I visited Hockley Woods, near Rayleigh in Essex, on the 2nd. My target was heath fritillary butterflies, a species that I have previously seen only at Blean Woods in Kent. However, the introduced colony is a shorter (80 minute) drive from Royston and I don't have to go through the Dartford Tunnel to see them! I reckon that I saw 35 to 40 heath fritillaries, as well as at least five silver-washed fritillaries. Whilst trying to photograph a heath fritillary I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, a very large butterfly with a pronounced white band across its wing, make a short flight high between trees - a purple emperor! Unfortunately I wasn't quick enough to get a photo. Whilst in Essex I took the opportunity to nip up to Abberton Reservoir, where I was able to add red-necked grebe (in summer plumage, but sadly too far away to be photographed) and a female ruddy shelduck to my UK year list.
Heath Fritillary, Hockley Wood (Essex), 2 July
Ruddy Shelduck, Abberton Reservoir, 2 July
In the early evening of the 5th I visited Balls Wood near Hertford, looking for white admiral butterflies. Unfortunately the weather was deteriorating as I drove there and, although white admirals had been seen earlier in the day, I saw very few butterflies and no white admirals. However, I always look around the ponds that lie between the wood and Hertford Heath, where I park, and I was able to find and photograph a single darter dragonfly - my first of the year. Examination of the photos revealed it to be an immature female common darter and not a red-veined darter - a rarity, which I had photographed on Therfield Heath last year.
Immature female Common Darter, near Hertford Heath, 5 July
On the 8th I joined a 'Naturetrek' day trip on Salisbury Plain. In the morning we were in the capable hands of the Great Bustard Group on private land, and I was lucky to see my first UK great bustards and the first anywhere for nearly 30 years. The birds were introduced to the UK some time ago. The introductions have continued and the birds have since bred and are roaming free. I saw 13-14 birds, both on the ground and in flight. I was lucky to also see stone curlews both here and on an afternoon walk on the plain, when several whinchats were also seen.
'Record Shot' of two Female Great Bustards, Salisbury Plain, 8 July
Male Whinchat, Salisbury Plain, 8 July
The following week my partner Helen and I spent our first holiday together since 2019, on the Isle of Wight. Of course wildlife featured at times, and we had views of the resident red squirrels (no greys on the Island - great to be away from them for a week) and the wall lizards at Ventnor Botanic Gardens. There are many chalk downs here, and it was therefore not too surprising that most of the plants and all the butterflies (19 species) that we saw are also present on Therfield Heath. We were too late in the year to see the Island's speciality butterfly - Glanville fritillary. However, a superb male golden-ringed dragonfly was seen on our final full day on the Island. Several white-tailed eagles have been released on the Island in the last few years and we were told that around a dozen were currently here, but none were seen during our stay.
Wall Lizard at the Ventnor Botanic Gardens, 15 July
Male Linnet, near Freshwater (IOW), 12 July
I made a third visit of the year to Thursley Common in Surrey on the 22nd, targeting various dragonfly species as well as silver-studded blue butterflies. On the last very hot day of a heatwave I managed to find and photograph all my targets, adding small red damselfly, emerald damselfly, black darter, common darter, brilliant emerald dragonfly and keeled skimmer to my year list. The male black darter is a particularly attractive insect, with its yellow and black markings, and several had recently emerged from pools on the north side of the reserve. My images didn't do them justice! Unfortunately the boardwalks through the marshy area of the reserve are still closed off after the recent fire, but there were still plenty of dragonflies to see and photograph.
Male Black Darter Dragonfly, Thursley Common, 22 July
Female Silver-studded Blue in Heather, Thursley Common, 22 July
Mating Small Red Damselflies, Thursley Common, 22 July
Bird watching tends to take a back seat during the summer months, but news of a 'mega' American wader, western sandpiper, at RSPB Snettisham, enticed me to visit on the 27th. I arrived at high tide (9.00am), in the hope of seeing it on the shore where it had given great views the previous day, but there was no sign although I was able to see and photograph an adult white-rumped sandpiper (another American wader, which is a rare but annual visitor to the UK) in amongst the hundreds of dunlin that were roosting and flying along the shoreline, as well as seeing my first turtle dove of the year. However, as the mud flats became exposed the western sandpiper was found there amongst well over 1000 dunlin and assorted other waders, gulls and terns. I was able to get decent, albeit distant, views of this 'lifer' for me, but it was too far away to photograph.
White-rumped Sandpiper (left) with Dunlin, Snettisham, 27 July
White-rumped Sandpiper (Near Centre, the only Bird with the White Rump!) in Flight with Dunlin, Snettisham, 27 July
Later in the same week I took an opportunity to go to the other side of The Wash at RSPB Frampton Marsh, where another rare wader (Pacific golden plover) had been discovered. The plover showed well, albeit distantly. Wood, green and common sandpipers were amongst an impressive number of wader species seen on this excellent reserve.
Pacific Golden Plover, RSPB Frampton Marsh, 29 July
Wood Sandpiper, RSPB Frampton Marsh, 29 July
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