Pittswood Birds

Each day this week the weather has got progressively worse, today it was blowing a gale, with morning rain and sunny spells in the afternoon.

I thought the best idea this afternoon would be to get out of the wind as much as possible, so I headed out to the lakes and scrub area. In the strong wind I didn't hear a single bird over the roar of the tree canopy, and just a GREEN WOODPECKER was seen!

On the the largest lake, there were two MALLARD and 6 CANADA GEESE, the middle lake had nothing at all, and the smallest had 6 more Canada Geese. I was hoping for a Mandarin Duck, as they do appear occasionally in July.

In the scrub, I was hoping for another bird thats often first seen in July, the Marsh Tit, one or two birds have spent the autumn/winter here in the last few years, but there's no sign of one yet. I also kept an eye out for a Garden Warbler, but drew a blank there too.

There was nothing left to do but chase the Butterflies, and that was easier said than done in the gusty winds. I was suprised though by just how many I found, as well as the few photographed below, I also saw Green Viened White, Small White, Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Meadow Brown and Holly Blue

Above; Large White

Above and Below: A Purple Hairstreak. There were scores of these around today, and many of them settled with wings open, giving me superb views of their irredescent puple coloured wings, but frustratingly, always out of camera reach, or at the wrong camera angle. When I did get on to one the wind blew the whole tree about, it was amazing how these little butterflies gripped on.

This Red Admiral looked as though it had emerged just hours ago, but again the wind was blowing it about, making for a worse than expected photo.

I also had this comma, flitting around

lastly a Gatekeeper, of which there were again scores of.