Yucky Duckies With Matching Weather

 Last week's hot spell has done something of a disappearing trick leaving grey skies and damp conditions in its stead. I ventured out today more out of habit than anything else, I certainly wasn't expecting to find anything of note and I wasn't to be proved wrong either sadly! Late June is normally very quiet on the birding front (no exotic starlings or orioles around here) and with most of the insects other than tough as nails bumble bees keeping a low profile it was quite a struggle finding anything to write about.

Mallard and Buzzard

A stop at the A43 pond at Weldon produced a small number of ducks going into eclipse plumage. I'm not a great fan of yucky duckies but summoned up just about enough enthusiasm to look at the assembled collection of Tufted Ducks and Mallards. There was no sign of the Mute Swans that had built a large nest on the island and I'm not sure what might have driven them off. Leaving the village behind I checked the quarry lake at Priors Hall as I passed but couldn't find anything of interest.

Cinnabar and Blood-vein moths

The ponds at Priors Hall were quiet too though there was at least a little bit of stuff to look at. Despite the dreary conditions I found four species of damselfly of which the cloud tolerant Blue-taileds were the commonest. Not too far behind in the numbers game were Azures while there were a few Common Blues and a single Red-eyed too. Butterflies were a little on the elusive side though Meadow Browns and Small Heaths were braving the gloomy conditions and I saw a single very fresh looking Small Tortoiseshell. Cinnabar moths were quite common today and while most were sheltering down amongst the grass stems I did get a good view of one. Another day flying moth showing well was a Blood-vein.

Small Tortoiseshell and Red-eyed Damselfly

Best birds today were a couple of combative Cuckoos fighting a running battle as they flew across the largest pond, a male was heard calling later. Plenty of Sand Martins were hunting low of the area while my total of four raptor species included a Sparrowhawk. Realising that my day was not going to improve I decided to cut my losses and head for home.

Azure Damselfly and Bee Orchid.