Wednesday 22 April 2015

Mmm… since I go up the Welcombe Hills just about every day and I enjoy sharing with others the things I see and learn; because I couldn't keep my Welcombe Hills fungi website going any longer; but mainly because it's spring (rebirth and that sort of thing), I thought I would try a bit of blogging.
Last week on the Save the Welcombe Hills Facebook page I posted a picture of the first Orange Tip butterfly  I'd seen this year up the hills (and the much-overlooked, not to say trampled on, Field Woodrush grass) and these attracted a little interest and a couple of comments. This morning I can follow up the Orange Tip picture with the following one capturing the first orange tip butterfly egg of the year. It's that orange thing by the way...



The picture should enlarge ok and you can just about make out the fluted sides of the egg. 
Yesterday, or perhaps the day before, I checked for signs of the Lady's Smock which the orange tip prefers but didn't see one. It really is quite remarkable how quickly spring takes hold.
The orange tip lays her eggs in the upper part of the plant and the caterpillars prefer to feed on the seed pods where this one has been laid. There may be more than one egg on each plant but only one caterpillar will survive because they tend to eat each other. This I am told is not personal just a craving for moisture and a caterpillar is like having your own water tank.

Just a thought, careful where you tread. That plant might just have an orange tip egg on it. It'll be lucky to even get to hatch what with the cows, dogs and feet and then even if it does it 's still really up against it. I think that might be survival of the fittest. Perhaps luck has something to do with it as well.
I'll keep an eye on this egg and see if I can get a pic of the caterpillar. Thanks for reading.

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