Pittswood Birds

I was late out today, as I spent some time this morning photographing the birds in my garden, so as to fill up the blog folder  :-) I didn't leave for a patch visit until 09:45, when I went straight over to the Scrubby Woods to see if I could find any newly fledged birds, the weather had warmed up a bit, despite the cloud and breeze so conditions were in my favour for once.

On arrival I could here one or two CHIFCHAFF singing but just one BLACKCAP, a SONGTHRUSH also sang for a while, and calls from at least 3 BULLFINCH were heard. Young ROBINS, BLUE TITS, GREAT TITS and LONG TAILED TITS were found easily enough, but I did eventually winkle out another new species for the years successfully bred list, when a family of Blackcaps were found, at least 3 were being fed by both adults. Shortly after a TURTLE DOVE was heard singing, a hopeful sign that there may be breeding from this now scarce migrant dove.

While wandering the Scrubby Woods, I was on the lookout for Odonata and Butterflies, but as the sun was not out they were few, just one Azure damsel and a couple of White-legged Damsels were seen, and not one flutter!

Typically, as I arrived home around 13:00hrs, the sun came out, so after grabbing a drink and a bite to eat, I went back out, armed with a canon 100mm 'L' series macro lens, not mine of course, but one I was trying out for a friend  :-) The greenhouse grounds are about as good a chance as I stand of finding any flutters on this side of my patch, and i found just one, how sad is that  :-(  It was at least a Common Blue though, my first this year, and it posed well for the new lens.

Common Blue

Common Blue

Common Blue

Common Blue

As I searched for more flutters, I kept my other eye on the sky, seeing both KESTREL and SPARROWHAWK up hunting, strangely, no Buzzards though, not seen one since the 6th. A Dragonfly flew up from the long grass, and I was pleased to see it was a Four Spotted Chaser, not common here, it was a spanking fresh specimen, and very helpfully sat for a few photo's  :-)

Superb looking Four Spotted chaser

It allowed quite a close approach once it got used to my presence

I found the lens was better if I didn't get too close, standing back about 50cm.

A better depth of field was had if I stood back a bit  :-)

Four Spotted Chaser, just brilliant little creatures  :-)

This Bee made for a nice test for the macro lens as well.....

Busy Bee

Ive got so many photo's now, the blog should be brightened for the next ten days or so!