May 2016 - part 2
11th May 2016 - (Wednesday, Szerda)
Although Teréz, Robika, and I arrived together at lunchtime, T & R left after one hour, leaving me to study and capture a wealth of small creatures 'on film'. It actually took me an hour to enter the Small Quarry, as there were so many interesting things to be seen around the perimeter. The stars were the many micro moths (Yellow-barred Longhorn - Nemophora degeerella - Pompás tőrösmoly) that were swarming on and around the Wild Privet bushes. The colours were amazing, and it was difficult to do them justice with the camera. Several different butterfly species were photographed, but those that missed my camera were: Scarce Swallowtail, a male Orange Tip, and a Pearly Heath. A Golden Oriole was heard, as was a Black Woodpecker. Apart from a dribble in Rock Bath 1, the only remaining water on the site is in the reedbed area, so only the amphibian young to have any hope of survival will be those who had clever parents.
Here are Teréz's pix from the same day (11th May):
12th May 2016 - (Thursday, Csütörtök)
For this evening's visit, Teréz and I were accompanied by Marcel and Anikó. The original plan was for a moth-trapping evening, but the weather forecast predicted some heavy rain, so Levente (our moth-trapping maestro) decided that the session should be postponed. We explored the SQ for about 1 hour 20 minutes, and managed to record several species, some of which were new to our records. The murky conditions, combined with a few rain spots, didn't help our photography, but at least we were able to produce a record of our visit.
Here are Marci's photos from the same evening visit:
13th May 2016 - (Friday, Péntek)
Teréz took Marci and Anikó to the SQ for a final 30-minute visit prior to their departure. As can be seen from Marci's first photo, the heavy overnight rain resulted in the re-filling of the Coffee Pool, and also spread water across The Bowl. This is good, provided that the surviving tadpoles (ebihalak) don't colonise the shallow water areas, as they will be stranded once the level drops again.
14th May 2016 - (Saturday, Szombat)
As we'd had more rain overnight, we visited to check the water situation. Well, there was more water in The Bowl, but the expected 'roaring waterfall' wasn't in evidence. There were some pools of water in the top irrigation channel, and also in the three HQ channels, but the sight was rather disappointing. The top channel had some scree obstructing one section, but I used my wellie-clad foot to clear the debris. We wonder whether the surrounding land is now so dry that it is soaking-up the rainwater, and that's why so little is running into the SQ. Another theory is that our channel is no longer as water-tight, due to being attacked so many times by the SQ's German neighbour. Perhaps the channel needs some refurbishment, although this is easier said than done. Anyway .. regarding the sightings: A Wood White escaped the cameras, but several other species were captured. Two more new species of micro moth were recorded. More rain is forecast ... no surprise, as it's a holiday long weekend here, too !
Here are Teréz's pix from the same visit (14th May):
16th May 2016 - (Monday, Hétfő)
I was at the SQ from 1530 until almost 1800. Two new species were discovered: a micro moth and a jumping spider, and I also recorded the return of the Knapweed Fritillary and the Chestnut Heath. The weather was very erratic, though, with a strong, blustery cold wind. In fact, at one point, when a large cloud covered the sun, I sought shelter behind some bushes. The sky changed colour so many times, as can be seen in my images : blue, white, right through to 'ominous black'. The black storm clouds promised much, but delivered nothing in the way of rainfall, but a few days of rain are forecast. A Wood White escaped the camera, and a Yellowhammer was heard.
Here are Teréz's photos from the same day (16th May):
18th May 2016 - (Wednesday, Szerda)
Another windy day, with a mixture of sunshine and cloud. Our 2.5-hour visit enabled me to photograph at least 12 butterfly species, and there are probably another 2 species on Teréz's camera. Amongst my haul was the first Chequered Blue of 2016. I was also able to record a Small Bluetail Damselfly (Scarce Bluetail) – Ischnura pumilio – Apró légivadász. The Green Hairstreak was not too co-operative: it turned to a horizontal position each time it landed ! Teréz spotted 3 Grass Snakes in the channel near the reedbed, and then set about waiting for them to re-appear. She was eventually successful, and those pix will be displayed amongst her images of the day (below).
Here are Teréz's photos from the same day (18th May):
20th May 2016 - (Friday, Péntek)
A mixture of sunshine and cloud for our visit today, but at least the strong winds had died down. Several butterfly species were in evidence, as can be seen from the gallery, but, even so, I missed shots of: Wood White, Hungarian Skipper, Chequered Blue, Green Hairstreak, and Queen of Spain Fritillary (a badly worn example). As it was so sunny and warm, most butterflies were very fast and active. The star of the show today was the first Black Hairstreak of the year. No Green Lizards were seen, but one small Grass Snake was hunting tadpoles in the reedbed channel. We were surprised to hear a few loud calls from a single Green Tree Frog from within the reedbed. Despite some careful searching, the culprit couldn't be located.
Here are Teréz's shots from the same day: