Ox - eye daisies.

Ox - eye daisies are at their peak now, with many roadside verges which have been left uncut full of bold patches which sway in the breeze. These are in my butterfly patch in the garden.
Don.

27th - 29th May.

27th May and the dry and hot weather continues, went for a mid-morning visit to Dancersend, a BBOWT reserve to look for orchids and butterflies. Very few butterflies seen, a few speckled wood, rival males spiralling into the air alongside the woodland paths and the odd peacock and tortoiseshell seen.

Twayblade.

Greater butterfly Orchid.

Fly orchid. Also found  white helleborines and spotted orchids. A noisy family group of ravens calling from the tree tops.

At home on the 28th came across several long horned moths also spiralling in the sunshine.

An afternoon walk and found another day flying moth , Mother Shipton, named after a famous Yorkshire prophetess whose profile was thought to resemble the pattern on the moth's wings.

29th a short afternoon visit to Pulpit Hill in the heat, again few butterflies about, found a very weathered dingy skipper and the highlight was 2 adonis blue males and 1 female being followed closely by a common blue male.

 

30th and looking over the veg patch found a currant clearwing moth, yet another day flying moth, hope not causing too much damage and later a male broad bodied chaser appeared. Stewart. 
Images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

Fox.

Out early in the morning, with the wind in my favour I was alerted to the presence of this Fox by the constant chattering of Magpies, which being totally unaware of me it came to within fifteen metres as I stood with the hedge behind me balancing the camera on a fence post.
Don.

22nd - 26th May.

22nd May The unusually hot weather continues, lots of bumble bees around the garden including this large queen red-tailed on the cirsium.

The starling nest box was quiet, had fledged on the 21st after an incubation period of 12 days and 21 days to fledge. Good to see them back in the garden 3 chicks and the two parents.

Also the moorhens started to bring into the garden their chicks, picking up spilt seed and pieces from the fatballs after the finches, tits and starlings have fed.

 

A walk on Sunday 24th came close to a roe deer buck enjoying buttercups.

 

After lunch had a call to say there was a red-necked phalarope at Wilstone Reservoir, an unusual bird. A wader, smaller than a blackbird, winters in the Arabian Sea far from land. Breeds in the far north on wet marshes on mountainsides above the tree line and it's the male that incubates and raises the young.

 

Back home a large white butterfly on the sweet rocket. 

26th another hot day and a morning walk along the Misbourne to Shardeloes Lake passing the 18th century country house there.

Lots of people but also good numbers of common blue damselflies singles and pairs.

Also found one blue-tailed damselfly. Stewart.

Images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

Nesting Blackbirds.

I've been keeping an eye on a pair of Blackbirds which have been nesting in our fire wood store, trying to judge when they were about to fledge, thinking it would be in a day or so I buried my trip camera in the wood, I just managed to grab these few images as thay fledged four hours later at 7-50pm.
Don.

House Martins

All this warm weather we've been experiencing it is ideal for our  summer visiting House Martins, meaning there are plenty of insects on the wing, the only down side to it is the lack of rain means no mud available for the construction & repairs of existing nests. Have provided a small tray of mud, but so far no customers have turned up.
Still 6 of the 8 nests are now occupied with 2 more nearby.

Gathering nesting material.

Don.

16th - 21st May.

16th May and a female broad bodied chaser showed sunning itself in the garden, first of the year.

The starlings continue feeding, the young coming to the entrance begging for food when the parents call to tell them they are coming.

18th May find my first common blue butterfly in a warm south west facing field rich in wild flowers including bird's foot trefoil, a favourite food plant.

Mid-day and the temperature is rising  many birds enjoying the little pond including this goldfinch.

19th and the young starlings are very close to fledging. Later walked to look for more common blue butterflies and find a female egg laying on bird's foot trefoil and another female chaser turned up in the garden. On the 20th spent a couple of hours in the heat on Grangelands, Pulpit Hill. Noticed a few white helleborines  growing under the trees along the side of the path, out on the Grangelands just a few small heath, common and holly blues and one dusky skipper seen.

21st May, azure blue damselflies both male and female around the pond at home with the common reds flying around in tandem and egg laying.

Stewart

Images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

30th May..... Big Garden Sit Viz Mig Session, Week Ten, The Final One.

My List :

Stewart's :

These Collared Doves kept an eye on me as I kept an eye on the garden.