Orange-tip Butterfly

Even though today i was meant to be packing for the scottish trip managed to get out early morning while there was some sun out but with some wind to it today headed to Bricket Wood Common to see if I could find a Orange-tip Butterfly to allow me some close up image even though i only found one today seemed too cold for much flight even when the sun was out it was nice to finally be able to get up close with this female Orange-tip.

Bank hoilday monday

Despite working later in the day a great sunny morning at Heartwood Forest for my butterfly transect produced a nice Whitethroat showing well at the start which is very unusal for me. Only new butterfly of the year was a Holy Blue at the start but still good numbers of Orange-tips around though the peacocks seemed to have passed their peak now. Around the Site The Bluebells are starting to come out and lots of Blackcaps and Skylarks singing away and also finally managed to find the Corn Bunting on site which is a good sighting in the district.

 

My annual Nightingale fix

Earlier in the week headed to Paxton Pits in Cambridgeshire for my annual visit really love these birds. Day started out well with a Garden Warbler and a Nightingale briefly showing at the shrubland at the start of the heron trail.  Further round had lots of Blackcaps and Whitethroats in full song  before the unmistaken sound of the Nightingale drowning them out in the usual haunt of the Kingfisher hide where there was also a Red Crested Pochard on the water and a few Common Terns. Walking the loop had a few of the garden birds just feeding, lots more warblers sinfing a buzzard getting mobbed by a crow family and quite a few butterlies now around with good numbers of Orange-tips and Peacocks and my Holy Blue for the year.

Singing Nightingale

Blackcap hiding very well

Blue tit high up in the trees

Buzzard getting mobbed