I didn't get out this afternoon, I went to the end of term ''get together'' at work. So nothing to report today. next update Tomorrow pm.

Before I left for my afternoon patch visit today, I saw this little character in the garden - unusual to see hedgehogs during the day.

I decided I would break my addiction to purple hairstreak Hunting, by not visiting the lake and scrub area this afternoon, instead I wandered around the Maize field, Paddocks, sheep pasture, and the small scrub area that is Migrant Alley.

A patch of Thistle there, was covered in Butterlfies, Peacock, Painted lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma and Small and large Skippers, as well as both small and Large White - A sight to gladden the heart. Just a few paces on, I found my first Small Copper of the year, a good species to get on my patch, I only ever see 1 or 2 in any year. Onwards I went, scanning both the sky and the long grass, and up flew a Common Blue butterfly - another scarce species on my patch.

I walked up round the Maize, and crawled under the 1.5m diameter gas pipe, which is about a meter of the ground at present, i'll be glad when its buried and finished. I scanned the maize egde and the fenceposts, in hope of an early Migrant Whinchat, but none there today, only a few LINNETS and GOLDFINCH'S. The horse paddocks held the usual ROOKS, CARRION CROWS and JACKDAWS, with the SWALLOWS skimming in between them all, whilst higher up HOUSE MARTINS twitterd, and still higher SWIFTS were seen. A SKYLARK gave me a nice photo chance, before flying up to sing, and as I watched it two BLACK HEADED GULLS flew over.

At the scrub I hoped to find the now elusive Lesser Whitethroat for the months list, but not a sign of one, or the Turtle Doves that are in there somewhere, so it was back to butterfly chasing. I found Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood, Meadow Browns plus more Whites and Skippers.

A short Skywatch didn't give me any new species for the month, just feral pigeons, STOCK DOVES, WOOD PIGEONS and two HERRING GULLS.

Above The obliging Skylark.

Above: My first Small Copper of the year. Below: A Peacock, I can't pass one of these and not photograph it!

Its the same with the Painted Ladies!

Below: One of the Many gatekeepers seen today

Last of all a Speckled Wood, a bit blurry i'm afraid.

There was a strong gusty wind this afternoon, with just occasional sunny glimpses, this made it virtually impossible to photograph any butterflies, there wern't as many about in the cooler conditions anyway, apart from around the Buddlea bushes at the lake area, where the usual Peacocks, Red admirals, Painted ladies, meadow Browns, Comma's and Gatekeepers were seen. I had a quick look for Purple hairstreaks, and saw a few, but they were high up and being blown around.

Bird wise, not a thing - nothing, they are all hiding away! Well I say nothing, there was the odd Tit, and DUNNOCK, and a family of newly fledged WRENS in the wet woods, and although they did pose for the camera it was too dark under the dense canopy, the shutter speed was on 6 !

So that was it, one of my poorest 2 hours ever I should think!

Yesterday I forgot to put this photo on. It is a large hoverfly. I believe it to be Volucella Zonaria, but could be Volucella Inanis, it was as big as a Hornet.
Dean or greenie might know more.

An identical walk to yesterday was had this afternoon, but it was very poor for bird sightings, just the odd BLACKCAP, WOODPECKER, and a couple of flyover Gull species, even all the common stuff was in short supply today.

So it was a good job I had some Butterflies to look at! I again visited the Buddlia over at the lake area, and again it was full of Peacocks, and Red Admirals, with a Painted Lady, a couple of Comma's and a few Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns. I couldn't resist going to have a look for some Purple Hairstreaks, I find them such a challenge to locate and photograph ( I am addicted to PH's!) Despite the blustery wind, I found 3 individuals in the Oak that held at least six yesterday, I love 'em!

Apart from the butterflies that was about it for today, apart from this Dragonfly


I took a few pics, and these two came out best. The wind kept blowing it out of focus! Now, I'm not too hot on Dragons, but I reckon this is a Common darter, an old female, it's started taking on some red colouring on the abdomen. There again I could be completely wrong!

Above and below are the latest Purple Hairstreak photo's, I almost got one to open it's wings!

Below is a superb looking Peacock Butterfly

lastly This Red admiral was taking a break from feeding at the Buddlea.

Sunny spells and a bit of a breeze today for my patch visit, and as I left the house around 14:00hrs the first thing that I heard was the alarm call of the local SWALLOW colony, which meant only one thing - a Raptor was about. I stood and watched, sure enough, after a few seconds a SPARROWHAWK popped up, it was chased and hassled by the brave swallows, who saw it off soon enough.
A few minutes later I was in the tree nursery, hoping for a butterfly or two, when I saw two more SAND Martins fly south, a sure sign of the season on the turn.

