August 2020 - part 1
4th August 2020 - (Tuesday, Kedd)
Today, I parked on the 'red light' track, and after getting my equipment together, I immediately found wildlife there. 2 Capnodis tenebrionis beetles were scampering along fallen branches and twigs. I'm not sure if they were both males, or not, but a skulking Green Lizard found their movements rather interesting. It seems that both beetles survived this meeting. Butterflies recorded were: Eastern Pale Clouded Yellow, Small Heath, False Grayling (10), Dryad (30), Reverdin's Blue, and Silver-studded Blue = 6 species. After my study visit I checked the airfield for military helicopters. None appeared, but on the way down a 'hind' crossed the road in front of me ... but this was a fully-grown Red Deer hind, not a Mi-24 Hind !
10th August 2020 - (Monday, Hétfő)
A one-hour visit on a very hot afternoon, but worthwhile, nonetheless. Butterflies recorded were: Reverdin's Blue, Silver-studded Blue, Meleager's Blue (male), Chalkhill Blue (male), Small Heath, False Grayling (20), Dryad (20), Eastern Pale Clouded Yellow, Wood White, Small White, and Silver-washed Fritillary (female), Grizzled Skipper, and Silver-spotted Skipper = 13 species.
13th August 2020 - (Thursday, Csütörtök)
Butterflies recorded: Meadow Brown, Dryad (10), Small Heath, Chestnut Heath, Silver-studded Blue, Chalkhill Blue (6), False Grayling (10), Eastern Pale Clouded Yellow, Green-veined White, Wood White, Sooty Copper, and Meleager's Blue (male) = 12 species. The male Meleager's was interesting as it flew frantically around, ignoring the vast numbers of Meadow Fleabane flowers, seemingly desperately searching for Bird's-foot Trefoil flowers. But why? Being male, it wasn't looking to lay eggs ... although, on 10th August, possibly the same male, seemed to be imitating an egg-laying female. I disturbed a mother Pheasant and her four offspring in The Bowl. All flew up to the top section so quickly that no photos could be taken.
19th August 2020 - (Wednesday, Szerda)
Butterflies recorded: Small Heath (8), Chalkhill Blue (3 males), Large Copper (female), Wood White, Great Banded Grayling, False Grayling (20), Dryad (20), Silver-spotted Skipper, Large Skipper (male), Silver-studded Blue, and Small White = 11 species. Quite a lot of rain had fallen in the area as Rock Bath 1 was (again) half-full, Rock Bath 2 also had water, and the reedbed section had substantial water. Perhaps a new moth species was found. At first, I wasn't sure what I was looking at, but suddenly realised that the moth was showing its underside, but I'm still not sure what the black marking was! I started pulling up some of the vast 'crop' of Ragweed ... an impossible job to eradicate it completely. Despite the regular cloud, the temperature felt very high. Someone had dumped a large load of old, rotting water melons inside the military area. Maybe this is to attract deer or boar to the shotguns?
24th August 2020 - (Monday, Hétfő)
Butterflies recorded: Eastern Pale Clouded Yellow, Wood White, Reverdin's Blue (male), Meadow Brown, Green-veined White, Small White, Common Blue (3 males), and False Grayling = 8 species. At least one new species today: the Six-belted Clearwing Moth.
28th August 2020 - (Friday, Péntek)
Butterflies recorded: Small Heath, Weaver's Fritillary, Chalkhill Blue (female), Adonis Blue (male), Common Blue (males), Small White, Wood White, Eastern Pale Clouded Yellow (3), Chestnut Heath, False Grayling (12), Short-tailed Blue, Silver-spotted Skipper, Great Banded Grayling, and Silver-washed Fritillary (male) = 14 species. My first task was to introduce a new species to the SQ ! It was part of the mass of Yellow Flag Iris from the garden pond at Mátrafüred. Rather than discard it, we decided that it should be transferred to Rock Bath 1, and we'll see if it survives. I almost didn't survive, as, when I pressed the root mass down into the water, it went down quicker than I'd expected ! I just managed to stop myself going head-first into the water, and, with difficulty, hauled myself back up by using a sturdy Greater Reedmace stem !