23rd & 24th July 2013 - Shenstone

Tuesday 23rd July - Captains Pool & Shenstone:

Today I had a long over due catch up with my old mate Tony S and to sample his splendid range of hot beverages! 

Whilst at Tony's Café, I spent some time viewing Captains Pool where a single adult Common Tern was performing well over the water.  Also showing was the Barnacle Goose that has been knocking around with the local group of Canada Geese for a number of weeks now.  The 2 juvenile Great Crested Grebes are also still present and developing well.

TS and I then headed out to check the Butts Lane set-aside for butterflies.  The warm weather has certainly bought them out in good numbers with 11 Species recorded along this small stretch of field margin.  The species recorded were Essex Skipper, Small Skipper, Small Copper, Comma, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Small White, Large White and Green-veined White.

Small numbers of Cinnabar Moth larvae were present on the Ragwort and a single Silver Y was also noted.

The undoubted highlight of the visit though was seeing a juvenile Little Owl branching out near the nest location.  The first sign of successful breeding this year.

Ringlet

Small Copper

Essex Skipper

Small White

Little Owl (juvenile)

 

---

Wednesday 24th July - Summerfield:
On my way back home from my voluntary work at WBRC I decided to pop down to the patch and visit the Summerfield end of Stanklyn Lane to check out if the Purple Hairstreak butterflies were on the wing.
 
I was in luck and 2 Purple Hairstreaks were busily flitting around the mature Ash and adjacent Oaks  in the late afternoon sunshine.  Also of note here was a single Holly Blue, a Comma and a rather tatty Speckled Wood.