Monday 3 April 2023

Newbourne Springs, Suffolk Wildlife Trust Reserve

 

Not the best photograph of a Peacock butterfly, but what a surprise after the last few days of grey skies and chilly temperatures! This afternoon we saw:

  • 1 female Brimstone, too quick to photograph
  • 5 Peacock butterflies
  • 11 Comma butterflies
  • 2 Bee-flies 
  • In excess of 15 7-spot Ladybirds, including one outside our house

We were not expecting Newbourne Springs to produce such riches in a couple of hours, if that; but how wonderful, at last, to feel that the insect seasons are underway. 

The photos below are a bit of a mixed bag, but I hope they give an impression of the seasonal sights we enjoyed.  


Wild Arum

We watched this bee climb into the undergrowth

Wonderful blossom

Butterbur

Seasonal first: Peacock butterfly

Lesser Celandine


Seasonal First: Comma butterfly


7-spot Ladybird (this top one outside our house)


Robin

Two more 7-spots

I love the feathery reflection!

Another Comma

And another 7-spot ...

... perhaps laying an egg?

Bee fly, one of two seen this afternoon


Peacock

Primroses above the stream

Primroses

Hard to resist a ripple over the sandy stream bed

?Greater Stitchwort

close-up

Wild strawberry flowers

The stream at Newbourne Springs

Back to the house, where our spring bulbs are adding a splash of colour.


2 comments:

Ragged Robin said...

Lovely to see signs of Spring. I have still not seen many butterflies or Bee Flies yet just a few Bumble Bees.

Caroline Gill said...

We had another Bee Fly in the garden today, making a total of three so far! And yes, RR, it suddenly feels as if spring is underway, though the evenings are chilly and we are waking to frost.