Not having seen any Butterflies of note, I wandered over to the lakeside scrub, I checked out the buddlea bush, and found 4 each of Red Admiral and Peacock butterflies, but it could well of been more, as they kept coming and going. Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns, and both Large and Small Whites were also feeding on the blooms, which by the way gave of a real heady perfume, I found it was hard to leave that little area ! Leave it I did though, and went into the scrub to look for the Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler, both of which refuse to be added to this months list, and weren't added today, although I may have caught a glimpse of the Garden warbler, it or a Blackcap was scolding me from a nearby bush, where it had youngsters. I also looked for the Purple hairstreak butterflies and was surprised when i found at least 6 in one clump of Oaks, 3 in another clump and at least two in another, this butterfly is probably one of the most common on my patch!
It was whilst waiting for a Purple hairstreak to show that I heard a familiar call from an old friend, a MARSH TIT ! A welcome addition to july's list. The last Marsh Tit was seen on the 14th March earlier this year. This individual was an Immature bird, and I don't think it would have been bred on my patch without me noticing the parents about. Marsh Tits leave my patch in spring to breed elsewhere, then come back in the late summer to over winter. ( well one or two do!) Last year the first one wasn't seen until Oct. 9th, but in 2007 the first one was noted on July 1st, I hope it finds my garden feeders again this Autumn.

A short skywatch at migrant alley was an unproductive affair, apart from a YELLOWHAMMER bringing in food for it's recently fledged young, which were in the hedge just behind me.

Above: A yellowhammer, Below: The marauding Sparrowhawk

Above: One of the Red Admirals on the buddlea. Below: is a distant shot of a Purple hairstreak, this is as close as I ever seem to get!

I set off out at 06:00hrs this morning, on another 5 hour trek round my patch, the weather was abysmal for the first 2 hours, cool and windy with a light drizzle, but by 08:15hrs the cloud started to break, although it remained blustery.

Needless to say, in the conditions it was difficult to find the birds, nothing was singing, and very few were calling, I only had 15 species on the list after walking Ashes lane, the tree nursery and half way up the hedgerow leading to Migrant Alley, but it was here my luck changed. A glance up at the slate grey sky gave me a new species for the month - a LITTLE EGRET, its white plumage was striking against the grey background, what a great bird to record.

I plugged on in the drizzle and wind, picking up species slowly but surely, and by the time I had completed the first half of my walk I had a creditable total of 42 species, including the family of SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS, and the nice sight of 4 newly fledged GOLDCREST all huddled together on a branch. Also a smart looking HOBBY that went over, upsetting the SWALLOWS around the Greenhouses,

The second half of my walk around the small holding, wet woods and lake area yeilded another 7 species, 49 for the day, very good in the conditions.
As the sun had started to break through, I decided to walk over to Migrant Alley for a short skywatch, which proved very productive, as I added SPARROWHAWK, KESTREL and the first southerly bound SAND MARTINS of the year, taking the daylist to 52, now I didn't anticipate that at six o'clock this morning, a really good total! There were some notable absences from the list as well, Pheasant, Mistle Thrush, and Yellowhammer could all have turned up, and I am still awaiting the Garden warbler and Lesser Whitethroat this month!

July's species total of 58 now at least equals the lowest July total, always good to get past that mark.

I didn't even take the camera out this morning! So this afternoon I went over to the Thistle patch around the Greenhouse and took the following butterfly shots. Nothing really scarce, but it brightens up this page! Speaking of butterflies I had one fly through the garden this afternoon, it looked Black with white markings - A Marbled white, or White Admiral perhaps, I have not seen either of these species before, shame it didn't settle.

Above: Painted Lady. Below a Comma

Below a Small Tortoiseshell

Above: A Gatekeeper, and Below: A Large Skipper

It was dull and overcast, with occasional light rain during this mornings five hour patch walk, the best of any brightness was at 06:00hrs when I left!

A steady sighting of species ended in a very good total of 51 being seen, but there were still some notable absences - Pheasant, Coal Tit, Nuthatch, and Mistle Thrush were not found, and the two most likely candidates to increase the months list - Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat, still continue to avoid detection.
Flyovers by GREY HERON, CORMORANT, LESSER BLACK BACKED, HERRING, and BLACKHEADED GULL, helped boost the day list, as well as finding 5 GREY LAG GEESE on one of the paddocks at Migrant Alley, and it was good to record 4 Raptor species today - PEREGRINE, KESTREL, HOBBY, and SPARROWHAWK, quite good going for an inland patch.

It's always frustrating not to find any new species for the monthly list, which seems to have stalled on a miserly 56, still 13 behind the high achieved last year, and still 2 off the lowest, which was recorded in 2004 and 2005 when visits were shorter, and fewer. I ''almost'' scored a patch tick though, when a group of 9 large finch size birds flew over Ashes lane, calling. I was daydreaming a bit, and only realised the possibility of them being Crossbills when they were right overhead! I took them for Greenfinch's, as all the birds were calling at once, making the 'jipp jipp'' call more greenfinch like. They may well have been Greenfinch's, but there was something about them, and the way they flew purposely over, and high up that had me thinking Crossbill. Alas it will have to be one that got away, as I wasn't completely satisfied. :-(

Photographic chances were few this morning, just this group of Greylag Geese
................and a distant shot of the Peregrine, flying off into the gloom.