June 2021
1st June 2021 (Tuesday, Kedd)
8th June 2021 - (Tuesday, Kedd)
A hot and sunny afternoon for my SQ visit. As expected after a few days of hot sun, but no rain, the recent high water level has dropped significantly. However, there were still a few pools of water forming the remnants of the Coffee Pool. The water level in Rock Bath 1 has also dropped, and I was surprised to see an adult Green Tree Frog sunbathing on an old Great Reedmace stem, about a metre above the water. Butterflies observed were: Wood White, Small Heath, Chestnut Heath, Pearly Heath, Hungarian Skipper, Silver-studded Blue (several of both sexes), Reverdin’s Blue (male), Common Blue, and Glanville Fritillary = 9 species. Although the Yellow Flag Iris has finished flowering in RB1, we do have a fine yellow iris in flower near the Black Spleenwort area, courtesy of our dear neighbours !
17th June 2021 - (Thursday, Csütörtök)
After several days of blue skies, high temperatures, and no rain, the SQ is starting to become a 'dry habitat' as is usual at this time of the year. Some new plants were already shriveling up in the hot conditions. There was a small amount of water in Rock Bath 1, and the only water in The Bowl is in the usual part: the rescue zone. As I walked past this reedy area, I again detected movement, and immediately assumed (again) that it was a Green Lizard. But no .... my eyes focused in time to see the 'last section' of an Aesculapian Snake sliding into the low water and through the Reed stems. As with the Pond Turtle a few days ago, no photograph could be taken. Butterflies recorded: Small Heath, Chestnut Heath, Pearly Heath, Meadow Brown, Silver-studded Blue, Glanville Fritillary, 2 Marbled White, and about 6 Sloe Hairstreak = 8 species. (Even more species were seen at the airfield later, including Adonis Blue and Queen of Spain Fritillary). As usual, unless we get some substantial rainfall soon, The Bowl will become very barren.