Local Wanderings

Not for the first time in recent weeks the weather was less than ideal with breezy conditions and cloudy periods having an affect on the wildlife. It took some time before things got going but the day was by no means a total failure and I caught up with some decent stuff.

Small White and Gatekeeper.

I began at Bears Lane in Weldon before taking the public footpath across the fields to Deenethorpe Airfield. Despite the rather stiff breeze there was a good variety of butterflies on the wing (and in some cases sheltering amongst vegetation) and numbers of Small Whites were high. A few Green-veined Whites were also observed and there were still a few Gatekeepers around. At the airfield itself a late and tatty Silver-washed Fritillary was found and so too was the first of at least half a dozen Painted Ladies. My first Small Heaths of the day were also found here, there were plenty more at Priors Hall a little later on.

Small Heath and Silver-washed Fritillary.

Around Deenethorpe village itself I saw Holly Blue and the first of many Meadow Browns while a first dragonfly in the shape of a Common Darter put in an appearance. Just a little further on a Banded Demoiselle was seen near the stream. Deene Lake inflow had two Green Sandpipers at the Wheelie Bin Triangle but water levels are quite high here and little else was noted. The main lake had no birds of note but there was a little more damsel and dragon activity. Ruddy and Common Darters were joined by a female Black-tailed Skimmer and damsels added to the list were Common Blue and Blue-tailed. In the village itself there was a Comma in the churchyard where it was joined by half a dozen Small Tortoiseshells and there was a Red Admiral in one of the gardens.

Common and Ruddy Darters.

There followed a bit of a dull spell as I made my way along Kirby Lane but a little flowery patch had attracted some butterflies of interest which in turn attracted me. A pristine Brown Argus contrasted with a Small Skipper which looked to be on the way out and I also saw my first Common Blues of the day. Priors Hall delivered more interesting stuff and a late Ringlet was my seventeenth butterfly species of the day. New dragons seen were a few Brown Hawkers and singles of Southern and Migrant Hawker. The latter rather frustratingly landed but took to the air again before my camera would focus. Two male Black-tailed Skimmers were holding territories around the ponds while the pick of the damsels on view were three Emeralds, I couldn't find any Willows.

Black-tailed Skimmer and Emerald.

Other wildlife seen but not photographed today included two Common Lizards at Deenethorpe Airfield and another at Priors Hall. Mammals noted were Fallow Deer and Brown Hare at Priors Hall while birds here included a Hobby and a Mandarin Duck.

Ringlet and Holly Blue.

Walk on the Dull Side

They say that a change is as good as a rest and so instead of my usual trip to Barnwell I opted to go to Wicksteed Park instead. What didn't change was my inability to find Willow Emeralds and with each passing dip that July individual at Deene seems all the more remarkable. It seems as if their colonisation of Northants is taking its time which is a shame as they're one of my favourite species.

Common Darter and Banded Demoiselle.

While the sun did put in an occasional appearance it was overcast for most of my visit and as a result there were very few insects on the wing. Common Blue Damselflies just about got into double figures making them the most numerous species, a few Blue-tailed and Small Red-eyed Damselflies were also seen as well as a quartet of Banded Demoiselles. Only one dragonfly put in an appearance and that was a male Common Darter.

Blue-tailed and Common Blue Damselflies.

There were only penny numbers of butterflies noted too and these amounted to a Speckled Wood and several Green-veined Whites and Gatekeepers. A little later on once I'd returned home a Painted Lady added some welcome colour to the day. Very few birds were seen though I at least heard a Kingfisher and also enjoyed looking at the broods of Coots and Great Crested Grebes.

Gatekeeper, Green-veined White and Painted Lady.

It would be nice if my next excursion has a little more sunshine!

Coots and Great Crested Grebes.

Dipping on Dersingham Darters, Titchwell Saves Day

My brother, his friend John King and I set off for North Norfolk this morning for a mainly bird oriented day of watching though we stopped at Dersingham Bog on the way to give me a chance to look for Black Darters. Sadly for me the weather was much worse than the BBC weather had forecast and a combination of blustery winds and a lack of sun meant that our search came to nothing. In fact very few insects of interest were seen apart from a few butterflies and the only bird species of note were a brood of Stonechats.

Darter free Dersingham and Purple Sandpiper.

A short journey took us to Hunstanton where John saw his first Fulmars for a few years while the beach was alive with lots of Oystercatchers. It was only a short hop from here to Titchwell where a good variety of species were seen.

Wood Sandpiper and Mediterranean Gull.

Our first highlight was a Purple Sandpiper which gave good views on the fresh marsh. A half dozen Spoonbills were also noted though they stayed distant throughout our stay. Commonest wader species was Ruff though a good sized flock of Black-tailed Godwits were observed and a large group of Dunlin arrived during our stay. Parrinder hide added Wood Sandpiper to our list and juvenile Mediterranean Gull was also seen.  A small number of terns included Common and Sandwich while other waders included Common Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit and Turnstone.

Spoonbills and Ruff.

The sea added little to our total apart from a female Common Scoter and a Great Crested Grebe and after just a few minutes we headed back to the centre for some food. Once the grub was finished we  returned to the reserve but despite some intense searches bird numbers stayed fairly static  and we were soon forced to seek shelter due to some unscheduled rain falling. Whilst in the hide a Great White Egret did a fly pass though very little else of interest was seen. After the squally shower had passed we popped along to the screen hide on the East Trail

Great White Egret and Red Crested Pochards.

