Finally! Wall for the year-list

I was beginning to think this species was going to elude me in 2012: but, thanks to Birdforum's Tommy, I caught up with seven at Wickhampton! Excellent stuff!
Also: better views of three more Willow Emeralds at Strumpshaw....
Is this just a Migrant Hawker?

At last!

A three hour Strumpshaw stake-out with new acquaintance (and rock guitarist!) David finally delivered good views (if just slightly too distant) of a mint-fresh Willow Emerald Damsel!
Great to finally nail this species for the patch...

Hotter than Morocco!

A somewhat steamy walk around the Fen & Buckenham was enlivened by lots of Butterflies & Damselflies: nothing really rare, but some good photo ops (As they say!) Another Swallowtail Caterpillar revealed itself: this one was about twice the size of yesterday's!

Small Red-eyed

Red-eyed

Emerald

Common Blue

Small Copper

Butterfly-Fest!

Amazing numbers of butterflies at Strumpshaw today: well over 1,000 Peacocks, plus many others of 11 species (Including Painted Lady at last! First this year!)
Best find was a Swallowtail caterpillar as well as several Green, Wood & Common Sandpipers. The Small Red-eyed Damselflies showed well intermittently, again (Although not as well as this Red-eyed Damselfly!)

Brown Argus

Common Sandpiper

Green Sandpiper

Two species!

Old Red Eyes is back!

Back to Strumpshaw, this time in the Sun! And lo and behold, over 100 Small Red-eyed Damselflies were patrolling in front of Reception Hide! I managed a reasonably good picture in the dipping pool to the right of RH. To cap a brilliant ten minutes, a Kingfisher turned up to pose!

Back to Strumpshaw

A couple of hours at the Fen and Buckenham was surprisingly productive: four Kingfishers, a Green Sandpiper and loads of dragonflies. Also, this amazing (and, I believe, quite rare) Hornet Hoverfly and a smart Brown Argus.

Green Sandpiper & Kingfisher

New area on my local patch!

Every day (more or less!) for eight months I've walked past a sign saying 'Adam's Wood'. I finally investigated today and it's terrific! No birds to speak of, but loads of beautiful wild flowers, butterflies and dragonflies! Best find, I guess, was a mint-fresh White Admiral that flew off just as I raised the camera: the dragonflies were more obliging!

Migrant Hawker

Southern Hawker



Common Darter



Home again!

Just back from a ten-day roadtrip, selling meteorites and jewellery in Devon. Despite a hectic few days among the folkies at the Sidmouth Festival and Astronomy Fair, I still managed a few excellent wildlife moments. Best of these was a couple of Marbled Whites on the cliff top meadows: never seen one before, despite intensive searching over the years in Oxfordshire, Dorset etc
I think I've got the dragonfly right, but no doubt someone will help out if not!

Our display at the Astronomy Fair

Southern Hawker



Crow, pretending to be a Fish Crow!



Raptorfest!

Enjoyed a few days in Maidenhead: my step daughter was a Games Maker at Dorney, holding the boats as  they arrived at the winners' pontoon!
To a 'Narfick boy' it was still astonishing to me to see six Buzzards and four Red Kites in one thermal! Amazing sight!

Can you tell where it is yet?

Looking at these pix should give you a good idea where we've been this weekend! The pleasant Australian gent got a Henbury meteorite from us: his wife got some beads for her hair!

Golden Wednesday!

A nice early start at Strumpshaw was uneventful in terms of birds, but provided good craique in the form of two of Norfolk's nicest naturalists! Norman (www.ngt-images.co.uk) takes fabulous landscape and wildlife photos and is a Strump regular. The second gentleman never offered his name and, to my shame, I failed to ask it! But he is extraordinarily knowledgeable, especially about wild flowers and insects...
I carried on my usual circuit to Buckenham, then up the hill and back round to Strump, picking up a few goodies on the way! Loads of butterflies, but still no Wall Brown! Anyone know where there are some?
I drove home via Zak's on Mousehold Heath: no sign of any hairstreaks (Purple or White Letter) so home in time to see our Golden Girls bring home the rowing bacon in style!

Every boy needs a Hobby!

The UK's tattiest Buzzard!

Cinnabar Moth caterpillar