Recent sightings..

Visits have been sporadic lately and I can't see much of a change in the near future but there are still a few bits to report. After a short break in Florence my first short walk on the 1st September produced the first WHINCHAT (95) of the year and the first YELLOW WAGTAIL (96), other highlights were sparse but a KINGFISHER called several times as it whizzed downstream. There were a few Dragonflies around but not the hoped for Emerald Damselfly that the warden had reported, I enjoyed checking the Darters out and managed a couple of shots.

Common Darter

Ruddy Darter (note the narrow 'waist')

The morning of the 4th September was bright, a few SWALLOWS, maybe 15 were high over the car park, in the trees and bushes here were LESSER WHITETHROAT, BLACKCAP, WILLOW WARBLER, CHIFFCHAFF and a couple of SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS. The walk continued to turn up warblers and GARDEN WARBLER was next followed by a COMMON WHITETHROAT, then the long awaited SEDGE WARBLER (97), which posed in the early morning light. YELLOWHAMMERS are still around in good numbers maybe 10-15 is a conservative estimate, REED BUNTINGS were less well represented with around 5 birds. The KINGFISHER was again heard and 20 HOUSE MARTINS flew south.

Young Spotted Flycatcher

Sedge Warbler

 At home later a period of about 5 minutes around 1.30pm produced 3 HOBBIES, 1 SPARROWHAWK a HONEY BUZZARD and a COMMON BUZZARD!! While during the afternoon 8 species of butterfly visited the garden, probably the highlight being a single BRIMSTONE, the first of a second brood.
Out again this morning, which was a nice bonus and another addition to the year was a single SAND MARTIN (98) that flew over high with a couple of SWALLOWS, overall the last couple of days have been quite productive! Steve is still recording the moths I joined him this morning where the highlights were a FROSTED ORANGE, new for the year and a nice BORDERED BEAUTY, there were also at least 79 SETACEOUS HEBREW CHARACTERS today.

Speckled Wood

Weird effect of a Rainbow, never noticed this sort of thing before?