I Got What I Went For

Shibdon Ponds on Tuesday (good to meet up with George) for Hawkers. A few Migrant were on the wing (however I still don’t hold out much hope for my identification skills) and I managed to get a mating wheel and a few flight shots. There were about a dozen Red Admirals at the base of one tree presumably drinking from the sap although I could not see any seeping out. I was hoping to see Common Lizard at a well know spot, I did, but only one was sunning its self. All in all a good afternoon out.

Mating Migrant Hawker (cheers once again Alan).

Migrant Hawker

Spider hanging around

This Common Darter was stuck in its wed

Common Lizard

Red Admiral on the base of a tree and even a Wasp was trying to get onto it

Mallard

I wondered what had sent the Mallard up so I looked up and this Sparrowhawk was above my head

 

Haven’t been for a while…

…so I thought I would have a look up to Clara Vale. It ended up as a canny few hours.

This juvenile male Kingfisher was doing a lot of posing when it first flew in.

I wondered if another Kingfisher was around

However, I think it just liked posing

First time I have see one eating a fish while not on a stick

Flying around the small island

What a difference a nice bit of light can make



I must have hundreds of Robin pictures and I still keep taking them

Love the Nuthatch

Male Pheasant

I initially thought I had seen a cat but it turned out to be this Fox that had been lying asleep in the sun. It woke up and sleepily walked around

It heard the shutter going off and looked straight at me

This Bank Vole kept me amused while I was waiting for the Kingfisher

This Rabbit didn’t know the Fox was around it was just happily eating grass

 

Ospreys

I spent Wednesday at Derwent Reservoir with at least three Ospreys two Buzzards and a Peregrine. The Peregrine was mobbing the Ospreys trying, without success, to take the fish they were catching. It even had a go at some Greylag Geese. All the images here are large crops as the birds never came close enough for decent shots.

Peregrine trying to take a fish from an Osprey

Peregrine chasing Greylags

It then turned its attention back to the Ospreys

Landing with a fish

Even this gull thought it might be in with a chance of getting the fish. It eventually left the Osprey alone to finish its lunch

Osprey going into a dive

Two Osprey one carrying a fish

It flew to a branch on the shore line to eat it

While the other one landed in a tree. It was still there when I left

 

Out & About

Some images taken over the last few weeks at work, Kibblesworth and Far Pastures.

Juvenile Robin

I wanted to get the Robin on this handle but it would not play ball. A Wren obliged instead

Swallow

Just liked this feather floating down so took a picture

Long-tailed Tit

I haven’t seen Little Grebe on land very often

Mallard doing an angel pose



Red Admiral Butterfly

Small Copper

Green veined White

Common Blue

Small Heath

Southern Hawker

Male Common Darter

Female Common Darter

This leaf looked as though it was floating but it was attached to a fine spiders web