Kibblesworth 13.08.17

It was worth a trip to Kibblesworth on Sunday to get my first Southern Hawker of the year. A late Broad-bodied Chaser and Emperor Dragonfly were a nice surprise as was seeing what could have been a Brown Hawker, I did not get any pictures so cannot be sure, but that is what it looked like. In addition, there were good numbers of Common Darter. It was also nice to see a couple of deer although they did not hang around long.

Southern Hawker

Broad-bodied Chaser

Emperor Dragonfly always distant

Common Darter with lunch

Eating lunch in the pyramid position

One that did not make it

Roe Deer with fawn

Moving off

 

Hook Norton Part 2

A few more from our holiday in Hook Norton.

Record shots of Hobbies a heat haze (that’s what I’m blaming) blurred the shots.

Spotted Flycatcher

Juvenile

Reed Warbler

Heron enjoying the sun



Female Common Blue not White Legged as I first thought

Common Blue Damselfly

Brown Hawker this is the best I could do

I have never seen as many Gatekeeper butterflies they were every where

Brown Argus

Brown Argus

Common Blue

Caterpillar

Bee

Close Encounters of the avian kind

On Monday at work, I had a close encounter with a family of Wrens and a young Robin. The Robin was so close at one point it was sitting on my boot. An equally close encounter was had with a Peregrine last Saturday on the Durham Moors. I wish I could say it was a wild bird but I can’t it is actually a captive. It was sitting on a wall being photographed by two other photographers when I arrived. I could not believe how lucky they were getting shots of this cracking bird but I hung back so as not to disturb them. I was just about to get out of the car when another car pulled up and out got a young female falconer. She called the bird and it flew to her. All three of us then got out of our cars and we had a great conversation (and took some pictures) about this fantastic bird.

Part two of Hook Norton Holiday will follow shortly

Wren

Juvenile Robin



We normally use this polystyrene egg as a prop to help describe the object that it is attached to however this young Robin had other ideas. Make up your own caption.

Hook Norton Holiday part 1

Just got back from a holiday in the Oxfordshire village of Hook Norton. We were staying just outside the village in a beautiful cottage called Hook Norton Barn well worth a visit if you are down in the area. While we may have been based in Hook Norton we drove for miles all around the Cotswolds and the surrounding area. I wanted to get shots of all the dragonflies and butterflies that we don’t normally see up North but the weather didn’t really allow that however I did see one or two.

This juvenile male Green Woodpecker was right outside the barn.

Turtle Dove

GSW

Brimstone

Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix moth



Pammene Aurita (thanks Michael)

Grey Dagger

Male Ruddy Darter

Female Ruddy Darter