I spent a few hours at Berrington pool hopeing to get a couple of decent Red eyed Damsel fly shots, and whilst there just generally look around at what was around, like the two Cuckoo calling to each other and the Hobby perched up in the tall trees, all to far of for a picture or two. So with the local Hirundine washing feeding and generally being accessible I tried to capture some of their antics.Either a nice juicy nymph or a drink ? not a brilliant shot.

Another pass.

So the target was got, eventually, as the males prefer to sit out on the Lilly pads.

Plus a few other things

A Tree pipit from a day previous

Another of the Clubtails

The Dipper Longnor Brood Two

As Jim has said the activity at the Stack and surrounds is at its peak and I am about two weeks behind my annual trip, so watch this space to see what I find apart from the normal stuff, probably not a lot but who knows.

Lots more bugs and Dragons to come so watch out..

Cheers

Paul

Wee Beasties

Every year for one reason or another I have failed to hook up with the Club tailed Dragonfly along the river Severn, I did not think it would be any different today, Boy! was I wrong. Within the first 20 minutes I had clocked five newly emerged male Gomphers. They naturally got shot to bits. One down and three to go for the site. Banded Demoiselle got, White legged got, Beautiful got, another first and this time it was at VP right outside of the hide, fanbloodytasitic.

The vegetation was crawling with stuff including this very nice Mayfly.

A nice fresh Whitelegged Damselfly.

Not quite so much for the day out but quality more than quantity!

More tomorrow!!

Cheers

Paul

First Damsels of the year

Up with the Lark! not a bloody chance, they were singing at 04:30 this morning and for a real long time, I could actually hear them from the comfort of my bed. Then the normal background noise of human infection overcame the natural and they were gone, until the daily alarm flew over the house on their way to the local pool, darn Canada Geese.Dragged myself up seemingly normal o'clock and did the return visit for the Reed warbler shot I was after!
Nice? I Agree close clear good detail, but not what I was after.

Now these were more like it Reed warblers on reed and not in the trees much better.

And not obscured by loads of reeds either.

The background here is more like it dark giving the reeds that glow.

Now not only did I have a nice Large red but also a nice new Common Blue also a very large Carder Bee, Scorpion fly's and alder flys the place is really starting to get going at last Dragonflies soon, actually saw one large red some three weeks ago but the weather seems to have suspended the mass emergence this year, I think.

Cheers

Paul

A little of the latest

The weather forecast was dire and I still needed to get out to the local reed Warblers and secure some of the shots I had in mind, I almost got what I was after, but looks like another visit is in order.This male was very confiding and continued to call and sing all through the session.

Coming very close as if to see what I was up to.

In what, at first looked like some feeding visits to this wall, after an investigation as to just what they were finding found no insects, and Goldfinch and house sparrow also doing the same thing, I concluded that they were taking something actually embedded in the brick, which was laid in the 17th century!

A quick trip to VP produced the seemingly ever present Little ringed plovers.

Is this narcism in the bird world?

No matter what they are a very tidy small bird.

Cheers

Paul

Great! Knot in the mire!

Covered in paint and the place in a right mess? I had dropped everything to rush to the Mire in response to a text from Andy, Knot at the Mire. I was there in rapid time and yes a fine summer plumage individual . So we hung around info'd others they came and went, some rapid others not!! a couple of Hobbies were great , then as if out of nowhere A Blacktern was floating around the lake performing well if not close, and then as if by magic it disappeared again.


The Knot was looking stunning.

A couple of other shots from the day

Once this RLP had fed it was up to the top of the mound and called its head of for ages.
A total of 11 Yellow wags were at the mire the same time as the knot. A bit to far of for good shots so here a a couple in good old Blue peter fashion, I prepared earlier!!

The following morning it was to VP for a drop in summer plumage Sanderling for a change I was out Birdwatching,,, no camera that is why it performed so close,,, Damn!

Paul

A mellow yellow and supporting cast.

Sunday morning and over three hours at the Mire produced a few nice birds but none of real note, Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Dunlin and the odd Little Grebe. Two Cuckoo were heard calling from opposite directions, but none were seen.

I went on a Little expedition to a known midden where there is usually a bird or two shovelling S%$t and I was not to be disappointed.

This very obliging Yellow wagtail posed for a good while.
A lovely moment as it sat up on the rape for a Vogue moment, smashing.

Skylarks were running around the car very confiding even being to close at times.

Quite a smart bird but these individuals were a tad tatty.

Corn buntings a plenty and again very confident, they look odd when not singing!!

A nice few hours staring at piles of old potatoes and poo! to be a return visit as I missed the Grey Wagtails, still they will keep as will the other visitors.

Cheers

Paul

Bugs,Buds and blowy day!

I shall spare you the diatribe on these and leave you to browse through the results or some at least of the Sunday Butterfly's Flowers and he others.

Male Orange tip

Female Orange tip on cuckoo flower.

Fritillery (Snakes head)

Cuckoo flower.

A nice shot in the large version.

Cheers

Paul

I bin everywhere man!! and nothing!

It was going to be a brilliant day for being out in them thar hills, and of course the possibility of the Grasshopper warbler still being around well you guessed it, no it was not despite having been reported the previous morning! So it was Stiperstones for Willow warbler and Common Whitethroat

Now having been at Bridges the day before I find these little birds so charismatic I was back after drawing a basic blank.

And then there was Sunday, blowy but a day I had set aside for a bit of Bugs and buds

as you will see from the Blog before this one.

Cheers

Paul