Of Butterflies, a Bee Fly, Birds, Wild Flowers &c.

Wow; a lovely Sunny, Good Friday, and the first 'no cardigan day' of the Spring to boot!

So we went down to the Erith Marshes (aka the Crossness Nature Reserve and Surrounding area) to see what we could find with the main focus being on Butterflies.

We started out walking over a small section of the Southern Erith Marshes, spotting both a Peacock Butterfly and this Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly:

Earlier, whilst crossing the Eastern Way, we had noticed what seemed to be a patch of blue on the grassy bank. It turned out to be a pretty population of Forget-me-Nots viz.

And beside the prolific Red Dead-Nettle and Common Field-Speedwell we were super-pleased to see that some Spotted Medick was flowering viz.

Also, some (assumed) Sticky Mouse-Ear viz.

We then walked through the wooded part of the Reserve and thence along the Public Footpath that connects the Reserve to Belvedere Road viz.

There, we saw a Brimstone Butterfly, (at least) four Comma Butterflies, two Peacock Butterflies, a Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly and two Small White Butterflies (our first of 2016) including:

We also saw came across a rather dear and fluffy looking Bee Fly viz.

Once we had retraced our steps back to the Reserve we walked up towards the River, spotting three Peacock Butterflies and two Small Tortoiseshell Butterflies viz.

We also saw a Long-Tailed Tit carrying home-building material viz.

In the West Paddock we saw a Green Sandpiper and a couple of newly-arrived Little Ringed Plovers; the Plovers too distant alas for a photograph.

By the Stables we spotted an obliging Meadow Pipit viz.

And whilst walking back to the car, we spotted a Small White Butterfly getting deep into a Red Dead-Nettle' flower, beside the entrance to the Reserve in the Eastern Way viz.

Returning home via Lesnes Abbey Woods, we found Wild Daffodil, Wild Bluebell, Wood Anemone and Lesser Celandine all flowering very prettily viz.

No sign of flowers yet on the nearby Greater Stitchwort, Wild Garlic (aka Ramsons) or Wood Sorrel (all of which can be seen growing) but it can't be too long now.

Postscript: Before heading down to the Reserve we visited Upper Belvedere where we were super-pleased to see some flowers on Ivy-Leaved Toadflax growing on a wall beside Bedwell Road viz.