More heat to come

Hello

Some warm weather with rain this evening seemingly precedes a couple of days of intense heat with a weather system pushing up from France. It may displace continental birds but will more likely make a difference to immigrant moths, butterflies and odonata in the county.

A calling Quail was audible from the summit of Blueberry Hill near Maidwell this morning and two Garganey were on the scrape at Summer Leys LNR this evening.

Four Ring-necked Parakeets were at Billing Leys, Northampton this morning - an area between Little and Great Billing.

Plenty of butterflies reported today with two Clouded Yellows in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and Purple Emperor, Silver-washed Fritillary and Purple Hairstreak amongst others at Fermyn Woods. Marbled Whites seem to be extending their range yet again and White Admirals are out at Salcey Forest. Twenty Green-eyed (Norfolk) Hawkers at Wicksteed Park, Kettering is impressive for a recent colonist dragonfly.

I'm just back from my last Naturetrek tour of the spring which was to Norway with visits to the Lofoten and Vesteralen Islands - a page/tab has been opened for images entitled 'Norway - Lofoten and Vesteralen Islands June 2026.'

Regards

Neil M

Garganey courtesy of Dave Jackson.

Grass Snake.

Bee Orchid.

Common Whitethroats.

Above three images courtesy of
Tony Stanford.