only Spotted Fly I've seen in Britain this year and it's always great to get them on the patch in the autumn. Also yesterday a couple of Sand Martins in with a small number of hirundines, and a Wheatear at Reads Bottom while a Hobby flew over The Scrub.

Spotted Flycatcher yesterday

Today was pretty much just as busy at the patch although I saw less of what was on offer, missing both of the flycatchers (which were both found by Ians!). Ian Ward found a Spotted Fly by the side of Broadfield and Ian Jones scored with the patch's third ever Pied Flycatcher in Banstead Woods, a species that I have had firmly in mind for finding in recent days. I didn't actually get round to having a proper look for the Spotted but I made a point of looking for the Pied, sadly though it vanished with the tit/warbler flock it was seen with before I arrived at the scene. In the evening, while walking to the pub with Paul Goodman, Peter Taylor and Linda Mount, Peter spotted a Tree Pipit which showed well on the wires for a few seconds before flying off silently. In the morning a Yellow Wagtail called loudly overhead while I was checking the bushes in the farmyard, shortly after the first Meadow Pipit of the autumn finally squeeked away by the lane.

Tree Pipit this evening

A really exciting moment came late morning today when I happened to clap eyes on a beautiful female Brown Hairstreak by the Pages Acre horse paddock. I had just been on the phone to Graham James about maybe coming down soon to see this species at Holmethorpe so the timing was brilliant! This is the first record for the patch and the 33rd species of butterfly recorded there, which is pretty decent if you ask me! An elusive, sedentary species that survives in small colonies, it's likely that the butterfly represented a member of an undiscovered colony that we'll hopefully see more of in the future...

Brown Hairstreak - first patch record

Butterfly tour comes up trumps

Today the CFBW Bird Group had its first butterfly and plant walk, led by Steve Gale and Paul Goodman. I came along to lend a hand and it was a great success, with 24 species of butterfly recorded and a specimen of the very rare Cut-leaved Germander being found. The undoubted highlight was the Clouded Yellow at Hither Field, most unexpected. This is the first known report of this species for the patch recording area and even better because it was of the washed-out form helice. Nearby, a Painted Lady showed well and was only the second record of the year, following one yesterday. Three Silver-washed Fritillaries were seen, including one showing well at Fames Rough. Another star species, although not quite as obliging as the rest was a Purple Hairstreak by the pond while strong numbers of Chalkhill Blues were still on the east slopes.

Steve Gale showing participants how lovely moths can be 

 

Clouded Yellow of form helice, the first known record for CFBW

Silver-washed Fritillary, a low-level species in the recording area

Painted Lady. Only the second sighting at the patch this year

Chalkhill Blue. I took this photo a week or so ago but there were still plenty during the tour

Brown Argus. It's not been a great year for these, though a couple have been on the patch in recent days

Common Blue. Relatively scarce this year but numbers on the tour were optimistic following a recent new emergence

Birds did get a look in, with a single Crossbill flying over that most people managed to see. Steve also heard one calling on the other side of the road that marks the patch boundary, just before the walk began.

Here's the list of butterflies seen:

1. Essex Skipper
2. Small Skipper
3. Large Skipper
4. Clouded Yellow
5. Brimstone
6. Large White
7. Small White
8. Green-veined White
9. Purple Hairstreak
10. Brown Argus
11. Common Blue
12. Chalkhill Blue
13. Holly Blue
14. Red Admiral
15. Painted Lady
16. Peacock
17. Comma
18. Silver-washed Fritillary
19. Speckled Wood
20. Marbled White
21. Gatekeeper
22. Meadow Brown
23. Small Heath
24. Ringlet

Summer ice

Sparrowhawk

A rather casual and relaxed day. I made a change this morning by starting at Banstead Woods. There wasn't much around but it was a nice walk, with a handful of interesting moments to make it worthwhile. Birdwise, a male Sparrowhawk perching nearby in a pine for a couple of minutes allowed a relatively uncommon photo opportunity. In terms of butterflies, I was pleased to see my first Grizzled Skipper, Small Copper (one of my favourites) and Common Blue of the year, plus Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Brimstone etc.

Grizzled Skipper

Small Copper

Later in the day, I paid a brief late afternoon visit to Beddington, where the second calendar-year Iceland Gull showed well. A bit strange seeing it in the heat with flowers, butterflies and young birds all around. The Cetti's Warbler and a Reed Warbler sang close to the hide but didn't show.

Second calendar year Iceland Gull (possibly the Kumlien's that's worn over the last couple of months)

Chat hedge

Whinchat (left) with juvenile Stonechat

CFBW pulled its fifth (or possibly sixth) Whinchat of the year, and first of the autumn, today. It was in the same hedge in which three of the others stopped off this spring. The very same hedge has been fruitful in terms of other chats, too, with Black Redstart, Common Redstart and multiple Wheatears using it this year. Today's bird was accompanied by a juvenile Stonechat, which was nice.

