A SHORT TRIP TO PRIDDY POOLS AT STOCKHILL WOODS, SOMERSET
WEATHER; broken sunshine, moderate breeze. temp 22C
The butterfly season is well underway, most species are flying 2-3 weeks early this year and there are not many on the wing either. The SMALL PEARL BORDERED FRITILLARY usually flies from late April until late June in Europe, so mid June should be a safe bet that they were on the wing.
several Marsh Orchids were dotted about around the pools at Priddy.
The Butterfly Whisperer, AKA the Birding Guru, Guy Campbell, picked me up at 1:30pm and drove me to Priddy, near to the Chew Valley Lake. We arrived around mid-afternoon, a moderate breeze moved the grass lightly and the sun was shining! More importantly, it was around 20-22C temperature, so all the conditions were perfect for the Pearl to be flying.
Very few other species were seen as we walked almost a mile from the car park to the site. We saw a few Meadow browns and Large Skippers, not much else.
Bird wise, we heard a few species in the scrub around the Priddy pools, Balckcap, Willow Warbler, Reed Bunting and Chiffchaff. A Tree Pipit sang from a bit further away and we bumped into a small family of Stonechats.
juvenile Stonechat
Adult male Stonechat
At the pools we were met with a fantastic array of dameselflies and dragonflies. We spent 30 minutes watching and photographing some of the species which included: Common Blue Damselfly, Small Red Damselfy, Red-eyed Damselfly, Four Spot and Boad Bodied Chasers and Emperor Dragonflies.
female Emperor Dragonfly ovipositing
Four-Spotted Chaser
Common Blue Damselflies mating and egg-laying
We finally reached the area where the Small pearl-bordered Fritillary favours and we saw.............nothing! Just a few Large Skippers and Meadow Browns. We searched for a while and then I spotted a fritillary gliding over the grassy bank, climbing up the bank we got sight of our one and only Small Pearl! In fact, it was my sighting of any species of Fritillary this year in the UK!!!
Small pearl-bordered Fritillary
Large Skipper
Wew spent more time at the pools before we walked back to the car, the Guru spotted Sparrowhawk, having already noted a Red Kite and a couple Buzzards during the journey to get here. We also spent alittle time watching a Common Whitethroat feeding in a hawthorne bush.
Common Whitethroat
Well that was it, an exciting afternoon, getting pollen up our noses and listening to the Guru back-firing most of the time.