This afternoon was warm and sunny, and the cold wind had gone. I left the house at around
2pm, and as I walked up Ashes lane I noticed 3 COMMON BUZZARDS, low over a field that was being harrowed just to the north of my patch, I went for my camera and discovered I had left the 18-55 lens on - blast it! No pics of birds today!
A quick trip through to the lakes side scrub was in order, to find out if any lesser Whitethroat had decided to arrive on my patch overnight, they hadn't, just the now familiar sound of BLACKCAP and CHIFFCHAFF were the only summer birds heard. I spent 20mins or so listening in vain for the Nightingale that might just come back, but they also were absent.
I thought i'd go into the wet woods and get a photo of the Orchids, which I did, and also got a photo of a Speckled Wood butterfly whilst there, and as I had such a small lens on, I took some pics. of the bluebells to.
The walk over to Migrant Alley was uneventful, and the paddocks, pasture and plough only produced the usual SKYLARKS and PIED WAGTAILS with a couple of LINNETS. An hours skywatching for Raptors was also a non event, just HERRING GULLS and ROOKS were seen, the latter were going back and forth from the harrowed field to their nest sites, obviously many hungry mouths to feed at the rookery.
As the birds were not showing today, I took a walk along the NW boundary of my patch, which has a wtery ditch along it, I was hoping for a Sandpiper to fly up - some chance! However I did get to see my first Damselfly of the year, in the form of a Large Red. I also saw Orange Tip butterflies, Peacock butterflies and surprisingly a Painted Lady, I would have got its photo with a bigger lens!
Below is the Speckled wood Butterfly
And this one is the Peacock
Greenie will confirm the Orchid species below
Here's a couple of shots of the Bluebells in the wet woods
And lastly the Large Red damselfly -Greenie will also enlighten us on the sex and age of this individual!
8 comments:
I enjoyed reading some of your recent posts. The excellent photos and detailed descriptions give a good insight into your area - thanks for sharing.
Very glad your weather is better Warren. Ours has been beautiful today, if it stayed like this all summer I would be happy.
Lovely photos again, your Bluebells do seem more advanced than ours.
Lets hope it will be a good year for Butterflies they could do with the good weather too.
Warren ,
Firstly , I am intrigued with the Orchid pictures . Everything about them says Early Purple , spotted leaves , upwards pointing spur at the back of the flower , the flower spike , but I have never seen flowers of that colour . If the posted colour is truly representative , I think you have something very special there . The standard colour is pinkish purple ,but pink and white flowers have been found , but not purple .
I shall make more enquiries .
Impossible to sex your immature Large Red Damselfly ,only recently emerged , but that is very early , only heard of 1 Hairy Dragonfly and 1 Broad Bodied Chaser so far this year .
Well done with the butterfly shots , was the Painted Lady one , or a lady with tattoos ?
Beautiful butterfly shots! I've never seen anything like them over here.
A nice walk again and this time sunny... Lucky you, we have a big storm now with all what we need to stay home!!! I love your butterfly pictures too, but it looks like feathers are missing :-)
...thank goodness you had a bit of sun! Very pretty flowers and butterflies...
That peacock butterfly is awesome Warren. And those bluebells certainly brighten up the forest.
Warren: Neat flowers and butterfly captures.
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