MORNING AT MOULDEN HILL

 A rather dreary forecast so I made the most of the morning's brightness with a visit to Moulden Hill. I did see a Red Admiral and a damselfly, but mostly birds today. Species seen included chiffchaff, kingfisher, goldfinch, magpie, reed warbler, sedge warbler, canada geese and two  goslings, mallards, (one with two ducklings, another with just one,) coots, (one with four, another with two,) 

chiffchaff

canada goose and goslings

the two goslings

coot and young

a young coot from a different family

damselfly

goldfinch

magpie

mallard and single duckling

duckling

reed warbler

pair of reed warblers

young reed warbler

cloudy bank holiday

I was hoping for some bank holiday sunshine to visit a couple of butterfly hotspots, but as cloudy, decided to stay local and pay another visit to Stanton Park. Nothing new but a few photos of flowers around the ponds and some others.

broad bodied chaser

robin

...and a couple of photos from my garden today

BUTTERFLIES AT BARBURY

I spent a couple of hours searching for butterflies at Barbury Castle country park, Species seen included common blue, dingy skipper,  red admiral, brown argus, small heath. Meadow pipit also seen.

common blue

brown argus I think, although they are very similar to common blue female

dingy skipper

small heath

a rather faded red admiral

meadow pipit

a short visit to Stanton

Only time for a quick walk around Stanton after work, spotted flycatcher still around at a distance, saw my first red admiral of the year, and a pair of wood pigeons billing and cooing.

                                                                    red admiral

wood pigeons billing and cooing

Spotted flycatcher at last

A further visit to Stanton proved successful and I managed a photo of the spotted flycatcher on a long zoom. A cloudy day so not as good as I'd hoped, but you never know, I might have another opportunity. Other birds recorded were:
robin, wren, swan, jay x 2, blackbird, dunnock, reed warbler (heard), chiff chaff (heard), blue tit, great tit. 

spotted flycatcher

INSECTS ON THE WING

This afternoon I went over to Stanton park again, in the hope of getting photos of the spotted flycatcher but while waiting, took a look round the dragonfly ponds nearby. A broad bodied chaser showed nicely, also a few butterflies. Sadly the flycatcher didn't appear, although I had had some nice views through binoculars last Friday.

discarded dragonfly case

broad bodied chaser

green veined white

... and again

holly blue - the only time it opened its wings

holly blue

7 spot ladybird

dragonfly ponds, the spotted flycatchers are usually seen around here

IN BETWEEN THE SHOWERS AT STANTON

A break in the showers and I headed for Stanton Park. Lots of bird song, highlights today were greater spotted woodpecker, wren, robin, blue tit, great tit, nuthatch, song thrush; also a  couple of orange tips flitted about when the sun came through for a while. On the lake, the hybrid mallard just had two ducklings with her. 

song thrush

THE DUKE ... AND OTHERS

What a lovely day for butterflies!   I visited the butterfly conservation reserve at Prestbury hill, east of Cheltenham this afternoon; last year I visited in August, but today my purpose was to see some spring butterflies.  As I walked downhill  into the reserve, from the road, the view was magnificent,  and it was not long before I spotted the first of many dingy skipper butterflies. I  then dropped down to the path, leading into a sheltered valley, part of the Cotswold Way long distance footpath, where I noticed Brimstone and Orange tip, also my first couple of Speckled woods of the year. I searched unsuccessfully for Green hairstreaks, then got chatting to a couple of walkers, who, like me. were hoping to find the rare Duke of Burgundy butterfly. I did spot my first Small blue, but only for a couple of seconds before it disappeared off into the brambles. 
Suddenly, I heard a shout from one of walkers, he'd found the rarity, the Duke of Burgundy. Happily I was able to take a number of shots on my camera.  On my way back to the car, I kept looking for green hairstreaks but none seen, although the walkers did tell me they had seen one on the ground earlier. 

Entrance to the reserve

view from the hill

dingy skipper

the cotswold way, very sheltered where I found most of the butterflies

speckled wood

duke of  burgundy fritillary

OUTING TO OTMOOR

A bit cooler but still plenty of sunshine for a visit to  RSPB reserve at Otmoor. On arrival at the carpark, I was greeted with the sounds of  a cuckoo calling and the soft purring of a turtle dove in the oak tree. A stroll down to the river, and I was surrounded by warblers singing from the reeds, I only had  glimpses of  reed warblers but the sedge warblers and reed buntings were more obliging,  and gave me the chance of some photos. 

Overhead were swifts, and a red kite being mobbed, also  saw a hobby perched on a distant post.  On the way back to the car park, I was shown the cuckoo through someone's telescope, but further down the track I saw  it fly on top of a telegraph wire which gave me a slightly closer view. Back in the car park I could still hear the turtle dove purring, and was about to give up on seeing it, but it then lifted itself out of the tree and flew around overhead before disappearing towards another part of the reserve. 


A nice morning out, with the following sightings:
robin, blackbird, blue tit, great tit, chaffinch, goldfinch, cuckoo, blackheaded gull, red shank, greenshank, lapwing, little egret, tufted duck, mallard, greylag goose and goslings, canada goose and goslings, coot and chicks, moorhen, reed bunting, reed warbler, sedge warbler, whitethroat, black cap, pheasant, hobby, red kite, wood pigeon, turtle dove, swift.
Just a couple of green veined white butterflies. 

reed bunting

sedge warbler

zoomed in cuckoo!

green veined white butterfly