Pittswood Birds

It was a warm and sticky day again today, but high thin cloud stopped the burning heat of the sun, so made it a more pleasant day overall.

A sighting of a HOBBY was very nice as I walked to work this morning, as was hearing a TURTLE DOVE singing from the north end scrub at Migrant Alley.

This afternoon I was back over at the Lakeside scrub, hoping, but failing, to find a Marsh Tit, will one turn up this Autumn ? Strolling around the Oaks and Brambles, it was evident that it was going to be a Butterfly day again, rather than a bird day, although I did hear SONGTHRUSH and BLACKCAP singing, and the NUTHATCHES called from somewhere in a large Oak. The water held just two MOORHEN, two MALLARD and a GREY HERON.

Purple Hairstreak butterflies were on just about every Oak tree I checked out, whilst Gatekeepers and Commas were also numerous lower down. A couple of Peacock butterflies were seen, and Meadow Browns were being flushed up every second step :-)

Whilst waiting for a Purple hairstreak to settle on some bramble, I noticed a large orange butterfly come down, I thought it to be another comma, but when I looked at it properly I was ecstatic, for I found it to be a Fritillary ( later confirmed as a Silver Washed Fritillery) What a find for my patch!! A complete lifer butterfly for me, it's great when you find these things for yourself, and they come to you on your patch :-) I manged a photo, but not as good a one as I had wished. Frustratingly, not once but twice it settled down so close to me that the lens couldn't focus, and in moving back a bit, I scared it away .

A few moments later, I looked up at a noisey helecopter, and saw a COMMON BUZZARD going over, only the second sighting this month - makes me wonder what raptors I miss with all this butterfly hunting lark :-)

Photo's today are of the female BULLLFINCH at my garden feeders........

...........and of the Grey heron on the largest of the 3 lakes, this is my only view of it before it flew off!

I couldn't resist some more butterfly shots, this Purple Hairstreak looks to be egg laying.

WOW!! A Silver Washed Fritillary ! Not much of a looker compared to some of the other butterflies, but this is a real good one to find.

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Another orange one - a Gatekeeper

and to keep the Orangey theme going, a Comma

I also got a photo of this Southern Hawker Dragonfly, at least I think thats what it is. They dont often sit still for photographs.