Whinchat, Beeby's BP

Found this morning on the long, low mound towards the east of the complex.

Digiscoped with Canon A640 and Swarowski ATM 80 HD x25-50

Common Scoter, Ferry Meadows

Found by Paul Taylor on Gunwade Lake and showing very well there at times.

Common Scoter Melanitta nigra, male

Phonescoped with HTC One X and Swarowski ATM 80 HD x25-50

Venice Lagoon

No Silver Wedding Anniversary trip to Venice would be complete without a jaunt out into the lagoon. This one produced a few waders and terns, the odd Cetti's Warbler and a Whinchat on Torcello, plus these:

Italian Sparrow Passer (domesticus) italiae

Short-tailed Blue Cupido argiades

Common Wall Lizard Podarcis muralis

Canon EOS500D 18-55mm IS USM

Redstart

Found by Matt Webb a few days ago between Overton and Lynch Lakes. A long stayer by local standards.

Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Phonescoped with HTC One X and Swarowski ATM 80 HD x25-50

Willow Hall Wanderings

Checked out the new workings along here today and there is a lot of potential. Just a Green Sandpiper and a Little Egret there today but clearly could attract more. Then walked up the footpath to Prior's Fen where this Wheatear showed well. Very little else going for it though.

Wheatear, Oenanthe oenanthe

Phonescoped with the HTC One X and Swarowski ATM 80 HD x25-50

Long time no see

Ok so I haven't posted here for a while. In the meantime I've been to Cornwall where the extreme SW provided my best Basking Shark sightings to date. Up to 7 were in Whitesands Bay along with one or two seen elsewhere, some very close. A few Bottle-nosed and distant Common Dolphins were also good to see.

Birds were largely restricted to the residents and included a few Peregrine and the odd Chough. Balearic Shearwaters were passing on the stormiest day.

The insect highlights were Beautiful Demoiselle, Golden-ringed Dragonfly and masses of Red Admirals with a few Painted Ladies and a Clouded Yellow thrown in.


Kestrel Falco tinnunculus

Peregrine Falco peregrinus

(Pics taken with Canon EOS 500D 70-300mm IS USM)

Otherwise it's been very slow. A few waders at Bradley Fen have relieved the monotony and a Hummingbird Hawk-moth past my office window last Friday was unexpected. Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler have been visiting the garden from time to time.