Home & Garden

Wednesday 24th July 2013

Whilst working in the garden I had the camera handy as there were butterflies about. With the macro lens on I chased gatekeepers, commas and peacocks to no avail! I did catch up with a few insects and the flowers were less likely to fly away...

White form of Rosebay Willowherb Above is the rare and sterile white form of rosebay willowherb, chamerion angustifolium album.

Bees were busy on the daisies.

Bee on daisy

Bee on daisy Green-veined white

Green-veined White Green-veined White Speckled wood

Speckled Wood Large white

Green-veined White You can see his proboscis taking nectar.

Green-veined White

Ringlet on the house wall.

Ringlet

Baird's or white-rumped?

Thursday 25th July 2013

Barry and I drove down to Frampton Marsh with the hope of curlew sandpiper, little stint, white-rumped sandpiper, Montagu's harrier. Mouth-wateringly tempting! We saw none of these. We thought we saw a white-rumped sandpiper on arrival but by the afternoon the experts had changed it into a Baird's sandpiper. We didn't mind. The curlew sands had been seen at high tide but had gone. My white-rumped/Baird's photos were too distant to merit inclusion so here's a ruff instead!!

Ruff We saw RPs ...

Ringed Plover ...and LRPs...

Little Ringed plover ..and black-tailed godwits.

Black-tailed Godwit A common blue paused in the sunshine.

Common Blue A little egret sought food in front of one of the hides.

Little Egret

My wife and I went to Blacktoft...

Friday 26th July 2013

Met Mike Painter, former work colleague. Not seen since reorganisation in 1985! Hope he wasn't too shocked! Marshland had the birds. Godwits were flying about.

Black-tailed Godwit There were quite a few greensands.

Green Sandpiper The avocet youngsters were doing well.

Avocets Avocets Avocets A few yellow wagtail dropped in. We saw more on the road approaching the reserve. This juvenile shows little colour at rest.

Juv. Pied Wagtail A wood sandpiper made our afternoon complete. Not a tick but a long time since I had been this close to get photos like these...

Wood Sandpiper Wood Sandpiper Wood Sandpiper with Green Sandpiper Great images for species comparison.

Wood Sandpiper with Green Sandpiper Spooked by the exocets [avocets!]...

Wood Sandpiper Wood Sandpiper

Saltholme

Saturday 27th July 2013

Got up early and headed north. Tide very high: just a few ringed plover and turnstones at Newburn Bridge - all the small rocks and gravel covered. No sign of the returning med gull.

Two red curlew sandpipers seen from the A178 - great views in the scope with 7 dunlin but too far to photograph. Meanwhile, in Phil Stead hide the pectoral sandpiper was more accommodating...

Pectoral Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper

Birds UK 2013: 244

Life list 395 after seeing bridled tern.