Monday 25 July 2016

Broken cloud and sunny intervals prevailed throughout today, making for a pleasant patch visit.

A few hours out on my patch this morning brought some excitement when during a sky watch at Migrant Alley, a couple of migrant WHIMBREL (94, 63) flew low over, heading SW. A good bird species to record for my patch, only 8 year lists from 15 have Whimbrel on them  :-) Also seen flying over of note was a lone CORMORANT, a single LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL, 3 BLACK HEADED GULLS and 8 HERRING GULLS. The three local Raptor species of BUZZARD, SPARROWHAWK and KESTREL were also seen up and about.

Not much else bird wise, apart from the LESSER WHITETHROAT pair that were seen 'alarming' around their diminishing territory at the Greenhouse Grounds.

I again spent some time around the scrubby Woods area looking for Odonata, hoping to get some more images of the Brilliant Emerald Dragonfly, but although it was seen numerous times, along with the Downy Emerald, it proved impossible to photograph, as did the Brown hawker and Common Darter that were also seen there. I checked along the sunny side of the Wet Woods too, finding two new Odonata species for the year, with firstly, Southern Hawker, then, Migrant Hawker being seen, both proved to be camera shy though, good job the old Beautiful Demoiselle was still about on its territory then!


Beautiful Demoiselle.

5 comments:

Marc Heath said...

Still waiting for a Migrant Hawker but having been stopped visiting a number of sites, I may have to work a little harder this year. Well done with the Whimbrel.

Marc Heath said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Warren Baker said...

Marc,
It doesn't come much harder than at Pittswood :-) :-)

Lancashire and Lakeland Outback Adventure Wildlife Safaris said...

Nice one with the Whimbrel Warren, lucky you.
Hundreds pass by either side of me twice a year but not heard one from Base Camp for a couple of years now

Quality dragons too - you're on a roll

Cheers

DaveyMan

Warren Baker said...

Cheers Davyman.
Quality yes.............quantity no!