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| Lesser Skullcap |
In
the midst of the driest spell of the year so far, 17 members met up for Adrian’s
annual butterfly walk, which this year was at Pondhead near Lyndhurst. We were
treated to an interesting walk beginning with a good variety of damp ground plants
including Bog Pimpernel, Marsh and Water Speedwells, Marsh Ragwort and Lesser
Skullcap showing through the masses of Lesser Spearwort that grew between our
track and Park Grounds Inclosure to the right. Yellow Pimpernel and the
straggling Greater Bird’s-foot Trefoil were there as well. As the sun broke
through the first Meadow Browns appeared and as we explored the flora the grass
moth we disturbed was identified as Crambus pascuella, a common member of the genus.
On reaching Pondhead Inclosure we joined Adrian,
who held sway beside a large bramble patch in a clearing where Meadow Browns,
Gatekeepers, Ringlets, Large and Small Skippers flitted this way and that on
the warm air. Soon we added magnificent Silver-washed Fritillaries and the more
familiar Brimstone, Large, Small and Green-veined Whites and Speckled Wood to the
list. However it was a superb White Admiral that stole the show gracefully
flying and gliding between the bramble flowers, over the bracken and sometime
upwards to cruise amongst the lower branches of the oaks that towered above.
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| White Admiral |
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| Small White |
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| Ringlet |
After a while we left Adrian to his bramble patch
and continued on for the rest of our circular walk. There were many more Meadow
Browns and Gatekeepers along the grassy edged track and where there were more
bramble patches more fritillaries and White Admirals appeared; the latter
totally 6-7 by the time we returned to the car park. In shadier areas there
were fewer butterflies, so flowers returned to the fore with the likes of Common
Enchanter’s Nightshade, Hedge Woundwort, Tutsan, both Common and Water Figworts
and Remote and Wood Sedges. Thanks to Duncan we noted Male and Broad Buckler Ferns.
Birds were virtually non-existent apart from a few half-hearted snatches of
song from a male Blackcap and the only dragonfly was a Golden-ringed that whizzed
by.
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| Tutsan |
There was one serious identification error when I
kept calling Tina, Jo – I’d better stick to identifying feathered birds in
future! RC
Photographs
Lesser Skullcap and Tutsan © Richard Coomber; Small White, White Admiral and Ringlet © Richard Smith
