Microtis Agrestis and what a nice one!

You never really know whats in store for you on any day you venture out, and today was just like that, I had arrived at priorslee early, well for me at least. My first impressions were soon confirmed by a meeting with Ed who confirmed that the area was quite. So as it was wet and windy I decided after a while to try for Dipper at the old favourite Longnor bridge, but with all the rivers and streams in flood I did not really expect to find one on station. On the way down I stopped briefly at Condover, nothing, other than hundreds of scramblers tearing around the stubble and turning it into a quagmire so I left.

My arrival at the bridge I was proven right so it was a check around the Acton Burnell castle, just a few crests etc and a nice covey of Red legged partridge. Then onto Venus pools and a look around , water very poor.
Brambling at the feeding station (R) No Siskin today but a nice Redpoll dropped in for a while, joining in with a large flock of Longtailed tit feeding on the feeders.

Not exactly a nice picture but good for upperparts viewing, as you tend to see the underparts as they feed high on the alders around the reserve.

Now for ages I have watched small mammals around the feeding stations collecting and or feeding on the discarded or dropped seeds, so far I have seen Wood mouse, the good old Rat and Common / Short tailed Vole. By the way a favourite food for Tawney, Kestrel etc. So this chap / chapess seems to be very brave or what ever the opposite is.

At first glance many people would say Woodmouse, but the colouration and body style stops that statement pretty quickly along with body length. Watching this one was brill as it scurried in and out of the trunks adjacent to the seed scattered floor underneath the feeder. Even better was the sighting of a second vole just in front of the hide, so already some ideas are forming of close up shots!!! that should be interesting. It would of course mean lying under the hide with camo or remote fired close ups I shall see, and hopefully so will you.

So hopefully whetted you appetite I shall see you again.

Take care and good hunting, if you have questions relating to or about Digital photography be it Camera or Digiscopeing pop it into the guestbook , to include Photoshop, Lightroom and ACDsee.

Have sorted out the double click on the image problem so you can now double click for a larger image.

By for now.

Paul