Something on my wish list for this year was - 'see a hornet somewhere in the County'. So to find one just 15 minutes drive (and a bit of a walk) away from home was a really exciting moment. When it landed on a path a few feet away (having flown past me), I thought that was a good view. It then proceded to fly and land two or three times until it was 6 inches from my boot. Lucky that I know they are placid when not provoked (it says in the books!). I botched the attempted photo as I had no time to adjust settings, but I've got that for next time. It was quite a good day as I had already disturbed a sandy carpet moth, a species I'd never seen before in the U.K. until last year in Scotland, so this was another local first. Butterflies included year first painted lady and a brimstone. Safe to say everything else was relegated to lines in a notebook.
-- Edited by Andy Bissitt on Thursday 23rd of May 2019 09:03:14 PM
-- Edited by Andy Bissitt on Thursday 23rd of May 2019 09:12:45 PM
First proper summer visit ever to site and a great start with discovery of a single white-letter hairstreak feeing on umbellifers in a clearing in the wood. This sun trap also had 30+ ringlets, c15 meadow browns, comma, red admiral, large white (rare this year), & 3 small skippers, as well as an immature male broad-bodied chaser just beginning to turn blue (although might be a badly abraided adult), and three (at least) immature southern hawkers. Anyone wanting to check the site please send private message for directions.
-- Edited by Andy Bissitt on Sunday 2nd of July 2017 09:06:32 PM
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 2nd of July 2017 09:58:28 PM
