July 2021
2nd July 2021 (Friday, Péntek)
Despite the sounds of thunder and some grey skies over the past few days, little or no water fell in our area. Therefore, the SQ is in a very bad way with no water visible, not even in Rock Bath 1. Flowering plants are shriveling up in the heat before they've had an opportunity to flower. This is having an impact on butterfly numbers at the site. I saw about 20 Marbled White in and around the site, and one small Fritillary that couldn't be identified as it flew away from me, but other than those, I saw no other butterflies. However, I recorded several species of bush-crickets and grasshoppers, so life was not all bad !
13th July 2021 - (Tuesday, Kedd)
The recent thunderstorms had little or no effect on conditions at the SQ. No water was evident anywhere. Many of the flowering plants that should be offering a butterfly feast are shriveling up in these drought conditions. A few butterflies were seen inside the site: Small Heath, Silver-studded Blue, Marbled White (2), and a Heath Fritillary, but it was outside, in the flowery patch near the main gates that proved to be the place for butterflies. About 12 Marbled White were actively feeding on the fine display of Small Scabious, joined by a Sloe Hairstreak, a Meadow Brown, and a possible Green-veined White. A fine Scarce Swallowtail gave me a wonderful display on the Thistle heads, and was briefly joined (for a single photograph!) of the (common) Swallowtail. Inside the dry Rock Bath 1, our Yellow Flag Iris is sporting seed heads, which look like wonderful bunches of green bananas. A Green Lizard was briefly glimpsed near the rescue zone, the reedbed being the coolest part of the site, even if it has no water. A can and bottle party had taken place at the entrance to the Red Light track.
28th July 2021 - (Wednesday, Szerda)
A short visit on yet another very hot day ... about 36 degrees. Most of the flowering plants inside the site are shriveling up in the intense heat and drought conditions. The only Purple Loosestrife plant I saw in flower was inside Rock Bath 1, which, itself, is also devoid of water. Again, most butterflies were clustered in the wild flower area just outside the main gates. There, I saw a female Silver-washed Fritillary, a Wall Brown, 2 or 3 Wood white, and a few Silver-studded Blue. A couple of Dryad showed themselves before retreating into cover and shade. Wild Boar droppings indicated that it was their beds I found in The Bowl. I had never seen the Black Poplar tree with so few leaves ... a reaction to the drought conditions. The small Almond on the top rim was reacting in the same way. Several grasshoppers jumped all ways as I walked through the site, but it was far too hot to stop and investigate them.