Easter Treats
Wildlife Treats (...and a bit of chocolate!)
It was wonderful to have three glorious sunny and fairly warm days over the Easter bank holiday weekend. Bob and I made the most of it. We went exploring in various different locations across East Sussex on all three days, to see what we could find. We even managed to avoid all the crowds - which was a bonus. Whilst butterflies and snakes were high on the agenda, I was happy just being outside together in nature, enjoying what we love most. I was able to forget about work and the stresses of life and fully embrace what was right in front of me. It's that freedom that is so addictive. Not thinking about the past, nor worrying about the future, but just being present in the moment. Going with the flow! It's one of my new mantras to help me hold on to the calm.
From our location by the river where we'd seen the Small Tortoiseshells, there was a lovely view across the fields towards the South Downs. I love that hoze you often see in the distance, engulfing the trees and making everything look more ghostly.
As we began our slow amble back towards the car, Bob spotted a Swallow flying above us - another first of the year. Having just returned from overwintering in Africa, I'm amazed by the long distances these birds fly every year. A Song Thrush, which had welcomed us upon our arrival, was still singing loudly by the time we were about to leave. I could hear it was close, but I couldn't see it! Eager to see my first one of the year, I climbed over a style and ventured to the other side of the trees where it was hiding. Sadly, still no joy! It flew deep into another tree nearby!
We decided to wander a little further along the path we were now on, being coaxed along by the sight of a Comma, Peacock and a Dark-edged Bee-fly. The extra jaunt was fairly uneventful, but if we hadn't done that, we probably would have missed seeing two Sparrowhawks circling high above. They were a little distance away, so it was pointless taking any photos. I can't take any credit for recognising that's what they were! One of these days I'll be able to recognise their flight and behaviour, but for now I'll rely on Bob to be my own personal tour guide. Lucky me!
All weekend I kept seeing Dark-edged Bee-flies. There were lots about. I have to say, these insects are one of my favourite to photograph, other than butterflies and moths. They are quite distinct because of their long pointy proboscis and hovering flight. The ones we saw were mostly nectaring on the Lesser Celandine, but I did spot a few enjoying the Dandelion flowers.
One afternoon, we were enjoying a relaxing break sitting beside a pond on a sandy bank. It was fairly quiet with no other people in sight and only a few creatures making their presence known. A Wren was foraging along the water's edge and then popped up onto a branch and began to sing. A Moorhen was out on the water, also skirting the edge of the pond. Beside us, I noticed more Bee-flies and I realised they were females laying their eggs. They do this by flicking their abdomen towards the burrows or nests of solitary bees, releasing one egg each time. I took a few photos of one in action and only later did I notice her rather odd looking rear! I discovered it's her sand chamber and that they collect sand or gravel to coat the eggs, which is believed to be for protection, camouflage and to assist with depositing of the eggs. I love learning little facts like these. There's always something new to learn.
The only thing that ruined the peaceful day, was earlier when we heard the whirr of an engine, either a powered paraglider or microlight. It was way too close to the edge of the cliffs at Beachy Head. No doubt they were trying to impress the people walking along the top with a few fancy manoeuvres. But, in the process, they were disturbing the nesting seabirds who were squarking defensively. It's sad that some people just don't think, or simply don't care!
I love this time of year, when the Wood Anemones can be seen in and around the woodlands. Such a pretty little white flower, growing close to the ground - in some places, really carpeting it beautifully. There was also the promise of more to come, seeing the lush green leaves of the Bluebells, which will soon steal the limelight.
We had a lovely jaunt around Rowland Wood and Park Corner Heath - the only Butterfly Conservation nature reserve in Sussex. Right at the start of our walk, I spotted a Goldcrest on the trees - always a welcome sight. Soon after, it was the Bristones that caught our attention (we saw a lot all weekend). Usually, it's the males you see flying about with their beautiful buttery yellow coloured wings. They're constantly in search of females to mate with and we saw plenty on our walk. But, we were also lucky enough to spot a few females flying around too. They have a more subtle pale green colouration in the wings. One female landed just long enough for me to take a few photos, but was off again in a flash. Perhaps in a rush to find somewhere to lay her eggs. The males emerge first, so they can mate as soon as the females emerge. This means, whenever you see a female, it's highly likely she's already mated.
