Lockdown - No more

More warm glorious sunshine to enjoy but am still keeping it real and keeping it local apart from one cheeky excursion out of town.

Lockdown seems to be optional now, the government now have no credibility in enforcing law and order, judging by the actions of the general public anyway.  Let common sense prevail if indeed that is still a principle.

Only nine minutes up the road is Therfield Heath, a chalk escarpment that provides an important habitat for a prosperous selection of butterflies.

I hadn't seen many of our chalkland species for a few years, the ephemeral life of some of our most cherished butterfly species requires being on-cue for their emergence, lest time just passes by.

It was a really gorgeous morning, warm and clear.  Butterflies were active from around 9am.

This was the only Brown Argus I saw only during a couple of hours on site.

My first Small Heath of the season warming itself in the morning sun.

The butterfly I had specifically headed over for was the Adonis Blue.  Having never seen one before, it was great to have them so close to home whilst questioning whether these were actually part of an unsolicited release or reintroduction programme.

Green Dock Beetle

My local meanderings usually by bike take me up to Wallington.  The relatively steep climb provides a satisfying workout but the views from the top across the Hertfordshire countryside also make the effort worth while.

I stopped at the church in an attempt to relocate the Spotted Flycatcher that had set up home there.  Really hard to pin down, one eventually put in a brief appearance in trees next to the church.

I couldn't resist a cheeky trip over to Fen Drayton on the 25th for the male Red-backed Shrike.   Although the bird was distant, it was just nice to see something different and a bit rarer for a change.