Twizell Woods

 A walk around Twizell Woods last month produced some canny insects however, I was shocked at the lack of dragonflies, I saw only one, a Four-spotted Chaser it’s becoming quite disturbing. There were, as I said, other insects to photograph and here are some of them. Oh, and by the way if I fall down on identification, please keep me right.

Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle.

There were a few Speckled Longhorn Beetle.

A pair of Speckled Longhorn.

Taking off.

I spent ages and probably took hundreds of images trying to get them in flight

And landing.

Flying with a Hairy Shieldbug below.

Black-and-Yellow Longhorn Beetle.

The same beetle with a Big-headed Fly following.

Hairy Shieldbug.

Hairy Shieldbug and I think a Great Pied Hoverfly.

Great Pied Hoverfly about to land.

Plant Bug.

Large Skipper Butterfly.

Blood-vein Moth.

Bumblebee Hoverfly.

Robber Fly.

Xylota segnis.

Four-spotted Chaser the only dragonfly I saw.

Azure Damselfly.

Large Red Damselfly in tandem.

Barn Owl

Kestrel and Whitethroat from a few weeks ago. 

Barn Owl out hunting.

Successfully on a couple of occasions.

A fly over Kestrel.

One of three Whitethroat seen.

This youngster was hoping to get fed 

But instead, it was trampled on by one of its parents

Which then flew off.

Long-eared Owl…

 …and an unexpected fly-by. More images of the Long-eared Owl from a few weeks ago this time taken with a shorter lens a 500mm. Unfortunately, this time the Owl didn’t hang around for long, a group of young lads were riding scrambler bikes around the area where the Owl was hunting and it got spooked. However, while I was waiting for the Owl a Marsh Harrier did a quick fly over which was a nice surprise.

Long-eared Owl.

The bike riders did me a favour, I suppose, because as I walked back to the car by a different path to what I normally would I found the Owl sitting on a fence post and I wouldn’t have seen it otherwise.

Marsh Harrier.