10/07/2020-Pied Wagtail, flowers and Lakeside walks with more big butterfly count warm ups
I took the first picture in this photoset of a view on a nice sunny morning out the back with some nice colour in the scene from neighbouring gardens. I also saw a Pied Wagtail out the back this morning which I took the second picture in this photoset of. I hadn't seen one from home since before the lockdown, we seem to have a regular pair who only come in during the winter like a Robin as I have charted before. I remember at the train station in late March where loads of these birds flock near the airport in winter especially, I believe my last commute before working from home after a winter of seeing these near constantly in the garden, I saw a Pied Wagtail and I thought "I think I'm going to be seeing this bird a lot" knowing working from home indefinitely was to come. But with that spring was unfolding and it all coincided with the wagtails ceasing to visit the lockdown coming and that. So it was nice to see this one today even if not quite in the garden just outside it.
I took the third picture in this photoset of another lovely flower on the balcony as I left for my Lakeside lunch time walk, and then the fourth of some flowers on the green out the front which I noticed dominating the scene outside from the living room last night so I wanted to get a macro lens picture of one.
Once I got to Lakeside at lunch I did another warm up ‘Big Butterfly count’ after yesterday here and despite a bit more obvious sun at lunch other than that similar conditions I saw less butterflies but the same amount of species with eight.
Meadow Browns dominated again with six seen, I saw three Large Whites again and three Ringlets more than yesterday, less Small Skippers but still some with three seen, two Gatekeepers and one Speckled Wood I also saw in the 15 minutes of counting. It was also great to see two Common Blues including the one I got the fifth picture in this photoset of one I was proud of with my macro lens, I remarked how for a butterfly I barely saw at or associated with the grasses of Lakeside for years which I often see in Big Butterfly counts when I am perhaps really looking more deeply I have this year started to see them consistently here and it makes sense with the habitat but it’s still nice to see them close to home a rural butterfly for me perhaps normally. I took the sixth picture in this photoset looking over the area I saw it in the one I nickname ‘Marbled White meadow’. At this point I also made it – technically – a third Big Butterfly Count running I’d seen a Brown Argus in at Lakeside with one seen its becoming my tradition to see one here one that’s quite a rare butterfly for the site I guess an urban one whilst doing this survey. It always provides me amazing moments seeing this on this occasion I was so glad to see Brown Argus in May here this year so getting it in the count or at least a practice one I did submit results felt good too.
As I walked on I had a brilliant few minutes seeing target species for the count the Gatekeeper and Speckled Wood and a Ringlet too which I took the seventh picture in this photoset of another butterfly one I liked today I saw a lot in quick succession at this point an area I have nicknamed ‘Ringlet meadow’ after seeing my first of 2019 there. The count today showed I was justified to do some practice ones or ones before it started where I record results as I cared greatly about getting the always star of it and every summer and butterfly I’ve seen so much here and elsewhere over the last month or so Marbled White into a big butterfly count, I was fearful their season might decline with less about when the survey officially starts next Friday. Today I didn’t see a Marbled White.
The one thing I really wanted to do this year in the Big Butterfly count whilst working from home was do them at different bits of Lakeside and compare results. It was interesting yesterday which I didn’t today I walked through the meadow by the woodland patch entrance in the south west of the site beside the lake. This area was teeming with butterflies and the results reflected that with more individual butterflies the day I covered it so I found this area I don’t often or ever in years visit to watch butterflies really where I’ve spent so much time at this year is rich in butterfly life and quite interesting as it’s a relatively small isolated patch compared to the others in truth.
This evening I couldn’t resist another Lakeside walk with it being so sunny and the sun consistently out by this point. It turned into a perfect summer evening feeling hot with nice light over trees as I went to the path and trees area behind the visitor centre and railway station. I took the eighth and ninth picture in this photoset of a view here with autumn leaves early ones shown on a tree I took one specifically of this which I tweeted I produced 20 pictures today with many I loved and the area behind the visitor centre. I did an impromptu second big butterfly count of the day as target species literally hit me here tonight a Comma kept flying onto me and landing on my shirt briefly. I also saw a Large White landed and got a cracking view of it, a Ringlet and I saw the lovely Red Admiral that I took the tenth and final picture in this photoset of. Seeing Swifts fly over here against a great blue sky helped make this a strong summer memory for me too. What a packed Friday! Have a great weekend all.
Wildlife Sightings Summary: One of my favourite butterflies the Red Admiral, Comma, Large White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Common Blue, Brown Argus, Small Skipper, Speckled Wood, Swift, House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Blue Tit, Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, Blue-tailed Damselfly and common red soldier beetle and bees on Don’t Step on a Bee day.
