This weekend in previous years I'm normally very busy on the patch, therefore neglecting all other aspects of natural history that I could otherwise be finding around the country. However, now that I'm based in Hampshire, means I'm less than an hours drive away from various counties that all hold a number of annual targets for me, targets that I would never get around to seeing if patch dedication was at the forefront of my mind. So, with governmental advice firmly set in, I made my way around several key areas not too far from Alton.
As Friday evening was lovely and calm, I visited a site in West Sussex and had a lovely time watching and listening to two Turtle Doves, two Cuckoos, Garden Warblers, and a cacophony of birdsong.
Saturday was rather uneventful, but over the course of the weekend produced finally my first Willow Warblers of the year, Nightingales, Redstarts, Tree Pipits, Woodlarks and a Spotted Flycatcher, again in Sussex. Afterwards, a location not too far away in Oxfordshire produced one of my favourite orchids, this being the Monkey Orchid. Lots of the hybrids were also present, and Pasque Flowers were the other botanical highlight here. Butterflies consisted of many Green Hairstreaks, and both Dingy and Grizzled Skippers.
Lastly, a short excursion down into Wiltshire produced a good number of Marsh Fritillaries, as well as several Adonis Blues and Brown Argus.
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| Turtle Dove in West Sussex |
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| Superb male Redstart on a Sussex heathland |
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| Tree Pipit on a Sussex heathland |
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| Woodlark on a Sussex heathland |
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| Lady x Monkey Orchid hybrid |
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Monkey Orchid -
my main target for the weekend
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| Lady x Monkey Orchids |
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| Pasque Flowers |
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| Marsh Fritillary |
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| Brown Argus |
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| Marsh Fritillary |
