June 2020 - part 2
16th June 2020 - (Tuesday, Kedd)
Yet another afternoon visit that gave me photography problems as clear sky and cloud alternated constantly. After such visits I have to spend a long time adjusting my images to make them brighter. Some recent rain had provided the central area of The Bowl with lots of wet areas, but the Coffee Pool has gone completely. There is still some water in RB1. A few Fire-bellied Toads were calling from the reedbed area, and a Hoopoe was heard outside the site. Butterflies recorded: Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, Meadow Brown, Large White, Silver-studded Blue (several), Reverdin's Blue (male), Sloe Hairstreak, Small Heath, Pearly Heath, Twin-spot Fritillary, Marbled Fritillary, Heath Fritillary, Marbled White, Small Copper, Purple-shot Copper, Wood White, and Common Blue 2 males) = 17 species. In addition, 2 caterpillars of the Southern Festoon were found on Birthwort plants. A single Azure Damselfly was found.
18th June 2020 - (Thursday, Csütörtök)
A fairly short lunchtime visit, following on from a visit to the Pipis-hegy airfield. I'm sorry to say that the airfield had a lot more insect and plant life than the SQ, mainly due to its vast area in comparison. At the airfield I saw 4 fresh Swallowtails, and a Green Hairstreak was laying eggs on German Canary Clover. A Sooty Copper was also egg-laying, and a Grayling was also observed. At the Small Quarry itself, the following butterflies were recorded: Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Small Copper, Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, Silver-studded Blue, and Marbled White = 7 species.
22nd June 2020 - (Monday, Hétfő)
Burnet Companion not photographed ....... Green Tree Frog called from the reedbed just as I was about to leave. Butterflies recorded were: Wood White, Eastern Pale Clouded Yellow, Meadow Brown (10+), Marbled White (20+), Sloe Hairstreak, Silver-studded Blue, Reverdin's Blue (male), Small Heath, Pearly Heath, Twin-spot Fritillary (4), Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, and Heath Fritillary = 13 species. Three species of Burnet moth.
24th June 2020 - (Wednesday, Szerda)
Only a quick afternoon visit as I had previously been collecting rubbish from the airfield and then I started doing the same at the SQ. After parking in the 'red light track' I walked down the hill to find a dead Aesculapian Snake on the road near the top entrance. A car had ended its life. It was about 40 cms long. Prior to that, I found that the Pigeon that had been walking along the airfield road, with no road sense, had also been run over by a vehicle. There was a ring on its leg, but I didn't take any action. It was obviously a domesticated type, with no idea of the dangerous outside world.
25th June 2020 - (Thursday, Csütörtök)
Two visits, this afternoon ... with a trip to the airfield in between. The second visit was mainly to cut back the vigorous growth on Bramble and Dog Rose from the footpaths. Butterflies recorded: Twin-spot Fritillary, Marbled White (30), Meadow Brown, Small Heath, and Great Banded Grayling, Essex Skipper = 6. Some of the Burnet moths are very difficult to identify as some red spots are elongated, and others merge into each other. The big news of the day is that there are tadpoles in the reedbed area ... probably of Fire-bellied Toads.
27th June 2020 - (Saturday, Szombat)
A massive wave of thunderstorms woke me up at 0345 this morning. The rain was lashing down for about 45 minutes, so I was hopeful that the SQ would have benefitted. However, when I arrived, the airfield road was mostly dry. Although some rain had fallen on the SQ, there was no working waterfall, and no sign of a pool across The Bowl. Rock Bath 1 was at its usual level, and Rock Bath 2 had water again. But the water in the reedbed area didn't look much different than on my previous visit. Butterflies recorded: Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Large White, Adonis Blue (male), Silver-studded Blue, Twin-spot Fritillary (4), Marbled White (30), Heath Fritillary (4). and Queen of Spain Fritillary (2) = 9 species. There was a large clump of Wild Thyme at the Rock Wall (to the right of the old toilet) and it hosted many Marbled White and other species.
30th June 2020 - (Tuesday, Kedd)
A fairly short visit, at 1630. There didn't seem to be much activity, but I recorded more butterfly species than I expected: Essex Skipper, Adonis Blue (male), Great Banded Grayling, Small Heath, Heath Fritillary, Marbled White (15), Meadow Brown, Wood White, and Blue-spot Hairstreak = 9 species. The reedbed still has water, and I saw two tadpoles, which I assume are Fire-bellied Toad. As we seem to say almost every year, if only we could keep The Bowl full of water there would be an amazing array of creatured on display.