FARMOOR RESERVOIR

I headed over to Farmoor reservoir where there have been both black and red necked grebes in recent days. The forecast (I thought!) was for sun during the afternoon, but on arrival it soon started to spit with rain, although still fairly warm. Having started to cross the causeway which divides F1 and F2 of the reservoir, I decided to carry on and hope the rain didn't become too heavy,  I was wearing my waterproof so wasn't too worried, but obviously any photos I took wouldn't be so good. 

Walking around F2 (the larger of the two reservoirs) I saw all three wagtails, albeit yellow too distant to photograph, good numbers of coot ( one with a juvenile), black headed gull, greater black backed gull, great crested grebe, mallard, swan, dunlin, grey lag goose, red necked grebe ( but no black necked one) . 

black headed gull

grey wagtail

greylag goose

red necked grebe

juvenile coot

cormorant

the long causeway between F1 and F2

HERE AND THERE

My day started with an early visit to Blakehill reserve, where I caught sight of a couple of whitethroats and a wheatear. 

After returning home and packing a picnic lunch, I made for Coate water where I'd read there had been some recent sightings of kingfishers, water rail,  green sandpiper and snipe. I hadn't been there all summer but with many butterflies now gone, I thought it was high time I made a return visit. As expected the car park was busy as it was a  gorgeous hot day, but I managed to find a space and then walked the 15 minutes to reach Hide 1. I spent 20 minutes there alone, so then decided to make for Hide 2 where most activity had been reported. But as I was about to leave, a gentleman arrived and told me that there was standing room only at Hide 2, and so I decided perhaps I'd stay and enjoy the peace and tranquility of Hide 1. 

From the hide I saw many tufted ducks, one with a couple of ducklings, grey heron, cormorants, black headed gull, dunnock, great tit, blue tit, wren, mandarin ducks, great crested grebe, mute swan.  

A couple of people I recognised then came back from the other hide, saying that although full, it was pretty quiet!  After exchanging information on where we'd found butterflies over the summer,we then concentrated our efforts on photographing a bank vole that was being tempted by bird food put on a pile of logs, a kingfisher flew past and landed on a post  but was only able to get a rather distant shot of it. 

wheatear at Blakehill

view from Hide 1

Another view from Hide 1 - the bank vole was in the log pile centre of picture

bank vole

a selection of birds in the breeding raft

speckled wood in the sunshine

distant shot of kingfisher

ASTON ROWANT

A fine sunny day for butterflies so off I went to Aston Rowant Nature Reserve, on the other side of Oxford. Having found a car parking spot in the shade I walked through the trees and came out on the large chalk downland which is along side the M40. 

Butterflies were everywhere!  Numerous common blues ( mostly rather tatty), brown argus, large and small whites, meadow browns, small heaths,  small tortoiseshells, adonis blues, and  some silver spotted skippers. I also saw a clouded yellow in flight; I only knew what it was, because a couple of people had been photographing it, but sadly it disappeared and I could not relocate it even though I looked around for quite a time. 

After taking a number of photos, I picnicked in the car before heading for Yoesden , another chalk grassland area. with similar butterflies. On the way there, I suddenly stopped the car beside the road, because there in a tree  ahead of me sat a red kite! It didn't seem worried when I reversed the car for a better look, or took some photos. 

the Reserve at Aston Rowant

the steep sided grassland

a rather tatty common blue

adonis blue

brown argus

meadow brown

the M40 from Aston Rowant

small tortoiseshell

silver spotted skipper

red kite

DISAPPOINTMENT... ALMOST!

Today the forecast was for sun and cloud during the morning so although it was still overcast, I optimistically made for Cherhill Downs to look for a range of late summer butterlfies.  When I got there, there was a humid feel to the air, but still no glimpse of the sun, but nevertheless In decided to take the steep chalk footpath to the top of the hill, and see if there was anything about. ( In the car behind a couple of mums and children were about  to take a picnic to the monument) so I waited for them to leave before following on a little behind. 
On the way up,  I met  a gentleman who said he'd seen a common blue, some wall browns and a small tortoiseshell, but no chalkhill blues.

