This morning we took a short drive to Black Park to see what butterflies were around, and to look at the current condition of the heathland and recently cleared areas.
The heathland was looking good with heather rejuvination very evident. The work appeared to have encouraged digitalis to spring up at many locations too.
There was no sign of the cattle that are free to roam through a lot of the heathland including our usual ringing area. It may be worth a few sessions now that the vegetation is beginning to bounce back a bit.
We returned at dusk and duely found one churring Nightjar on the new cleared area, but none were heard on the older original heath area where they have occasionally been present in past years.
The heathland was looking good with heather rejuvination very evident. The work appeared to have encouraged digitalis to spring up at many locations too.
Lowland heath
The heath is looking better for Dartford Warbler or even Wood Lark or Nightjar although so many dog walkers failed to comply with notices to keep their animals on leads. Another area, to the North of the park, that has been cleared to encourage such species still looked clear and was quiet and undisturbed.
A children's TV programme was mid filming by the lake with some actor dressed in a Superman type costume - most notably yellow satin pants over blue tights with a most fetching red cape. We left them to their work and called in at the San Remo cafe before continuing around the lake where we saw some Mandarins.
Female Mandarin
At the reedy end we were most surprised to hear a Reed Warbler chuntering away to itself in the tiny pocket of reeds then continued towards the paths where butterflies are most likely to be found. A Buzzard was seen to comeup from a woody area - these birds are quite regular at the park nowadays.
There was a great deal of activity over in Pinewood studios with instructions being yelled through a loud hailer, a range of bangs, crashes and rising smoke. It sounded like a war movie or possibly the next Star Wars film currently in production. But the insects didn't seem bothered and we noticed some interesting dragon and damselflies as well as Speckled Woods, Meadow Browns, Ringlets, Large Skippers, two White Admirals and about 8 Silver-washed Frittilaries.
Common Darter - female
Large Skipper
Silver-washed Fritilary
There was no sign of the cattle that are free to roam through a lot of the heathland including our usual ringing area. It may be worth a few sessions now that the vegetation is beginning to bounce back a bit.
We returned at dusk and duely found one churring Nightjar on the new cleared area, but none were heard on the older original heath area where they have occasionally been present in past years.