The week so far....

Saturday we spent a scorching hot afternoon watching the Anniversary Games at the Olympic Stadium, brilliant! Jessica Ennis-Hill, Mo Farah, Alyson Felix, Sally Pearson, Usain Bolt and many other home grown and international track and field stars. The highlight for me though was having a quick chat with Steve Cram while Bec got Paula Radcliffes autograph and then Steve Crams, I wanted to talk career highlights, who was the inspiration and all that stuff, but he wasn't interested in me!!? :-) I was brought up watching Brendan Foster, Nick Rose, Alberto Juantorena, Jarmila Kratochvilova and the like! then came Seb, Steve O and Steve Cram what a great time that was!!! Anyway enough of trips down memory lane, here are a couple of pics from Saturday.

Alyson Felix

3000m Steeplechase

Guess who?

Sunday morning I met Phil and Mandy from Phil and Mandy's blog and their friend Derek. Unfortunately it was a bit quiet but we gradually added a few species here and there. I did have a new bird for the year the latest I have ever added this to the year list at the Castle a WILLOW WARBLER (94). We also found one of the LESSER WHITETHROATS briefly a COMMON BUZZARD drifted over distant woods and 11 SWIFT flew south. There were a few Butterflies around the highlights for me were PURPLE HAIRSTREAK and PEACOCK which I saw with Bec early evening on Sunday.
The mornings have been very quiet so far yesterday morning I was joined by Pete and we managed to find 2 TURTLE DOVES and another migrant WILLOW WARBLER.
On the moth front Steve found a migrant DOTTED FOOTMAN, new for the Castle number 440 for the site.

Yellowhammer

Black Arches

Small Dotted Buff

Young Common Whitethroat

Chiffchaff

Dotted Footman by Steve Broyd number 440 for the Castle!!

Below a couple more photos from the South Downs.

Dark Green Fritillary

Six Spot Burnet