Monsoon

 A drizzly and murky morning gave way to the briefest of bright spells before turning into a monsoon where the rain battered down ferociously for at least an hour. Despite this unpleasant combination I managed to find a few interesting things to gawp at.

Record shots, Yellow Wagtail and Green Sandpipers.

Beginning at Upper Benefield I soon found a small flock of Yellow Wagtails feeding in a field of sheep a little way along the Deenethorpe road. There was not a great deal else until I got to Deene Lake where the inflow was packed with birds. Three Green Sandpipers were the highlight and they shared the shallows with a large flock of Lapwings. Also present were three Egyptian Geese and a reasonable number of duck. By comparison the main lake was quiet with just a Black Swan and a Kingfisher were worth reporting. Although it was a little brighter by now I only managed to find a few Common Blue and Blue-tailed Damselflies.

Small Heath and Speckled Wood.

Priors Hall held a good number of butterflies with plenty of browns and whites active in the grey though warm conditions. There were plenty of Small Heaths and one of these showed rare glimpses of its upperwings as it nectared on Ragwort. Other species seen were a male Common Blue and a single Large Skipper. It was beginning to get fairly bright by now and this seemed to suit Migrant Hawkers as a large number were seen hunting. Other dragons were Brown Hawker and both of the darters. Pick of the damselflies were three Willow Emeralds and these included an ovipositing pair. Very few other damsels were observed though a male Banded Demoiselle was noted on my way out. Five adult Yellow-legged Gulls were seen i the quarry with lots of Lesser Black-backeds and an increasing number of Herrings.

Migrant and Brown Hawkers.

Although I mentioned it earlier the thunder storm that moved in during my visit was one of the most intense that I've witnessed. Rain battered down leaving me drenched despite my waterproof jacket and the shelter of fully leafed tree canopies. My water proof bag was anything but and it looks as if my camera may have succumbed to the soaking. I was able to put the SD card into another camera and retrieve the pics but it's a case of hoping for the best. 

Willow Emerald record shot and Swallows.