In late spring amongst a patch of nettles a hidden batch of eggs hatch out, a caterpillar that is very small and black, as time goes on the caterpillar grows in size and it becomes a large spikey black caterpillar, at this point it is very distinctive – the peacock butterfly in the early stages of its life as a caterpillar.
Sometimes hundreds of these caterpillars are munching on the nettles leaves at speed as they want to get to the adult stage quickly. They pupate after feeding up and around this time of the year they start to emerge as adults. It has to wait for enough oxygen to pass through its small veins before taking off in search of food. They will feed on a variety of flowers and you can see them in a range of places around saltholme. The peacock butterfly as an adult is mainly brown and red with a white spot formed as an eye to confuse predators - one on each wing.
This month you will have to look harder to see the differences between parent and juvenile birds because the older juveniles are a similar size to the adults, the way to tell them apart is that they have still baby feathers and won’t get adult ones until they moult which happens at the end of summer. Species like starlings, Canada geese and common terns are weaning the babies off so they can start on the next brood of young before the season is over.
Today’s sightings were snipe, little ringed plover and little egret at the Phil stead hide. A chiff chaff and grasshopper warblers near the Phil stead hide. Other birds include a Temminck’s stint and a spoonbill.
- Josh McGowan