Hey June - don't let me down!

Always hoping for something really good...

I begin with a left-over from May 31st. A trip to Fen Bog for whinchats drew a blank. Did see small copper and this dingy skipper.

Dingy Skipper On the way home [well, a bit out of the way] we called at Swillington Ings to see a black tern which duly obliged as I had missed out on the large influx earlier in the month.

June 1st - another catch-up exercise. I got to Whisby by 8 o'clock in the morning and was soon listening to the nightingale by the railway bridge. Lots of brief sightings but usually deep in the bushes so no photos. A fledging of long-tailed tits amused me as I sat on an adjacent bench in the sun. Long-tailed Tit Long-tailed Tit Long-tailed Tit Quite clever: balancing on a wire with one foot while having a good scratch with the other foot up round the back of its neck! Long-tailed Tit I moved on to my prime location for the day: a session with the marsh fritillaries, I hoped, at Chambers Farm Wood and Little Scrubbs Meadow. I knew they were having a good year and I was not disappointed even though their season was coming to an end. I saw one as soon as I arrived by the butterfly garden! Marsh Fritillary

There were also at least 8 broad-bordered bee-hawk moths on the valerian. See the pollen on some of their heads. Here's a few of my better efforts - much more tricky to photograph than the docile fritillaries.

Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoth Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoth Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoth Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoth

Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoth Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoth Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoth Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoth Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoth Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoth

There were more of the moths out on the meadow too. A common spotted orchid - one of many... Common Spotted Orchid ...and a female common blue which I just failed to get with wings open. Common Blue

Marsh fritillaries

Just as the moths preferred the valerian flowers, the marsh frits were often on ragged robin.

Marsh Fritillary Marsh Fritillary Marsh Fritillary Marsh Fritillary Marsh Fritillary Marsh Fritillary

I called at Blacktoft on the way home just for an hour. It was pretty quiet. A yellow wagtail was on First. Yellow Wagtail

June 3rd we went to Saltholme to walk the Wilderness Trail to see a marsh warbler. Heard it plentifully and saw some warblers but couldn't be sure it was the bird itself.

Flashback: : here's a marsh warbler from Blacktoft a few years ago. Marsh Warbler On the way back a painted lady dropped onto the path. Painted Lady June 4th: I went back, saw the bird as it flew at the end of a singing interlude. No photo even though I keep reading reports of it ''showing well.''

A common tern at Paddy's. Common Tern

231 UK 2017