Elton birds

Another pleasant evening stroll along the river. The Long-tailed Tit was feeding a fledged family of young and the Spotted Flycatcher on of two at the bottom of Back Lane in Elton.

Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus


Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata


Canon Powershot SX10

Evening Insects

An early evening stroll along the Nene in Elton after a warm day.

Banded Demoiselle, teneral female


Ephemera vulgata

Harpocera thoracica

Smart mirid bug in the moth trap last night.

Harpocera thoracica, male


Canon Powershot SX10

Cork Moth

First for the garden during a good mothing session last night. There was another first, Epermenia falciformis, although that will need confirmation. 26 species in all.

Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella

Canon Powershot SX10

Elton Insects

Good selection of birds and insects along the Nene between Berry Leas and The Island.

Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens
Female


Male


Small Coppper Lycaena phlaeas


Canon Powershot SX10

Yellow Wagtail

A male that has been lingering, sometimes with a female, around the watersports centre at Ferry Meadows.

Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava flavissima, male


Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Bedford Purlieus

There have been too many birds on this blog of late so it's time to redress the balance a bit. This collection was snapped at Bedford Purlieus in unexpectedly fine weather today. The Slow Worm was one of three seen and the hoverfly one of many. The latter is assignable to ribesii as it is a female and I can just about make out all-yellow hind femurae.

The longhorn moth is another female, the male would have antennae 2-3 times longer!

Slow Worm Anguis fragilis


Adela reaumurella, female


Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria


Yellow Archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon


Early Purple Orchid Orchis mascula


Syrphus ribesii, female


Canon Powershot SX10

A new world record

Mike and I set a new record for the number of species seen by bike in a day in Cambridgeshire (or the PBC area). 110 seen by bike and foot in 24 hours. Read all about it here.

Red-rumped Swallow

Not great but this was taken just after relocating it on its second day.


Handheld digiscope with Canon A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Frog tales

Common Frog Rana temporaria

Canon Powershot SX10

Red Kite again

Virtually landed in the garden this time and I had the SX10 handy.

Red Kite Milvus migrans

Canon Powershot SX10

Wheatear, Great Byards Sale

Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe

Canon Powershot SX10

Red Kite

One of two low over the house this morning.

Red Kite Milvus migrans

Canon Powershot SX10

Leucistic Jackdaw

Co-incidentally found this bird in Elton today. Mike photographed a similar bird recently.

Jackdaw Corvus monedula

Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Ring Ouzel, Castor Mill

Another Don Gardener special and he even located another Redstart (probably the one seen nearby yesterday) at the same place on the western side of the Castor Mill houses.

Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus

Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Comma

Among a good selection of butterflies in the garden this afternoon, including Holly Blue and Orange-tip.

Comma Polygonia c-album

Canon Powershot SX10

Another Redstart

Another day, another Redstart, this time at Ring Haw NR. Hard to imagine how scarce these are normally. They average about 3 a year in April but we've now had 5 of which I've seen 4 and found 3.

These have been difficult to get good photos of but here's a record shot again.

Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x20

More Redstart action

Found this male and a female at Castor Hanglands this morning. Another is still present at Castor Mill making three in the Castor area.

Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Oystercatchers, Bradley Fen

Canon Powershot A640

Redstart, Ferry Meadows

He's done it again. Don Gardener is like a magnet for Redstarts and found a corking male on the Coney/Oak Meadow boundary at Ferry Meadows today. Getting pushed around a lot by the large numbers of people and their dogs.

Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x20