Pittswood Birds

The heavy showers predicted for this afternoon didn't materialise thankfully, but it did come over a bit dark at times, however it remained warm, and some short sunny spells were also had  :-) These enticed me to take a trip around the Tree Nursery looking for Butterflies and other insects, with the birds taking a back seat mostly. There were plenty of Butterflies about, hundreds of Meadow Browns, and scores of Skippers, mostly Small and Large Skippers, but i'm sure I found my first Essex Skipper amongst them, this is the 22nd and probably the final Butterfly species i'll find on my patch this year now. Green Veined White, Red Admiral, Small White and Speckled Wood made up a nice variety for the hour I spent in the Tree nursery. Whilst looking for Flutters I found a couple of Hoverfly species, which some kind soul might identify for me from the photo's below, I also encountered a large diving beetle in a shallow puddle that also needs Identifying, the puddles have been around so long now that they have developed there own pond life!

I eventually moved over to the Greenhouse Grounds, where I watched a mixed family of BLACKCAPS and WHITETHROATS, I also watched 3 of the KESTREL family flying together and calling to each other  :-)  SWALLOW, SWIFT, HOUSE MARTIN and CHIFFCHAFF were the other summer birds noted, I didn't spend much time birding though, i'll leave that to tomorrow mornings full patch walk  :-)

Immature Whitethroat at the Greenhouse Grounds

Gatekeeper

Green Veined White

Meadow Brown

Meadow Brown and Small Skippers, most of the Ragweed had multiple butterflies on it this afternoon , magic sight!

I thought this was a Small Skipper, but it turned out to be my first Essex Skipper of the year....

I also thought these were Essex Skippers, but they are in fact Small Skippers

Small Skipper

Here's one of the unidentified Hoverflies  -  species 'A' ( thanks to Davo, for suggesting ''Eristalis pertinax''

And here's unidentified species  'B' any help appreciated :-) ( Thanks to Songbird for Identifying it as a Drone Fly)

Here's the Diving beetle that also needs a name, or is it a water boatman ? ( Thanks to Songbird again, for suggesting this is in fact a water Beetle, going by the name Acilius Sulcatus

Lastly, the only Dragonfly seen today,  a  Common Darter