Daurian Shrike

I was at the Leas on Saturday for a lifer a Daurian Shrike. What a cracking little bird it was. Unfortunately, it got a bit out of hand with some photographers chasing the bird to much to get a shot. It’s a shame that the photographers who do not try to get too close get a bad name. I let them get on with it and went home. I bet there are quite a few shots of this stunner out there but here are my efforts.

 

A Lang Blog

Our summer season finishes this weekend so I thought I would look back at some of the images I have taken during that time. I will be amazed if anyone gets to the end of it, as there are quite a few images. I have started with one taken yesterday but they go back to June, here goes.

Green Woodpecker. I have not seen one for months then this male appeared yesterday. It was disturbed while feeding by someone who I have never seen before and should not have been there in the first place, I could not believe it.

Goldcrest. Quite a few around in the past week.

I don’t have a clue what is going on here. It looks like a couple of Slugs are entwined around some sort of slime, any ideas.

I managed to get close to this young pigeon.

This Wren was sunbathing on a leaf…

…and while it was sunbathing, it was catching flies.

Warbler.

Swallow

Swallow

I though at first this Dragonfly was a female Black Darter now I think it is just an old female Common Darter.

Common Marbled Carpet Moth

I watched this spider wrap up a Crane-fly from the time it was first trapped in the web until it hid it away.

Large White Butterfly

Small Copper Butterfly. I have seen quite a few of these at work this year.

Silver Y moth first I have seen at work.

Grasshopper

These whites look like aeroplanes stacked waiting to come in to land.

A Mining Bee?

Female Common Darter. After a slow start loads of Darters were seen but there were very few of any other species.

Swallow

We have some bats at work and as you can see this one was on the ground. I only took one picture then put it back near to where it was supposed to be.

For some reason the Swallows had only one brood this year.

Bee

Common Blue Butterfly. Again quite a few this year.

Common Blue

Whitethroat nested this year near the pit heap.

Hoverfly

Crane-fly? and Spider

Mating Dingy Skipper

Hoverfly

 

Middleton Hall

My wife and I were at Middleton Hall in Northumberland at the weekend for a wedding and a good time was had by all. While we were there, I managed to get some shots of a few of the birds I saw.

Sparrowhawk being mobbed by a Crow

A Little Grebe fishing on the lake and I love the autumn reflections

Kestrel

Jay

Pied Wagtail

 

Nothing rare or scarce…

…at Far Pastures at the weekend but still some good photo opportunities.

Kingfisher. Unfortunately, a Bulrush partially covered it.

Caught as it was flying away

The only shot I got of one of the Water Rail

Little Grebe

Just after preening

Chiffchaff?

Chiffchaff?

A Sparrowhawk flew over

Moorhens were chasing each other

This Teal was having a good shake

Still some Dragonflies out in the sun