Pittswood Birds

This afternoon it was burning hot, 31c, thats about 88f I reckon, but standing in the sun it was actually a lot hotter. I spent some time over at the Lakeside Scrub area, moving between one shady place and the next, I saw a few Purple Hairstreak Butterflies, but they were out of shot, CHIFFCHAFF and BLACKCAP gave some half hearted song, which soon fizzled out in the humid heat, and a feeding flock of tits were moving slowly through the Oak trees, hardly noticeable, not like the noisy gang they normally are.

It became obvious that I was on a looser today, it was just too hot, the only thing seen in any number were Meadow Brown Butterflies. Oh well at least it's saturday tomorrow, I can get out early whilst its still cool (er).

Not much on the Photography front today, this is a shot across the Tree Nursery. The lease on the field expires next year, I can only hope it doesn't revert back to sheep pasture, as the adjacent Marchants field has.

Below is one of the many Meadow Browns on the wing today.

The next couple of Photo's were taken in my garden around 17:00hrs this afternoon. This is a Long Tailed Field Mouse, enjoying spilt bird seed.

This is the Grey Squirrel, eating the Hazel nuts from my tree, I was hoping for something a little more scarce than him, maybe a Dormouse :-)

Lastly.....back to the Unidentified Dragonfly from yesterdays post. Ive reposted the best shot ive got of it, and cropped it. Greenie seems to think it's a old female Emperor Dragonfly, and I dont disagree now.

It was larger than any Skimmer or Chaser - easily so. It seemed not much bigger than a Brown Hawker. Does this help Greenie. ?? click on the photo to emlarge it.