Garganey and Small Red-eyed Damselfly at Strumpshaw Fen

A very quick circuit of the Fen this morning, because I had to get home to prepare a few surprises for the retirement Queen! Nevertheless, despite the wind and scudding clouds, I managed some decent images of a confiding Garganey in front of Tower Hide, as well as Migrant Hawker, Scarce Chaser and Small Red-eyed Damselfly in their usual spots. Hundreds of Peacocks, Red Admirals and Small Torts and more views of the Sparrowhawk family.

Nice to have a long chat with Warden Ben: he really does think deeply about his job and I'm sure his responsibilities at the Fen (and parenthood!) have curtailed his twitching instincts somewhat: nevertheless, a relaxed chat reveals how passionate he remains about wildlife and his local patch... About time he made an entry in his blog, though! It seems like all the other bloggers (apart from Penny and me) have gone over to the dark side (Twitter!)