May

Me & Dad went to Dunkirk to do the BTO Bird Survey. We had Skylarks, Northern Wheatear, Linnet, Common Pheasants, Carrion Crows, Common Buzzard & Corn Buntings around the farmland. In the woodlands, we saw a Song Thrush, Jays, Willow Warbler, Marsh Tit & some Roe Deer. Also I photographed Bracket Fungus & Jack-by-the -Hedge AKA Garlic Mustard which is the foodplant for the Green-veined White.

Roe Deer [Male]

Corn Bunting

Roe Deer [Male]

Roe Deer [Pair]

Jay [Adult]

Roe Deer [Male]

Marsh Tit [Adult]

Inglestone Woods
3rd May 2021

Me & Dad did another BTO Survey, this time around Inglestone. It was very quiet for birdlife most of the time. A Wren perched on a branch briefly. Plenty of Bluebells were in full flower as well as Lesser Celandines & a few Early Purple Orchids. In one of the fields near the road, we saw another Roe Deer in Summer coat. On the way back home, we spotted a couple of Red-legged Partridges in a ploughed field.

Wren [Adult]

Early Purple Orchid

Roe Deer [Male]

Red-legged Partridge [Adult]

Latteridge
4th May 2021

While I was on my break at Organic Blooms, I photographed Violet Ground Beetles, Black Flies, Dandelions, Creeping Buttercups, Daisies, Red Campion, White Dead Nettle, Jack-by-the-Hedge & Cowslips.

Violet Ground Beetle

Red Campion

Jack-by-the-Hedge

Chipping Sodbury
5th May 2021

While heading back home from our drive out to Marshfield, we saw a Fox near Chipping Sodbury.

Yate
7th May 2021

A Juvenile Wood Pigeon was foraging in our Pyracantha early evening.

Yate Common
9th May 2021

Me & Dad popped up to Yate/Westerleigh Common to look for the Wood Warbler that had been found that morning by Mark Coller. It was showing well at times, although constantly moving through the tops of the trees & singing. A couple of Spotted Flycatchers showed briefly on the common as well. Had an excellent view of a Jay perched on a tree, before flying off into the woods.

Wood Warbler [Male]

Spotted Flycatcher [Adult]

Jay [Adult]

Horton
12th May 2021

We had a walk in the Horton area & saw Speckled Wood, Herb Robert, Greater Stitchwort, Lesser Stitchwort, Green-veined Whites, Wood Forget-me-not, Early Purple Orchids, Lesser Celandines, Orange Tips & a Cuckoo Bee.

Orange Tip [Male]

Speckled Wood

Green-veined White [Male]

Orange Tip [Male]

Cuckoo Bee

Rodborough Common
14th May 2021

Me & Dad went to Rodborough Common to see the Duke of Burgundy Fritillary. A few Willow Warblers were singing around the common. Early Purple Orchids & Cowslips, the foodplant of the Duke of Burgundy Caterpillars were in good numbers around the site. I managed to see another Jay perched briefly in a tree, before flying off. We saw at least two Duke of Burgundys on the wing during our visit. The faded individual was more obliging. Dingy Skippers were also seen on the wing & again most were pretty faded. We saw only one Green Hairstreak briefly on the common. On our way home, we popped to Pensile Hill to have a look there. A couple of Dingy Skipper & a Brown Argus were of note.

Duke of Burgundy

Willow Warbler [Male]

Early Purple Orchid

Jay [Adult]

Dingy Skipper

Green Hairstreak

Brown Argus

Latteridge
17/18th May 2021

A few photographs taken of Wildlife at Organic Blooms during my breaks. On Monday 17th a Soldier Beetle & some Flesh Flies. Tuesday 18th was mainly the Flesh Fly.

Soldier Beetle

Flesh Flies

Yate
22nd May 2021

A Holly Blue was seen in our garden mid morning.

Flesh Fly

Latteridge
24/25th May 2021

Some more Wildlife pics taken at Organic Blooms on break. Monday 24th inculded Yellow Dung Flies, Volucella bombylans, Heineken Fly, Female Scorpion Fly, Sloe [Hairy] Shieldbug & a Male Small White. Tuesday 25th featured a Male Small White, Ichneumon Wasp [Ichneumon extensorius] & a Male Swollen-thighed Beetle.

