More local Butterflies RSPB and The Valley

Brilliant weather,  and sure enough between 11 and 12 o'clock 2 White-Letter Hairstreaks appeared on the Bramble flowers to feed ,  great views.

White-Letter Hairstreak,  arse end.  Looks like another one of them Aliens.

Brimstone RSPB Rainham Marshes Garden.

Peregrine and White Admiral. good mixture!

This Peregrine was being hassled by another raptor possibly a Sparrowhawk over Squadrons approach carpark this afternoon.

Leopard Moth,  my garden.

White Admiral at Belfairs wood or is it an alien visiter.

It was definately trying to take over my mind,  I had to look away

  I was transfixed !

Butterflies, Belfairs Wood.and One Tree Hill.

Purple Hairstreak

White Admiral

Marbled White

White-Letter Hairstreaks sat 21st july

Quite a few White-Letter Hairstreaks in the Elms   at Hornchurch CP, same place, although they are mainly staying at the tops.    While I was standing there in my wellies in a foot of water a couple came down to feed on the brambles.   Should all dry up next week.

Summer has arrived?

At last at last summer is beginning to show it's beautifull face,   What!       Early yesterday evening around 5.30  in a brief spell of about 10 minutes in warm sunshine I saw aprox; 15 Purple Hairstreaks around a few trees in Hornchurch CP,   there must be dozens there.        This is all they have been waiting for,  it bodes well for the coming week or weeks even.     I'm sure these ones are the vanguard for those to follow and we are going to be (inundated)  with butterflies and bugs and hopefully the rest of the wildlife.   At least there is plenty of flora waiting for them.     What a relief this all is  I was beginning to feel like a hermit.

Purple Hairstreak

Is it still raining?

Being that I am at an advanced age I have seen many summers and this is by far the wettest,  although I must admit memory may  fade a bit and become a tad hazy.   I do however remember as clear as day not being able to see more than 10 feet because of the pea soup smog,  with bus conductors walking in front of the bus with a torch or lamp,  a dangerous thing to do,    so if you think there are big delays today at times,  there were certainly bigger delays then.  One of the reasons I am writing this is because I can't get out because it's raining.   It's alright for most of you guys,   you go to work and are more or less in the dry and enjoying yourselves,  I'm retired and have to sit here penning this rubbish or reading somebody elses rubbish.    The only consolation is the tour de france which goes on all the afternoon and Bradley Wiggins is about to make history.     " Open the cage".

Silver-Washed Fritillary

A Butterfly,  OMG!

Rainham Marshes RSPB

Chiffchaff

Despite too much rain and the dire consequences to wildlife rainham has been able to control some of the water     After pumping off quite a bit from the purfleet Scrape we saw today LRPs returning,   and up to a dozen Little Egrets catching fish.     The Spoonbill is still on the pools with Green Sandpipers,  Greenshanks keeping it company.  Very pleasant day.

Drinker Moth Cat;

The weatherman must have done a raindance in April

Bee Orchid,  Nando's

Pyramidal Orchids, Tesco's.

It's messed up everything,  can't get out,  when you can there's nothing there.   If only I could play the piano. The only exitement I had was when my wife Bonita visited the foot care place at the lakeside retail Park,  I took a walk round the back of the outlets looking for Orchids for something to do,  and low and behold I found some.   Behind Nando's near PCworld   Bee orchids!  next toTesco's car park Pyramidal Orchids!  What a great morning thanks to the chiropodist.  Hmmm.

Purple Hairstreaks thursday 5th july Ingrebourne Valley

At last, a bit later than usual for obvious reasons I saw Purple Hairstreaks in one of their preferred spots among the Oaks.   It always amazes me how you can find them on the same tree in the same place year after year,   not on that tree just opposite but always on that tree.   Then again this can apply to other butterflies and most wildlife and for a number of different reasons.    2 years ago quite a good colony of White-Letter Hairstreaks appeared there in some elms,  then last year just a handfull,  this year none so far.

Slow worm

Slow worm