On the 2nd I made my annual pilgrimage to Glapthorn Cow Pasture NR (near Oundle in Northamptonshire) to see Black Hairstreak butterflies. Impressive numbers were on the wing, indicating that this species, at least, has not been adversely affected by the poor weather in 2024. I also saw my first Large Skipper of the year here.
Black Hairstreak Butterfly, Glapthorn, 2 June
On the 4th I returned to Bempton Cliffs to spend time with my brother and his family, who were holidaying in the area, and introduce them to the wonders of this RSPB reserve. My brother is a keen and very good photographer, but rarely photographs wildlife. However, whilst we were there he took 900 (admittedly, bracketed) images whilst I took very few! Here are a couple of my images.
Gannet at Bempton Cliffs, 4 June
Immature Gannet in Flight at Bempton Cliffs, 4 June
On the 8th the final RSPB Local Group coach trip of the season took us to Snape Maltings (Suffolk), from where we explored both sides of the river Alde. I enjoyed close views of House Martins picking up mud from the river as the tide went out. Very few dragonflies were seen. Baby Lapwings and (I think) Redshanks were seen on the marshes to the north of the river, perhaps indicating a successful breeding season for these waders. A number of digger wasps (Colytes spp.) were photographed near the Maltings.
House Martin picking up mud for its nest, Snape Maltings, 8 June
Digger Wasp (Colytes sp.), Snape Maltings, 8 June
A gruelling day out bird watching on the 11th started with a visit to RSPB Titchwell Marsh. The freshmarsh was dominated by breeding Avocets and Black-headed Gulls, whilst numerous Sandwich and Common Terns were commuting to and from colonies on (presumably) Scolt Head Island. A single, distant Little Tern was also seen here. Sanderlings were still foraging along the beach, stopping off to feed before heading north to enjoy the brief Arctic summer. There can be very few weeks in the year when you don't see a Sanderling at Titchwell!
Baby Avocet, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 11 June
Avocet in Flight, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 11 June
Sanderling on the Beach at RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 11 June
On the way back from Titchwell I called in at Cavenham Heath and Mayday Farm to do a reconnaissance for an RSPB spring walk that I was leading on the 17th. Curlew, Hobby, lots of Stonechats and (eventually) a Stone Curlew (target species) were seen at Cavenham, but the best was saved to last. When I arrived at the viewing area at Mayday Farm I was surrounded by Nightjars, some of which landed close to me on the ground, allowing me to take a few very grainy (ISO 6400) photos. I reckon that I recorded eight different birds, but there could have been more. This was quite a thrill - possibly my best bird watching experience of the year to date.
More Stone Curlews, a Woodlark and Nightjars were seen on the 17th when the group walk (an impressive 17 members) was held, but this time the 'Nightjar experience' was more routine.
Curlew, Cavenham Heath, 11 June
Two Nightjars, Mayday Farm, 11 June
'Record Shot' of a Stone Curlew, Cavenham Heath, 17 June
Earlier in the day I visited Santon Downham, hoping to get some great photos of Dragonflies and other insects along the river. The dragonflies were dominated by Banded Demoiselles (about 99% of those seen) and, as usual, they proved difficult to photograph as they moved about and kept their distance on a hot day. One of my better efforts is below. Whilst the photography did not live up to hopes, I was lucky to see a family of Crossbills as they passed me on the river, uttering their distinctive 'chip chip' calls. A family of Mandarin Ducks was also seen here.
Female Banded Demoiselle, Santon Downham, 17 June
My partner and I spent a weekend in Hampshire on the 13-15th. A walk in the New Forest was notable for the presence of hundreds of Silver-studded Blues: the New Forest is obviously a stronghold for this butterfly, and we visited at just the right time as many individuals were in good condition, some recently hatched. I also added Small Skipper butterfly and Keeled Skimmer Dragonfly to my year list during the weekend.
Silver-studded Blue, The New Forest, Hampshire, 14 June
June is a very quiet month for birds, with very few new arrivals or departures, so on the 23rd I jumped at the chance to see a Collared Pratincole, a wader that breeds in Southern and Eastern Europe, that had turned up at RSPB Frampton Marsh, near Boston. Unusually, Collared Pratincoles catch their insect prey in flight, but this individual preferred to sit on a scrubby section of one of the islands, with its back to me. It made only one brief flight in over an hour, although it did occasionally walk around a bit, revealing its unusual markings. I have recently seen Collared Pratincoles on migration in Georgia and on their wintering grounds in The Gambia, but this was my first UK sighting for over ten years. I wandered around the reserve a little and found a Little Ringed Plover sitting on a nest (which appeared to be just a hole in the mud of a low-lying island). Every time it was threatened by larger birds walking nearby and coming dangerously close to walking on the nest (Avocets, Greylag Geese) it would get up and flap its wings vigorously to try to ward them off. Unfortunately, my photographs kept missing this 'decisive moment'. Eventually the bird was relieved of its nesting duties by its partner (image).
Little Ringed Plovers at the Nest Site, RSPB Frampton Marsh, 23 June
Most of the remainder of June was spent abroad: I'll post about this holiday in due course.
No comments:
Post a Comment