Sloe [Hairy Shieldbug]

Yellow Dung Fly

Volucella bombylans

Scorpion Fly [Female]

Small White [Male]

Ichneumon extensorius

Swollen-thighed Beetle

Wooton-under-Edge
27th May 2021

Me & Dad went to a site near Wotton-under-edge to look for Small Blue. Plenty of Bird's foot Trefoil around the hillside, the foodplant for both Common Blue & Dingy Skipper. I saw quite a few small green Beetles on some of the flower heads. These I've looked on Naturespot Wildlife Id as Cryptocephalus aureolus. A few Dingy Skippers & Small Heaths were seen during our visit. Also Horseshoe Vetch, the foodplant for the Adonis Blue was in good numbers, not much Kidney Vetch around, which the Small Blue Caterpillars feed on. We eventually saw at least 3 Butterflies on the wing. As it was fairly hot, the Butterflies didn't land for very long during the first half of our visit. We also saw Brown Argus, Common Blue & Adonis Blue. We managed to get excellent views of the Small Blues for sightly longer periods perched, before flying off again. I managed to see a Silver Y Moth on the site. On our way back to the car, we saw a Small Copper perched on a dock leaf.

Small Blue

Small Heath

Dingy Skipper

Small Blue

Brown Argus

Common Blue [Male]

Adonis Blue [Female]

Silver Y Moth

Small Copper

Dingy Skipper

Selsley
29th May 2021

Me & Dad went to Selsley Common to look for the Fly Orchid. There were plenty of Green-winged Orchids on the common in different varieties from dark purple to almost white. A couple of Small Heaths were seen on the wing. Other plants on the common inculded Early Purple Orchid, Yellow Rattle, Common Twayblade, Bird's Foot Trefoil. We didn't see any Fly Orchids on this visit, but managed to find them on our second. We did see a Dingy Skipper & a Male Adonis Blue.

Adonis Blue [Male]

Green-winged Orchid [Purple Form]

Green-winged Orchid [White Form]

Yellow Rattle

Small Heath

Common Twayblade

Dingy Skipper

Dunkirk, Bathurst Estate, Swift's Hill
30th May 2021

We started with a early morning at Dunkirk for the BTO Survey. We saw a Marsh Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker & Roe Deer.

Great Spotted Woodpecker [Male]

Marsh Tit [Adult]

Afterwards, we headed to Swift's Hill. Some Bird's Foot Trefoil were seen in flower. We saw some White Helleborine along the track. A few Columbine flowers were up on the slope of the hill. These too were in different varieties from dark purple to paleish pink. A Small Heath was resting on a cowpat. Other flowers around the hill were Salad Burnet, Common Milkwort, Red Clover [foodplant for Adult Clouded Yellows], Vetchling & at last Kidney Vetch, the foodplant of the Small Blue Caterpillars. One of the local Soldier Beetles was seen on a blade of grass.

Then we went to the Bathurst Estate to look for the Pearl-boarded Fritillary. We saw quite a few Butterflies in a wooded clearing. Some of the Butterflies were feeding on Bugle. While we were there, we were able to find the tiny egg of the Pearl-bordered Fritillary after watching the Female egg laying on one of the Violet plants.

Pearl-boarded Fritillary

Early Purple Orchid

Pearl-boarded Fritillary

Small Heath

White Helleborine

Pearl-boarded Fritillary [Egg]

Columbine

Common Milkwort

Kidney Vetch

Soldier Beetle

Selsley Common & Swift's Hill
31st May 2021

We eventually found the Fly Orchid at Selsley Common thanks to Matt Scott for giving us a code reference of where they were. Two types were seen on the slope, one was the genuine Fly Orchid which had shorter stem length & the flower head was smaller. The second one was a hybrid between Bee x Fly Orchid & the stem was much longer. The flower head showed a resemblence of a Bee Orchid. We also managed to see a couple of Duke of Burgundy Fritillities, thanks to Heather England for telling us where they were. We had another look at some of the Green-winged Orchids.

We finished with a 2nd visit to Swift's Hill to look for the Bird's Nest Orchid. The White Helleborine were still present along the track. We had walk through Laurie Lee Wood NNR. We saw another White Helleborine, which was not in flower yet. After walking through the woodlands, without finding the Bird's Nest Orchid we headed back along the road. A few Germander Speedwell were flowering alongside. We saw a Bird's Nest Orchid, which had gone over. However we did see one almost in flower nearby. It was lovely to see another species of Orchid on the same day. Me & Dad had a walk around the upper slope of the hill, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

Fly Orchid

Fly x Bee Orchid [Hybrid]

Fly Orchid

Fly x Bee Orchid [Hybrid]

Green-winged Orchid

Duke of Burgundy

Bird’s Nest Orchid

May 2021