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

DRAGONFLY PONDS STANTON

A good place to look for butterflies at Stanton park is the meadow and area next to the dragonfly ponds. When the sun came out during a late afternoon visit, I saw my first darter dragonfly of the season, a four-spotted libellula ( I think). Also a couple of male orange-tips and a holly blue, which preferred to stay higher up round the edges of the trees,hence the rather zoomed in photo. 

Four-spotted libellula

holly blue

stanton park

A visit to my local country park again produced a nice view of a whitethroat, also a few orange tips, and two yellow bellied terrapins in the ponds. 

common whitethroat, I think it has a nest close by.

 m and f orange tip

male orange tip

female orange tip

yellow bellied terrapin

WHELFORD AGAIN

Highlights of a brief visit to Whelford nature reserve were red crested pochards, mallard and ducklings, willow warbler, reed bunting, reed warbler, chiff chaff, wren, cuckoo (heard for first time this year). Butterflies seen were brimstone, orange tip, and green veined white. 

mallard and ducklings -  12 of them, moving so quickly they went out of the photo!

male red crested pochard

green veined white

female red crested pochard

MOULDEN HILL

After getting home from work, I headed straight out again to Moulden Hill country park, to look for warblers and butterflies. It was a beautiful late afternoon with birdsong all around. 

Butterflies seen were orange tip, brimstone, peacock, and comma.

Birds seen included jay,  reed warbler, sedge warbler, blackcap, lesser whitethroat (I think). 

A few photos below:

lesser whitethroat, I think, due to  having dark legs and a lack of white eye ring  (please correct me if you think otherwise!)

more pictures of the same   whitethroat

goldfinch

MORE BUTTERFLIES AND DUCKLINGS

Went out walking round Stratton Woods and Stanton Park this afternoon. At Stratton Woods, butterflies around included brimstones, orange tip, small tortoiseshell, peacock and comma. 
At Stanton park there were two broods of ducklings. One was a mallard, the other a mallard hybrid. 

comma butterfly

a field of cowslips at Stratton Wood

peacock

small tortoiseshell

mallard and ducklings

the hybrid mallard with look-alike duckling

two ducklings from the same brood

p.s if you thought taking one dog for a walk was enough, try taking seven!

DINTON PASTURES GEESE AND GOSLINGS

A visit to Dinton Pastures Country park produced a gaggle of goslings today!  Canada geese, Egyptian geese and also a coot family.