Pittswood Birds

It was warm and sunny this morning, with a moderate westerly breeze blowing.

After yesterdays full patch walk, which yielded a total of 43 species, most of those being the regular breeding birds, apart from the GREY WAGTAIL found at the Greenhouse grounds, today I set off in the sunshine to walk the fields and check out the greenhouse Grounds.

Once again it was a case of recording the regular species, the only passage birds were the MEADOW PIPITS, as well as the SWALLOWS and HOUSE MARTINS that flew over in every few minutes in large mixed groups. Once again the GREY WAGTAIL was at the Greenhouse grounds.

SPARROWHAWK and KESTREL were the first raptors seen up hunting, but by mid morning the sky was full of BUZZARDS, I counted 7 together, but the other birds seen in singles, two's and three's could have been the same birds or different ones passing through.!

By late morning it was hot enough for Dragons and Butterflies to be on the wing, I recorded Large White, Small White, Red Admiral, Comma and Painted Lady Butterflies, but only Common Darter and Migrant Hawker Dragonflies, the latter were found in a mating wheel, which allowed me to fill my boots with images. I'll post a few today and save a few for later posts  :-)

I was initially watching this male

Then a female flew into the males territory, the male soon found here and grabbed here in mid air, before settling in the brambles.

I thought i'd missed my chance when they flew off, but they alighted again just a few meters away, in a better place for photo's too  :-)

I was able to get withing 30cm of them, getting some good close ups of the male and female as they mated. I like the way the male has hold of her head with his claspers, I thought the males clasped the females around the neck, I was wrong!

Nice close up of the joined abdomens  :-)