30 April, 2009

Damselflies in the Garden

Due to the last couple of very sunny days, the garden has been visited by many species of bugs and bees, but I was particularly impressed to see a Large Red Damselfly resting on a flower earlier today.
This is the earliest damselfly to appear on the scene; on the wing from April through to June and July. Even though it is widespread and relatively common, this species is beginning to decline in certain parts of the country, namely Northhamptonshire.

I took this shot as it fed from our garden's Euporbia...



Large Red Damselfly (both pictures)
The garden Euporbia is another wildlife gardeners must have plant- I don't think there has ever been a time when I haven't look at this plant and not seen some form of wildlife on it, whether it be a Crab Spider or Mining Bee or a Green veined White butterfly.
Back to the subject of Damselflies, the garden was also visited by a White legged Damselfly a couple of days ago. It seemed a bit washed out at the time, maybe it had just emerged...

White Legged Damselfly
Crab Spider- Regular viewers will notice I've finally managed to get a shot of our resident catching a hoverfly... yey!

28 April, 2009

Birds at Barnes
Exams are over... wooooh! So a celebratory visit to Barnes was at hands. This time of year at Barnes is always productive as it holds many early migrants that are just beginning to enter the region.

There are a lot of warbler species around the reserve at the moment; I was lucky enough to catch up with 7 of those species, including Garden Warbler which is a totally new bird for me. Deep from within the reeds, a couple of Reed Warblers were singing away, but almost impossible to pinpoint.

After looking at this shot for a second time, I actually think it creates a very atmospheric mood as this male sung deep from within the reeds at Wildside...

There have been reports of 2 Lesser Whitethroats around the reserve as well- I really wanted to find one as this would be another new species for me. My wish was soon answered whilst closely examining an early Hornet chomping on a post. I suddenly heard the song of what sounded instantly like a Whitethroat but just that bit different, looking to where I thought the song was coming from, I noticed a small warbler at the top of a tree. Heavily cropping a shot I got of it reveals it is actually a Lesser Whitethroat... woooh!

And here's the Hornet I watched...

Walking back and I enjoyed the company of a Wren who sang his beautiful, loud song right in front of my eyes...

And here he is in action...

A Great tit was very curious of my presence, giving me the best views of the species I think I've ever had as it took a grub from under a leaf, maybe for it's newly fledged young?

By far the best event of the day was watching an absolutely beautiful male Kestrel devour what looks like a Lizard right in front of my eyes...

He even decided to fly towards me, giving amazing views and a great photography opportunity (still not as good as Phil's shot, though!)...

Couldn't have asked for much more... well, it would have been nice if those damn Little Ringed Plovers had showed themselves! ;)

26 April, 2009

Exam Butterflies and Breeding Birds

After recently discovering a new local patch, I decided to head down there a couple of days ago in the middle of a busy week of exams. The weather has been perfect for all creatures great and small, so I was hoping to find some butterflies on my walk.

A new species for me, the Orange Tip is very abundant in April as it has only 1 brood from mid to late spring. Surprisingly, I manage to connect with not 1, not 2 but 11 of these little butterflies on my walk. Photography of Orange Tips isn't easy; as I'm sure butterfly photographers will tell you, as they very, very rarely land! I was luckily enough to sneak up on this beautiful male as he fed from a bluebell...
The Green veined White, my favourite 'White' butterfly, is also very abundant at this time of year; a closer look at these butterflies reveals just how beautiful and delicate they actually are...
The Comma is another very common butterfly that is quite easily overlooked...
... but to be honest I think its quite hard to overlook this Peacock with those large eyes staring at you!
Probably one of my least favourite butterfly; the Speckled Wood (they are too common!)- but still very pretty with those black eyes in the middle of yellow blobs...
There were also lots of signs of the bird breeding season being well underway in the woods. Long-tailed tits make one of the most astonishing nests in the bird world; it makes you wonder how these tiny birds manage to make such intricate designs using just a beak, when a crow or sparrow would make do with some twigs settled down in a bush!
This Long-tail was collecting spiders webs to act as a sort of mortar to hold the nest together...
Chiffchaffs and Blue tits were also present, note the feather to the left of this Chiffchaff; after I took the shot the Chiffchaff took the feather and flew off!