The Green Tiger Beetles didn't rest for long. It's not surprising really. It's a matter of survival for all these small creatures. Trying to take photographs of the beetles was tricky...but fun. I was rather glad to discover at least one of them was in focus and showing off their amazing colouration in the sunshine. A little further along, I spotted three together, so I quickly bent down to take a photo. Just as I did, one jumped onto the back of another and then fairly promptly flew off. That's how quick mating can occur in the nature. How lucky I was to capture the moment, when it was so fleeting.
One of the highlights of the weekend was seeing five Adders. Of this, two were Black Adders - the melanistic form. They were basking in the sun, often hiding underneath the Gorse bushes. Since they detect vibrations on the ground, they can usually hear people approaching and disappear from sight, slithering away quickly. So, it required a light tread of feet, as we carefully perused the bushes. Bob found the first two, but eager to spot one for myself, I was happy I found the third one. There's definitely more of a thrill when you find something for yourself.
With all the sunshine we had over the weekend, there was a lot of butterfly activity, everywhere we went. But, the highlight was our walk around Abbotts Wood on the Friday. I'd suggested to Bob that we avoid going to Beachy Head that day, even though a Large Tortoiseshell had been seen there. I was keen to find our own. It would be more of a challenge, but more fun. Equally, I wanted to avoid the busy places. The Brimstones were the first butterflies we saw, followed soon after by plenty of Peacocks and Commas. We even saw a Small White briefly whilst we were eating our lunch.
We walked around for quite some time, enjoying ourselves. We were very chilled out, but by mid-afternoon we hadn't seen any Large Tortoiseshells. So, we decided to try somewhere else and started to retrace our steps and head back towards the car. It was a bit overcast by now, but, we still ambled slowly keeping an eye open for whatever we saw. When we reached the last ride near the edge of the woods, the sun suddenly reappeared and the butterflies were seen flying again. A beautiful Comma landed on a fabulous tree stump covered in moss and lichen and I stopped to take a photo. Almost immediately after the Comma flew off, a Peacock landed on another tree stump virtually next to it, looking gorgeous against the rough bark of the tree.
Whilst Bob was distracted on his phone, busy contacting a few of his butterfly mates, a Roe Deer suddenly appeared out of the woods and was running down the ride towards us, about 50m away. It abruptly stopped in its tracks when it noticed us, and before I had a chance to focus with my camera, it darted off behind the trees and was gone again. Not long after, a dog ran across the path in hot pursuit and I realised why the deer was on the run in the first place. There was no sign of an owner. Poor deer being tormented like that, though I have no doubt the dog wasn't able to keep up with it!
Before the day was over, I enjoyed a short little stroll along one of the woodland paths, weaving through the trees. In a few weeks time it will be awash with Bluebells and will look gorgeous. There's so much more to look forward to in spring. Whilst enjoying the stillness and quiet, I spotted a Long Tailed Tit in a tree nearby with what looked like some nest material in its mouth. Beyond it, a Treecreeper appeared to be working its way up the tree looking for instects to eat. I also saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker quite low down, but it flew higher when it heard me coming. It was lovely to enjoy a few more little delights before the day was over.
For me, it really was a Good Friday!
We celebrated that evening with some bubbly. You see, it wasn't just that we saw a really rare butterfly. I was also celebrating because I reached a milestone. I'd finally seen all the butterflies that live their complete life cycle in Sussex - including the few unofficial ones, like the Large Tortoiseshell. I thought I was going to complete the task last summer, when I saw my first Grayling butterfly (there's a blog about that day). But, about a week before that achievement, I heard there was a sighting of some recently emerged Large Tortoiseshells. It rather dampened the celebration of seeing the Grayling. I was disappointed I'd have to wait until this year for the opportunity to see the Large Tortoieshell and complete the quest. There was another reason to celebrate on Good Friday. Bob and I first met when I was on this butterfly journey - the day I saw my first Brown Hairstreak. He was with me the day I saw the Grayling and he was keen to be there again when I saw my first Large Tortoiseshell. Now I have, I'm thrilled. But even better, I have someone to share the joy with.
I feel another blog coming on! Soon, I'd like to share my journey about discovering the butterflies of Sussex. But for now, I'm going to munch on some chocolate and look back on this Easter weekend with extra special fondness.


