These visits were primarily for checking out for Silver-studded Blues, so the first stop off was Broadmoor Bottom. This is quite a small area of heathland and though the sun shone at times, it was overcast and fairly cool, so failed to produce any Blues, but I did see a single Green Hairstreak
Green Hairstreak
A quick drop in at Wishmore Bottom which again not much brighter, from a sunshine aspect, so also failed to produce much and had a reasonable amount of activity going on as it was in use for army training. The only bird of note seen was a single Tree Pipit giving a bit of sub-song from the top of a lone pine.
Next stop was Chobham Common by which time it was almost 100% cloud cover, so only received a very quick cursory check, though did produc a sinle Large Skipper.
Large Skipper
I returned to Chobham Common the next days which was a little brighter, for a while before the cloud cover thickened again, and I therefore again struggled to find any Silver-studded Blues, accept one single female, and a single female Common Blue, on the track through the grass back to the car park. Bird wise, Dartford Warblers were fairly evident with two seen and another two singing males heard, a single Tree Pipit on the ground, and a singing Woodlark which I failed to locate visually.
It can be interesting how emergence times can very from site to site as Silver-studded Blues were already fairly evident on Fairmile Common, not 20 miles away, and yet at Chobham whilst the weather was not optimum, they were clearly were not out in any numbers yet.
Silver-studded Blue (female)
Common Blue (female)