Wild Spring Flowers

Some of the wild Spring flowers coming out in flower now for us to enjoy.
All of these flower around the same time, but the Bluebell is just coming into bud in only a few places and its only just a few buds amongst the mass of plants observed.

Primrose

Common Violet (Viola ordorata)

Lesser Celandine

 White version of Common Violet (Viola ordorata) 

Wood Anemone

Bluebell

Long-tailed House Hunting

For a short period I watched a pair of Long-tailed Tits moving around a large bush in the Woodland that I walk. It is behaviour that I observed last year of another pair and subsequently they made a nest in the location. 

It certainly wasn't the kind of feeding behaviour that one would have associated with this species in recent months. So I am assuming that this pair may be searching a suitable site ready for this year. Long-tailed Tits prefer low thick bushes and build their nest out of sight deep in the bush. They rear one brood of 8 to 12 from April through to June.

Small Tortoiseshell

I found this Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) on a cherry tree this morning in the Parkland. In fact I didn't expect to see any butterflies as the temperature was not really warm enough. High up in the tree it was not moving from that spot as it was enjoying the limited warmth from the sun on what was a cool morning. Having recently emerged from hibernation this is likely to be a male as it will habitually bask in the sun in the morning and look for females in the afternoon.
The male is smaller than the female, 50mm as opposed to 56mm.

1/640 at f8.  400mm.  ISO200

Emerging Flutters

The latest Butterfly images taken as a result of my Woodland Walk yesterday.

The Comma (Polygonia c-album) has emerged from hibernation over Winter.  

Discovered along a sunny woodland ride and pitched in the open, suggests that this is a male of the species, which is normally difficult to differentiate. The female tends to have a shorter wider body.

This female Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) below was perched in the sun. Typically for a female, it maintained a perch position rather than keeping mostly on the wing as the males tend to do at this time.

I had observed this male below flying along and the yellow of its upper wings was almost 'glowing' bright yellow in the sunlight.

One of the few flowers available for Brimstone to pitch on at this stage is the Primrose.

Art on the Beach

Images taken at Titchwell Marsh on the North Norfolk coast during my recent visit.