Springs a Springin'

The first butterfly of the year is always a refreshing sight, and nothing yells out spring more than a Comma butterfly... or ten... as it so happened, down on Bookham Common at the weekend during the first LNHS survey of the year. The males are already busy holding territories, seeing off others in the show of hormones I'd expect from Ryan Giggs after a night on the town... without his wife.

Plenty of other signs of spring about the Common, with singing Bullfinches on every footpath, and the odd burst of chiffin' from a Chiffchaff. Hawfinches are currently the main attraction to Bookham, with birds being seen daily in trees bordering the station, but despite a 2 hour search for them, and up to 8 being sighted the same morning, I came away completely empty handed. I can't end the post without a photo of a bird; especially after 4 consecutive (moth free) posts just on birds, so here's the next best thing to a Hawfinch, a Dunnock...

For those who don't know, the Bookham Common Survey is run by the London Natural History Society on the second Saturday of every month, meeting at the LNHS hut around 11am. All aspects of wildlife are recorded and monitored on the Common, with a particular emphasis on invertebrates during the summer. It's a great opportunity for beginners and experts alike to broaden their knowledge, or delve into a specialist area and help produce further records for this SSSI. I'll certainly be back in the next few weeks for those Hawfinches...