Even as I got to the top, I felt the odd spot of rain, not exactly butterfly weather,  but I  walked on for a bit, then suddenly noticed something blue flying past, and it came to rest in the grass just behind me.  With just the underwings showing, I got out my camera, then suddenly  the butterfly opened its wings and revealed itself to be an Adonis blue, which I had not seen yet this year!  I also noticed a couple of meadow browns, and something else flying past, which could have been a tortoiseshell or wall, but flew too far away to follow. 

I  decided to return to the car, and as I reached it, down came the rain in earnest.... I wonder what became of the picnickers......?

At the top of the hill, the rain was coming in

Adonis blue

KYNANCE - THE LIZARD

I've just returned from an enjoyable week's holiday in Cornwall.  Whilst there I had the chance to make the beautiful  coastal walk from Kynance Cove to the Lizard point, a distance of 2.5 miles which took me an hour each way.  The weather was cloudy and fairly breezy and I didn't really hope for any butterflies but was pleasantly surprised to spot a couple of common blues then, to my delight, a couple of wall browns. I hadn't seen any of those for ages, although I must admit they were something I had hoped to find on this particular stretch of coast if it had been better weather.
This is a stretch of coastline I would certainly want to revisit on a sunny day another time. 

I also spotted a couple of young linnets, greater black backed gulls, and had some close ups of a stonechat.

part of the coastline Kynance to the Lizard

  

common blue butterfly

wallbrown

stonechat

During a visit to the Eden project I spotted a juvenile robin waiting for crumbs at the cafe,  and a juvenile blackbird hiding in the bushes.

juvenile blackbird 

juvenile robin 

BARBARY CASTLE CHALKHILL BLUES

 I decided to make the most of the weather and drove up to Barbary Castle in the hope of increasing my tally of chalkhill blue sightings, having only seen one so far at Hackpen Hill.  Initially it was rather cloudy and breezy, and it was a while before I saw any butterflies at all. Then the sun came out and so did a few butterflies. After a while, I saw the flutter of blue wings, and then another, and another, and eventually one rested on a flower and I could identify that it was a chalkhill blue. Because  of the wind it was quite difficult to get a good photo of it.  Although the sun was in and out of the clouds, I did manage to spot a number of different species including, one painted lady, one red admiral, and one peacock, also several meadow browns, gatekeepers, small skippers, green veined white, small white, marbled white and about 8 chalkhill blues, male and female.

walk up to the castle, there were quite a few people about actually

the gully where I found most of the butterflies

chalkhill blue (F)

chalkhill blue from underneath

male chalkhill blue

marbled white

green veined white

meadow pipit

painted lady

peacock

whitethroat

OTMOOR

On the way home from Cambridgeshire, I stopped by at RSPB Otmoor to see if there were any brown hairstreaks about. Having found a space in the almost full car park I walked down the Roman Road, and as expected there were several others with the same idea. It was a bit early (1015) and the sun wasn't fully on all the vegetation but we waited around a bit, and eventually one did decide to spiral down from the top of the trees, but sadly didn't settle and disappeared again. I could see several purple hairstreaks in the tops of the trees too, but again they were not obliging! 

However there were many other butterflies around: brimstone, painted lady, peacock, red admiral, green veined white, meadow brown, gatekeeper, speckled wood etc. 

brimstone looking rather odd as it is feeds from a bindweed flower

speckled wood

LAKENHEATH RSPB

Another day out in East Anglia, this time to RSPB Lakenheath. The wind had dropped today and it felt quite warm particularly when the sun shone. I visited this reserve this time last year so looked forward to going again. There were definitely more butterflies than birds to be seen, in particular, red admirals of which we saw about 40 in all! There were also good numbers of peacocks, green veined whites and the usual meadow browns, and gatekeepers. Also a couple of brimstones, small tortoiseshells and painted ladies. 

On the bird front, a few reed and sedge warblers, reed bunting, about 16 little egrets and 9 grey herons, as well as the expected swans, mallard, coots and moorhens. We sat in the hides for a while but there was not much to see, although of course before we came there had been fantastic views of a kingfisher and juvenile close up, and after we went a bittern flew over! The cranes weren't to be seen either. 

red admiral - one of the 40 we counted today!

peacock

large white

painted lady

small tortoiseshell - good to see a couple of these today 

as they have not been so common lately apparently