May

A glorious end to the month, and finally the damselflies are out in force around the garden ponds. Large red and azures are mating and ovipositing. There appear to be fewer in the mill pond though, mainly large reds. Holly blue is conspicuous by its absence, also no beautiful demoiselles yet seen in the brook. Interestingly, I have seen the latter in some numbers along the banks of the Avon at Keynsham, mixing with banded demoiselles. This is the first time I've seen them there as they generally prefer fast flowing streams rather than the lazy flow of the Avon. Could the wet summers of the last two years have driven many of the growing nymphs downstream, either through the deluges sweeping them there or through food pressures?

The big nature subject of the month has been the huge influx of painted lady butterflies, thought to be the biggest migration since 1996. Many passed through the park from Tuesday with up to four individuals at the same time pausing to nectar on the perennial wallflowers in the garden.



A male large red damselfly near the garden ponds on the lookout for females or prey.

Large red damselflies in mating loop. After mating, the male will continue to clasp the female while she deposits the fertilised eggs (ovipositing) in the ponds. This ensures that his genes are passed on to the next generation.

Painted lady butterfly, part of the recent mass influx from abroad, nectaring on perennial wallflower in the garden. This flower bed is a recent initiative that is already showing promise.

Have a good June, all.

Mike.

Damsels in May

It's been a lean month so far for odonata at Willsbridge. Reports of various dragons and damsels have been coming in around the country but our collection of bathtubs and ponds have all been waiting for first emergence of these insects.

Finally on Saturday 16th May I saw two male large reds at the garden pond. I don't know whether they had emerged there or were visitors from elsewhere, but they had acquired their full adult colouration making them at least several days old. They have perhaps a week or two in which to find a female and mate. Here's one of them.

Mike.

April

April 3rdA cool start to the day with a couple of chiffchaffs singing in the park, and a blackcap singing just outside along the path to St Anne's church. The sun broke through this afternoon and out came the butterflies with two brimstones, four peacocks and a comma for starters. Then two pristine looking orange tip males tussled together before disappearing up the hill towards Long Beach Road, the first OTs I've seen this year. A further OT seen near Court Road. A song thrush was singing his heart out near the quarry.
April 4thVisiting the reserve in the afternoon I saw several commas and a couple of peacocks basking near the bottom of Long Beach Road entrance with a single orange tip male passing through. Also green veined white, small white and an undersize large white.
April 7thPrior to attending the regular volunteers' meeting in the barn I spotted a male OT settled on a garlic mustard flower in front of the mill. A cloud had passed in front of the sun so I was able to take a few snaps before it warmed up and flew away.
April 14thBluebells are looking nice along Catscliff Wood. Stitchwort beginning to appear amongst them. Dog violets can be seen towards the far end of the reserve along the upper footpath.
April 16thBluebells along Catscliff are joined by stitchwort and common storksbill.Several orange tip males, a peacock, a comma, a single brimstone male and a single green veined white female seen in the garden. A male speckled wood seen at the reserve's eastern entrance, my first in the park this year. Still waiting for holly blue.
April 23rdRed campion is showing amongst the bluebells, and a single holly blue seen in the wildlife garden. It was far too active to get photos but it's nice to see it at last. A pair of blackcaps look to be nesting in the foliage over the far bank of the brook opposite the big field maple.




Male blackcap. Can be heard currently in two or three locations within the park.

Green veined white female. Often be confused with small white, GVW does not attack cabbages. The larval foodplant is garlic mustard.

Orange tip. With the cryptic colouration of its lower underwing acting as superb camoulflage, it frequently roosts on garlic mustard or hedge parsley. Garlic mustard and cuckoo flower are its main larval foodplants.

This male brimstone rested for a moment at the garden pond, presenting a nice picture while nectaring.

A speckled wood male catching the sun and waiting for females to pass by. Lovers of woodland glades,they will chase away other insects from their patch.

Here's to a good May,

Mike.