Serpentine Fall

This Stonechat was the cream of a large number of migrants at Serpentine BP this morning. The rest included at least 14 Blackcaps, 1 Whitethroat, 2 Chiffchaff, 6 Goldcrest, 1 Reed Warbler, 8 Redwing, 10 Song Thrush, 10 Blackbird, 4 Siskin and 2 Lesser Redpoll.

Stonechat Saxicola rubicola

Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Common Lizard, Castor Hanglands

Dogsthorpe Star Pit

Flock of Siskin through plus Chiffchaffs and a Lesser Whitethroat with a huge flock of Long-tailed Tits. A migrant Common Buzzard through in addition to the local birds but no Honeys today. Insects included Small Copper and Comma butterflies.

Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus

Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta

Canon Powershot A640

Tree Pipits, Castor Hanglands

Jonathon Taylor found two Tree Pipits here today and after a lot of searching they showed very well. Species number 183 for the year in Peterborough for me.

There were also at least three Redstarts here, two males and a female, which, along with the two I saw at Ferry Meadows in the morning makes five in a day in the area. There were at least seven in all between the two sites and goodness knows how many others undetected elsewhere.

Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis



Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus


Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Hornet, Silver Y and the mimic

Castor Hanglands, where the insect life was very rich in the hot weather today. Fifteen species of lepidoptera: Large, Small and Green-veined White, Brimstone, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, Small Copper, Common Blue, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Comma, Silver Y and Angle Shades.

Amazing to watch this Hornet carrying off a Silver Y moth then devour it in front of us. Good to see the hoverfly that mimics Hornet here too.

Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni

Canon Powershot A640

Hornet Vespa crabro eating Silver Y Autographa gamma

Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Volucella inanis

Canon Powershot A640

Redstarts at Ferry Meadows

A good morning at Ferry Meadows hoping for Pied Flycatcher or Tree Pipit but more than happy with two Redstarts and a host of Spotted Flycatchers and common warblers. The first Redstart was one on Heron Meadow for its sixth day but the other I found near the carparks in a clump of vegetation around two large poplars packed with migrants. This is the the first Redstart I've found in the PBC area.

Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus


Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata



Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x20

It only takes a Linnet

A large party of Linnets (200?) were near Portland Bill and couldn't resist some shots. Didn't do a lot of birding while there.

Linnets Carduelis cannabina


Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Black Terns, Ferry Meadows

One of my favourite birds. These adults are part of a group of 5 birds present on Gunwade Lake for a couple of days now.

Black Tern Chlidonias niger


Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x20