3rd September 2016

Headed over to Draycote Water,Warks where the birding was slow & weather rather wet but still managed 8 Ringed Plover,3 Common Sandpiper,9 Little Egret,Yellow-legged Gull,Green Woodpecker, 2 Red-legged Partridge,Hobby,4 Raven & 2 juv Shag............

28th August 2016

Again stayed local & did Shustoke Reservoir with not a great deal present apart from a cpl of Common Sandpiper upto 44 Little Grebe & 80+ Great Crested Grebe with Donna bemoaning the fact we never find anything there!! A short while later we had a Ruff which was quite confiding & put a smile on Donna's face & just goes to prove it's worth persevering......

21st August 2016

Decided to stay local after a stormy night hoping for an inland seabird! 1st stop was Middleton lakes with Wood Sandpiper & Spotted Redshank but both distant for photos & a fly over Hobby!Not much else so a quick check of the news & staring back at me was Gannet at Marsh Lane so a march back to the car & off we headed finally arriving about 45mins later! A County tick for Donna & only my 2nd.......

The bird stayed around till late afternoon before flying off strongly & was eventually found at Thornton Reservoir,Leics where unfortunately it went down hill & was found dead several days later....a sad end to a cracking bird.

Moths June - August 2016

Still trapping regularly between my garden & Donna's just a few of the highlights below...............

Flounced Rustic

Leopard Moth

Herald

 Drinker

Red Twin-spot Carpet

Lesser Swallow Prominent

Dusky Sallow

Pebble Prominent

July Highflyer

Magpie

Yellow-tail

Chinese Character

Lunar-spotted Pinion

Early Thorn

Buff Ermine

September Thorn

Scarce Silver-lines

Dark Spectacle

Small Ranunculus

Lime Hawkmoth

 True Lover's Knot

Broom Moth

Small Ranunculus

Ghost Moth (Female)

Ghost Moth

Sallow Kitten

Scorched Wing

Mother Shipton

12th August 2016

With birding still in the Summer doldrums we headed over to Marsh Lane for a spot of Damselfly photography with Small Red-eyed Damselfly being the target species!! As the weather warmed up we had at least 10 with a cpl of Red-eyed,Emerald,Common Blue,Large Red as backup along with Common Darter,Southern,Migrant & Brown Hawker & Black-tailed Skimmer...........

9th August 2016

Took Donna down to Aston Rowant,Oxon for a cpl of hrs for a cpl of Butterfly ticks the weather wasn't really on our side with most being very flighty in the strong breeze but still managed to get her both Chalk Hill Blue & Silver-spotted Skipper with Brown Argus,Common Blue,Small Skipper,Painted Lady & Marbled Whites as backup.....

Common Blue

Chalk Hill Blue

Paainted Lady

Silver-spotted Skipper