Pittswood Birds

I had a break from my patch today, instead I had a visit to Dungeness, where a friend and myself arrived just before 7:00hrs, spending the next seven and a half hours looking for Birds, Butterflies and Dragonflies.

Despite some fine and still weather, there was very little birdsong to be heard, and such species as Blackcap and Robin were not among the 61 bird species found today, however as we searched for those early in the walk, we saw a TURTLE DOVE flyover, my first one this year. Raptors were represented by SPARROWHAWK, KESTREL, HOBBY and BUZZARD, but waders were few with just LAPWING, OYSTERCATCHER, and GREENSHANK being found. REED WARBLERS, SEDGE WARBLERS, CETTIS WARBLERS and CHIFFCHAFF made up the Warbler list, the only hirundines seen were SWALLOWS, and just two SWIFTS were seen all day. GULLS, DUCKS, GEESE and the common passerines made up the list, but we did spend an awful lot of the day with our noses stuck in bushes looking for Damsels and Dragons!

This Reed Warbler was collecting nest material, not the best photo ive taken, but there is something I like about the image as a whole, and the fact that there is a Dragonfly exuvia on the top of the reed stem  :-)

Reed Warbler

This Reed Bunting was feeding its young, looks like chaser in its beak!

Common Terns were seen outside the denge Marsh hide

They gave me these distant images.

Plenty of these Herring Gulls were about.

As for the Dragons and damsels, I of course was pleased to catch up with some Hairy dragonflies, and I think i've Identified this correctly on todays post!

This one was feeding on a Ladybird

It was too busy eating to worry about me closing in with the camera

Hairy Dragon

Hairy Dragon

Azure damsels, Common Blue damsels, Blue Tailed Damsels and Red Eyed Damsels were all seen, as well as Broad Bodied and Four Spotted Chasers.

Blue Tailed Damsel

Blue Tailed Damsel

Common Blue female immature, I think!

Finally, several Common lizards were found, and made for great photo's  :-)

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Common Lizard