Sunny respite

Last week, during the glorious sunny weather and excellent mothing conditions, I was too busy at work to capitalise. On Thursday we had several consecutive design sign-offs for a new drinks range. I left work as normal and had an early evening walk down the lane, before going back into work to cover the last design - I got home from that at around 01:00 on Friday. The only highlights of the Thursday walk were a couple of OFFH yearticks - a singing Chiffchaff and a Jay along the old railway line that crosses Whetstone Gorse Lane. So, on Friday afternoon when everything was a bit calmer at work and the sun was shining I managed to leave at a reasonable time and get back out down the lane for a bit of sun. I spent a good couple of hours enjoying a bit of peace before heading home and out for a meal and drinks last night - hence this belated update.

One of the areas I've never really looked at is an old strip of rough roadway at the back of the Springwell Lane fields. Thinking it might be good for odd insects and flowers, I spoke to the farmer and got permission to walk down there - expect a few shots in future. I had a quick look yesterday and there were plenty of butterflies dog-fighting in the sunshine - three species involved:

I carried on over to Whetstone Gorse Lane. Yellowhammers and Skylarks still singing away, and now at least 2 Chiffchaffs. Red-legged Partidges singing everywhere also - not quite so pleasing to listen to! One of the fields has a big rotting pile of shite near the gateway which usually has one or two wagtails, Pied and Grey. Today it was Pied only ..

King of the shite. Click for big - the black specks all over the place is not dust on the sensor ...

Plenty of Pheasants around aswell - usually legging it away from me as fast as possible ..

Lots of ladybirds around at the moment - all 7-Spot.

Also this shieldbug, which I'm assuming is a Green Shieldbug still dull after over-wintering.

No exciting flowers really, though at least I can remember what Lesser Celandine looks like after learning it last year ..

Daisies in every patch of grass now ..

.. and Hawthorn coming into leaf with flower buds forming

The Lane - looking north towards Whetstone

Today is dull, cool and cloudy. Bloody typical. May still head out mothing tonight if the rain holds off.