Purple Hairstreak

Dingy Skipper

On Tuesday I spent a day butterflying (with nets and pots) at CFBW with Ian Magness which proved a success. Our most unusual find was probably a Dingy Skipper; a species which 'sometimes' has a smaller second brood around now and is generally pretty scarce anyway. I particularly enjoyed seeing a male Purple Hairstreak and a Small Copper, both butterfly year ticks (if I kept a butterfly year list) for me. We got a quick look at something which I'm almost certain was a male Chalkhill Blue - it certainly wasn't one of those bright female Common Blues - but it was too quick for the nets and was never seen again. Another highlight was even more of a surprise, and also not a butterfly: a Hummingbird Hawkmoth appeared out of nowhere and started feeding but vanished as hastily as it materialised.

Small Copper

Not every day has a Silver-wash

Silver-washed Fritillary

Over the summer I have been looking for Crossbills at the patch, this has now been achieved. Meanwhile, I have been pursuing a butterfly there: Silver-washed Fritillary. I have been looking for these almost as hard as I have been for Crossbills and today it paid off.

I seldom visit Fames Rough seeing as visiting it involves negotiating a very steep decent; I've lost my footing there a couple of times. That's something you don't want to do when there's a large quantity of big and jagged flint specimens lying around. Also, I don't find climbing back up notable gradients particularly easy. I did it today, though, in the hope of a frit. A Brown Argus raised my hopes but the sun subsequently went in, to my disgruntlement. However, after pausing at the west end for just a couple of minutes I noticed a large orange thing land a few few away - it was indeed a Silver-washed Fritillary! I actually ticked this species off a couple of weeks ago when one circled close around me for ages, but never settled. However, this is the first time that I've acquired satisfactory views of a settled example. Photo attached. Purple Emperor next . . .

Brown Argus

The bird highlight today was very unexpected: just as I was heading home I caught sight of a juvenile Peregrine flushing Woodpigeons from the north end of Broadfield. I also heard a female Tawny Owl calling near Piddly Pond (they're often heard there in the daytime). I pinpointed which tree the sound was coming from and grilled it. Nothing. I give up.

all things Canons Farm: cfbwbirds.blogspot.com

Wildlife treats

Roe Deer

Today, if I had the energy and time, I could have taken my first ever chance to go to the post office and apply for a provisional driving license, seeing as I am now seventeen. Instead, I slowly got ready and went out for a stroll around the patch. I didn't see too much bird-wise, the highlights being a migrant Willow Warbler and a showy juvenile Goldcrest.

Today was memorable for one of the first things I saw when I arrived at Tattenham Meadow. For about ten minutes I watched a doe Roe Deer and her fawn frolick through the now flowering linseed crop. I also managed to get a couple of pics of my favourite butterfly, the Marbled White, which was present in increased numbers at the butterfly hotspot that is the north end of the Legal & General playing field. There were a few small Skippers kicking about too, but only one was obliging enough for me to be able to observe the pattern at the end of its antenna, confirming it as a Small Skipper. Other butterflies present included singles of Comma, Red Admiral and Large Skipper as well as five Small Tortoiseshells and lots of cabbage whites (mainly in Broadfield).

Marbled White

I also finally managed to catch up with a Roesel's Bush Cricket; a species that is rather rare nationally but apparently common in the Sutton area.

Roesel's Bush Cricket

Dunge and Marbles

June has (as expected) been pretty poor at the patch, hence the lack of posts here. There have been a few signs of movement this month, though, with unseasonal occurances such as a singing Lesser Whitethroat (courtesy of Eagle), a flock of Lapwings and a Sand Martin. These things just about keep you ticking over but aren't anything to shout widely about.

Phil suggested a trip to Dungeness yesterday. We left reasonably early and dipped the Squacco Heron, not a bird that I need but it would have been a delight to see. We did get a few odds and sods including a Great White Egret fully draped in plumes and a close fly-by pair of first-summer Spoonbills. It was pretty cool to watch a first-summer Little Gull hawking with half a dozen or so Hobbies.

For me, though, one of the highlights of the last week has been the emergence of my favourite butterfly, the Marbled White. I was hoping to get a couple of snaps of one today to make this post look a little prettier but they were too quick. While I have always appreciated butterflies, I was reluctant to start trying to identify them until four years ago when a Marbled White dizzied my eye at Banstead Downs. A bit like how I started birding, I went and bought a starter butterfly book and identified it and my interest has since developed (with birds it was a Sparrowhawk over my primary school).