24 April, 2009

Scorched Sanderling!


Isn't it annoying when just before your about to take a shot of a new species and you some how manage to wack up the ISO without realising it!!

By the way I wouldn't look at this shot for too long, it will burn your eyes!

19 April, 2009

Mipits



... Yep, this post is especially dedicated to Meadow Pipits (or Mipit in birding slang). A recent trip to West Wittering beach in West Sussex left me with 100s of shots of these squeaking spotty little birds as they hopped, skipped and flew around the sand dunes there; so I thought I'd share some of my favourites with you...

It was actually quite easy to get up close to these birds, just lie down and slowly move closer. This one staring down the lens...


and peering down at an ant (I think)...


Every now and then one would burst out of the undergrowth and perform it's song flight...





The birds were very alert and were constantly on the look out for predators, perching on twigs on top of brambles.
Long grass, a photographers nightmare!
I think this shot would have been quite good if the strands of grass weren't in the way!

15 April, 2009

Some Shots from Suffolk

Recently, we took the long 3 hour journey to visit my grandparents in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. Here are some shots I took of the local bird life.

As you probably know, Suffolk is nearly all fields, so gamebirds weren't very hard to find. Pheasants were a common sight in the fields and garden...




I was lucky to get this shot of a Red legged Partridge before it saw me and pegged it off to another garden...


A couple of Greylag Geese were passing through the nearby fields...
Whilst photographing this Goldfinch, a Yellow Wagtail erupted from the grass infront of me and flew into a private pasture in the distance; I was so annoyed that I hadn't seen it sooner in time to get a good shot... it was literally underneath my feet!!
In the garden, a pair of Blue tit were busy gathering nest material ready for the breeding season...
Spot the Blue tit!
P.S. Sorry for the huge pixel size when you click on the image, I haven't had time to downsize them!

13 April, 2009

Watching a White throated Sparrow in Hants

A couple of days ago my friend David phoned me to tell me that a WHITE THROATED SPARROW (a very rare visitor from America) had been spotted on my favourite wildlife reserve; Old Winchester Hill. I knew there was no way I was going to miss this bird and my dream came true when mum offered to take me to see it today! I was expecting good views after having a quick look on Birdguides at Gary Thoburn's amazing shot of the Sparrow (Click here it see it).
Upon arriving we were greeted by lots of Swallows and House Martins...



... and I was reminded at just how beautiful this SSSI really is. Old Winchester Hill is home to many vulnerable and endangered species of butterflies, wild flowers and landscapes.

The White throated Sparrow was actually first seen on the hill back in November but because the site is so vulnerable and delicate, the warden decided that the bird's presence there was to be kept a secret for obvious reasons. Unfortunately, it's cover was blown and we now have 100s of birders visiting the site everyday. Sadly, a few twitchers fail to understand the real importance and delicacy of the hill and cannot see why they weren't told about this 'mega' sooner.

The Sparrow wasn't very hard to find (just look for the crowd of birders!) but because it was showing so well, it was very hard to get a good view, let alone a good photo. Lucky, a very kind twitcher gave up his spot at the front for me and I was able to get these shots of it as it perched on the brambles.



Eventually the fun had to finish, the Sparrow flew into the undergrowth and it was time to let someone else enjoy the moment.
But the birding wasn't over yet... oh no. Yellowhammers were just about everywhere; feeding in the grass and singing in the trees. This bird was very obliging and let me get quite close...


He then flew into a nearby tree and certainly showed his stuff...
There were at least 10-11 pairs of Willow Warbler around the reserve and I was lucky enough to find a pair building their nest in some brambles.
Spot the warbler...
A closer view...

Also on the hill, I heard a couple of Sedge Warblers and 3-4 Bullfinches were singing in the trees near the Sparrow.
Linnets were also very abundant and the males were looking superb...



The hill is home to most of Britains butterflies but today only a Brimstone and a couple of Clouded Yellows were flitting about...
If your thinking of going to see the Sparrow, good luck... you won't be disappointed!