EARLY MORNING HERON

Work had me bombing down the M1 t'other day so I couldn't resist a quick peak at the
 1st summer Night Heron that's been on show at Thornton Reservoir in Leicestershire.
Arriving very early on site I had the place to myself, well no other birders were present just the usual morning keep fit? enthusiasts carrying water bottles around the reservoir...weird people!
Found the boy doing what Night Herons do best...skulking in the reeds fishing (hiding from the lycra brigade more like)...

Moving to the other side of the reservoir to get a better view and the sun behind me I got the following shots, all phone-scoped...

Not bad at all methinks...what a cracking bird and all before breakfast.
A boost to the seriously 'come of the rails' year list. Looks like the Doc has it in the bag (not that he's year listing of course).


TTFN

NORTHANTS EMPEROR

On me travels last week and I managed to bag the biggy down in Northamptonshire non other than the Emperor himself what an awesome butterfly...

Purple Emperor

The bugger just would not open its wings unfortunately but wow what a cracker anyway.

Just down the way another hard too see job was performing to the gathered throng of butterfly enthusiasts. I've never seen so many cameras before it was like a Canon convention in Japan.

Naff shot of a White-letter Hairstreak one of which was most probably on the local patch t'other day along with a Purple Hairstreak...watch this space as they say.

Competition time...what's this?

TTFN

THE WORLD'S GONE MAD

We all thought a Pacific Swift was a great bird and a mega twitch but since then the British Birding scene has gone mental....
White-throated Needletail.....Bridled Tern..... and now this cosmic mind fecker...

ASCENSION ISLAND FRIGATEBIRD...you just can't make this stuff up.

no doubt Britains finest will be heading North as I type

then last night the most bizarre event on the telly as The One Show delivers an armchair tick for the unwashed masses (weekend twitchers)...White-winged Scoter added to the list.

I wonder what the good old BOU thought of this...

Gok Wan with the tick bucket at a recent BBRC meeting

my new twitching hero...step aside Garry

TTFN

TWITCHING TAILS

No not that sort but an actual tail that I found whilst out searching for Brown Argus in Derbyshire.
Its's the tail piece of a Slow Worm.

I've been told about this shedding of the tail to escape predators but never realized the shed bit still wriggled.

Here's one I saw earlier complete, sunning itself on the road.

Dipped on the Argus but there's plenty of time for that one if we ever get any more sunshine.

TTFN

PACIFICOUS GRIPBACKOFFUS

The so called 'A'team were once again playing catch up with with the 'B'team. Gregsy and I set off for the long awaited grip back of  Pacific Swift  on the Sunday, 24 hours after the boy had been showing its tits off to the masses all day Saturday. Of all the months in the year to decide to have an op on her back the misses has one in mad June!
Having not joined the dipping crew of 93 cos quote ''its a swift and it won't stay'' the lads missed by 20 minutes having stopped 5 times to phone (remember those days)  Nancy's/Birdline for updates...if only they'd just driven!
Well here we are 20 years later and having tantalized birders at Spurn and Saltfleetby the Pacificous decided to give its self up to the hordes and show all day at Trimley Bird Reserve on Saturday 15th June. If only it had chosen one with a shorter entrance road we hear you all say. What a patch find, I wonder if the guy is doing the Patchwork Challenge cos the best find trophy would certainly be in the bag.
Cue to Sunday and the two aging crocks finally make contact with this long awaited mega..wow! what a bird.
Camera in hand I didn't get one piccy so here's some Cranes nearby...

My view of the swift over the Trimley Reserve hence no jaw dropping mouth watering flight shots.

That moves the list up another one and grips back Fred who's been on my coat tails for ages.

British List (UK and IRE old school) - 519

TTFN

BUG UPDATE

Yes it's that annoying time when I take loads of photos of insects, usually butterflies and dragonflies and bombard my few followers (most of whom are birders) with tales of what, when and where I came across the little critters...so here goes...

seems like ages ago now but a working trip up to north Cumbria gave me the chance to nip to Finglandrigg NNR. The prize on show my first ever Marsh Fritillary...

what a cracker and quite small as Frits go.

Next up and a chance find on the patch at Neumann's Flash whilst 'going in' to get better views of the LRPs and only my second ever in the world ever...Dingy Skipper. Now armed with a proper phone at last my new Samsung Galaxy s3 is proving great for taking quick mega pics, the quality of which is truly outstanding.

saying that after transferring the photos from phone to pc I seem to have lost some quality (any ideas anyone)

some of the more commoner butterflies that are starting to appear this late summer...

Speckled Wood

Peacock

Meadow Brown

a rather tatty Common Blue

To this list add Large, Small and Green-veined Whites, Orange-Tip, Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell, Small Heath and a patch mega find PAINTED LADY yesterday 22nd June then that's the butterfly list so far this year. Methinks it needs some work.

Dragonfly wise nowt new yet but then it's still earlyish for these critters.

TTFN

PATCH ACTION

Off work for a week so it gives me a chance to give the patch a good bashing and hopefully catch up on the leaders of the Year List race.
A walk round today in between all the showers didn't produce the hoped for Cuckoo or Hobby or waders that usually drop in once its rained but here's some piccies of what was going down.

The Black-headed Gull colony on Haydn's Pool is certainly churning out the youngsters...12+ at the last count. With so much vegetation on all the islands and even in front of the hide its a bugger to see anything!!

Time to get the strimmer out my ranger

Reed Warbler does extremely well on the patch with 40+ pairs (best guesstimate)

One of the two pairs of LRPs on Neumann's Flash

Just practicing in case we get one of those specific swifts or a turner white-rump?

Bird of the day though the very obliging female Goosander that's been knocking around Witton Brook probably for a week now. Dig those flippers!!

TTFN