Lamsdell Bird Ringing and Wildlife Blog: Ivinghoe Beacon and Pitstone

Friday 13 May 2011

Ivinghoe Beacon and Pitstone - 9 May 2011

Warm and sunny(ish) -time for a pleasant walk around the Chilterns to look primarily for butterflies.

First, Ivinghoe Beacon, just as it began to get sunnier and warmer bringing out a good selection of butterflies with a reasonable number of Duke of Burgandys still present, some looking fairly fresh, including one ab.leucodes, a lot of Small Heaths, with quite a few Dingy Skippers and Green Hairstreaks, with a few Grizzled Skippers and newly emerged Brown Argus and Common Blues.

Duke of Burgandy

Duke of Burgandy ab.leucodes

Dingy Skipper

Brown Argus

A quick visit to Pitstone Hill revealed little except a lot of fresh Small Heaths and a single Brimstone and Green Hairstreak.

Green Hairstreak

Brimstone

A visit to the old chalk pit at Pitstone produced a large number of Small Blues, some coming down in a small patch of wet soil right next to the entrance gate and included one 50% smaller than all the other Small Blues present.

Small Blues

Small Blues - including small individual about 50% smaller than normal

Visits to College Lake and Wilstone reservoir afterwards, produced nothing out of the norm birdwise although there were three Hobbies hawking over College Lake giving some good close views.

College Lake

Wilstone Reservoir

About us

Chris and Denise Lamsdell

We have both been birders for about 40 years based in South Bucks near the West London reservoir complexes.

Since September 2021 we have been based in North Norfolk. We have done our bit of twitching in the past, but with other priorities this has become a much reduced activity with a preference for seeing new birds where ever our travels take us.

We both have been ringing since 2005. Our local group was the Runnymede RG while based in Buckinghamshire. Since moving to Norfolk we have started a new group called The Iceni Bird Monitoring Group, aimed at increasing public engagement through colour ringing projects on Black-headed Gull, Turnstone and Lapwing. We ring at several sites including Sculthorpe Moor, Sandringham Estate, Deepdale Farm and also monitor bird populations for the Norfolk Rivers Trust. We do ringing at home and support with foreign projects when opportunities allow. Chris also has an interest in Butterflies and Dragonflies and contains his limited photographic skill to them.