A good selection of species were seen from here and these included a better view of the Great White Egret that had been seen earlier. Ducks were well represented here and the highlights included a brace of Red Crested Pochards as well as several Pintails. David picked out a hunting Marsh Harrier that was the only one today. Final highlight of the day were two Turtle Doves near the Fen Hide, it's always good to get any views of this sadly declining species.

Turtle Doves.

Quickie at Weldon

Just had time after work for a visit to Weldon to take advantage of the nice weather before the forecast dross sets in over the next couple of days. Nothing too windswept or interesting to report though it was a nice enough stroll all the same.

The pond at Weldon.

Damselfly numbers seem to be on the wane now though Small Red-eyeds remain very common around the pond and Banded Demoiselles remain common along the stream. Other species seen today were Red-eyed, Blue-tailed and Common Blue while a short visit to the stretch of stream nearest the church produced two male White-leggeds.

Brown Hawker and Black-tailed Skimmer.

Commonest dragon was Brown Hawker, at least three ovipositing females and a patrolling male were noted. Three male Black-tailed Skimmers and one each of Common and Ruddy Darter and a male Emperor completed the list.

Ruddy Darter and White-legged Damselfly.

Not many butterflies were seen, highlight was several Painted Ladies.

Painted Lady and Swallow.

Still Chasing

Another Monday visit to Barnwell CP as I didn't fancy too much walking after yesterday's effort and the park is nice and compact. While it was a little on the grey side when I arrived it soon began to brighten up and I had a decent day's watching.

Grand old lady, Scarce Chaser.

Beginning at the Kingfisher Hide I did manage to see a 'fisher though it was distant and partially obscured by foliage. Several Grey Wagtails were feeding around the shores of the lake and there was also a Mandarin Duck. Other Mandarins were seen at different points around the park. By now the sun was breaking through and I decided to set out to look for some insects.

Southern and Brown Hawkers.

Plenty of Banded Demoiselles were present along the Nene and they're still emerging so they should be around for a while. Common Blue Damselflies were, appropriately enough, the commonest species around the lakes though Small Red-eyeds are enjoying a very good year. Other damsels seen today were Blue-tailed and Red-eyed, still no sign of the hoped for Willow Emeralds but I'll carry on searching. Of the dragonflies there was one stand out sighting and that was of a Scarce Chaser, a single very mature female was hunting in nettles next to the Nene. I've never seen an August one before so this one came as a nice surprise. Brown and Southern Hawkers were both obliging today with several perching long enough for some pictures. The two commoner darters were both seen and there were also at least two Black-tailed Skimmers.

Banded Demoiselle and Small Red-eyed Damselfly.

After yesterday's Peacock show it was the turn of Commas today with a good number seen. Brimstones also put on a good show with at least half a dozen on view. Singles of Painted Lady and Red Admiral were matched by individual sightings of Holly and Common Blue. Faring slightly better was Brown Argus, at least two fresh looking individuals were observed. Apart from these it was the usual summer browns and whites to report though it's beginning to look as if Ringlets are coming to the end of their flight season.

Brown Argus and Brimstone.

Walking and More Walking

Quite a gruelling hike today as I visited a few sites for the first time in ages taking in Brookfield, Gretton Pocket Park, Harringworth Lodge Lake and Spanhoe Quarry. While I didn't see anything spectacular it was an enjoyable stroll through some nice countryside.

Common Blue and Fallow Deer

Beginning at Willowbrook Industrial Estate I noted the first Common Blue butterflies of the day, it looks as if the new generation are just beginning to emerge. Plenty of other butterflies were seen with Gatekeepers being the commonest though Painted Lady numbers are building, I've even had a couple in the garden over the last couple of days.

Ringlet and Silver-washed Fritillary.

Brookfield added Ringlets and Speckled Woods to the list, the first dragons in the shape of several Common Darters were seen too. Lots of small bird activity here with Marsh Tits and Nuthatches amongst the many commoner species. Leaving the wood I saw a young Fallow Deer running across the large field before it came to a stop. Rather surprisingly it then chose to run in my direction and got pretty close before it realised that I was there. Nearby a female Silver-washed Fritillary was the only one of the day.

Common Darter and Emperor.

I added both Peacock and Comma to the list before reaching Gretton where I had a look at the pond in the pocket park. Highlight here were my first confirmed Migrant Hawkers of the year, two newly emerged ones were hiding in the reeds, that's my excuse for the rubbishy record shot! Brown and Southern Hawker were also seen while damsels were represented by Common Blue and Blue-tailed. Not a huge amount between the village and Harringworth Lodge Lake though several Small Heaths were seen along the Jurassic Way.

Peacocks and Emerald Damsel.

At the lake both Red and Small Red eyed were found while a Banded Demoiselle had perhaps wandered over from the Welland. Dragons noted were Emperor, Black-tailed Skimmer and both species of the commoner darters. Not many birds here today but Summer is often a little on the dull side. Spanhoe Airfield was rather busy today and I enjoyed watching the aeroplanes, an old Boeing biplane and a Morane Saulnier Ms 733 were my favourites.

Chocks Away!

The quarry held more dragons with Four-spotted Chaser being added to the others making it an eight dragon day. This is becoming a decent spot to visit for Emerald Damselflies and I saw a double figure count today. A buddleia bush was a magnet for butterflies with a huge number of Peacocks being drawn in for a sip or two, I think this may well be the most that I've seen in one spot before. Having had a good walk around the site I had to face the prospect of the hike home which at least was brightened somewhat by a late Marbled White.

Marbled White.