We walked down to Bowers lake, dragonflies and butterflies everywhere. By the lake a flock of birds flew in the bushes in front of us - Bearded Tits, after missing the showy one earlier in the year there was no mistaking these, around 6 of them in and out of the reeds following us along the path. Such beautiful little birds!
There were a lot of Common Terns all over the reserve, I could happily watch them diving for fish all day long.
Pochard (thank you David!)
Common Tern
Wren
A Greylag nursery, there were around 20 young geese together
Stonechat
It was a good day for Dragonflies too. I'm not sure all the Id's are correct.
Common Blue
Blue-tailed Damselfly
Common Darter?
Banded Demoiselle
Common Blue
Blue-tailed
And then there were Butterflies............everywhere! In places you were surrounded and it was lovely (really pleased my daughter wasn't with us this time, the hysteria would have been a touch overwhelming!)
Small Skipper
The only Painted Lady we saw and a rather worn one too
Small Skipper
Gatekeeper
A worn Meadow Brown (thanks Louise)
Meadow Brown
Small White
Giant Horntail (?) and Soldier Beetle
Five-spot Burnet Moth
Great day out with a wonderful variety of organisms, Pam. I think the duck you identify as a Tufted Duck is a Pochard.
ReplyDeleteThanks David, you're right a Pochard not a Tufted!
DeleteSO many beautiful butterflies and birds and more in this post! The shot of the wildflowers is really striking. Glad you got to see the Bearded Tit this time.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sondra, honestly the amount of Butterflies was just wonderful!
DeleteSo envious of your Bearded Tit sightings! - I still haven't seen one. A wonderful selection of insects. I must be the only person not to have seen a Painted Lady during the current influx!!!
ReplyDeleteI'd forgotten they'd been seen here till they popped up in front of us! That's the only Painted Lady i've seen all year so the aren't influxing here either really!
DeleteLovely photos. Your 'worn gatekeeper' is actually a meadow brown. Gatekeepers have two white spots on the black wing spot.
ReplyDeleteThanks Louise, I wasn't sure!
DeleteLovely photos. Great to see the greylags. Your photos of the butterlies and drgonflies are super and you saw so many different ones too:)
ReplyDeleteThanks Rosie :)
DeleteAlways good to see what you are seeing, think it has been a good year between the showers for Butterflies, Meadow browns being a tricky one this year(for me too) with many variations to their colour . Good tip by Louise.
ReplyDeleteAmanda xx
Thanks Amanda, yes they can be especially when they are worn too! x
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