Another superb late spring day, even warmer than yesterday, we deserve no less after the weeks of rain and wind  :-)

This afternoon I made my way over to the lakes and Scrubby Woods, mainly to try and find some recently fledged young birds to add to the years 'confimed successfully breeding' list. On the way I re-discovered the MANDARIN DUCK with her young skulking in the tangle of broken branches in the Wet Woods.  On reaching the lakes I checked up on the COOTS,  they still have two healthy young  :-) And a CANADA GOOSE paraded 9 youngsters off, I tried to photograph them but they swam away into the sun, I did get get a shot of them, but my battery went, I always carry a spare, so i quickly put that in, then realised I'd picked up the wrong battery before leaving home and this one was flat too.........Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Canada Geese with young

Not much else was on the lakes, just a few MOORHEN, 3 MALLARDS, 2 GREYLAG GEESE and a GREY HERON. The adjacent Scrubby Woods was a bit more interesting though, I found my first Beautiful demoiselle damselfly for the year, and saw a few Butterflies including Brimstone, Speckled Wood, Green Veined White, Small White and Comma. Whilst sitting and listening to the BLACKCAPS and CHIFFCHAFFS singing, a TAWNY OWL (68) hooted twice from its roost in a high and dense line of leylandi trees, something for the May list  :-) I couldn't hear or locate any Turtle Doves, or the Garden Warbler, but a female CUCKOO gave its ''bubbling'' call, hopefully some lucky Dunnock will have a big mouth to feed next month  :-) A commotion in a nearby Oak tree alerted me to a family of GREAT TITS, so I got something to add to the confirmed breeding list.

I decided to make my way home and pick up the re-charged battery, then go on to the Tree Nursery for some butterlies, it was swelteringly hot, and hard work taking the photo's but worth the effort, especially as I found a new species for my patch, a SMALL HEATH ( at least I think it is, never seen one before!) This, if confirmed will be the 26th butterfly species for my pittswood patch  :-) Other flutters found here were at least 8 Holly Blues, 4 Brown Argus, 2 Small Copper, and 2 Orange Tips, making nine species for the day.

Small Heath - a patch first ? ( Greenie - Dean ?)

Small Copper

Small Copper

Brown Argus

Holly Blue - This female was constantly being made advances to by a male, but she didn't want to know!

A superb sunny late spring day was had today, temperatures got up in the mid seventies and there was just a slight warm breeze  :-)  Conditions were ideal for Butterflies and Damsels again, but not quite so conducive for finding birds!

The Tree Nursery was my first port of call this afternoon, where I found plenty of Butterflies about, Small Whites, Green Veined Whites, Orange Tip, Speckled Wood, Brown Argus and my first Small Coppers of the year, 21 days later than last years first sighting. Damsels were again represented by immature Common Blues and Large Reds.

It was hot and still in the sunshine, and not much was happening bird wise, just the WHITETHROATS and GREEN WOODPECKERS were of note, so i spent an hour photographing the flutters  :-) I spent some time around the Greenhouse Grounds and Migrant Alley after the photo session, where it continued hot and still with little to be seen, another Whitethroat sang, as well as a BLACKCAP, and I was surprised to see a LITTLE OWL perched on one of the greenhouses guttering. Overhead, the KESTREL was hunting, and two BUZZARDS soared high over Migrant Alley as I walked a circuit of the fields and paddocks, not finding anything much apart from two GREYLAG GEESE, maybe an evening visit in the sunshine would be a better for finding birdlife, if I get time later I may try.  Today was mainly about Butterflies though, so here's the photo's.

Brown Argus Mating

Brown Argus Mating

Small Copper - my first this year :-)

Small Copper