A weekend of Orchids

Had a nice weekend first headed to Pegsdon Hills area on the saturday to see how along the flowers where at the top only one Common Spotted-Orchid so far but a nice selections of insects around with a few Common Blues, Small Heath, Speckled Wood, Orange Tips, Yellow-barred Long-horn and a super looking Weevil.

Common Spotted-Orchid

Speckled Wood

Yellow-barred Long-horn

Weevil

Then headed to nearby Knocking Hoe for the Burnt-tip Orchid a super looking plant flower and the bonus of a super Red Kite overhead.

Burnt-tip Orchid

Hunting Red Kite

Double dose at Tyttenhanger

Last weekend had a nice walk around Tyttenhanger with the local RSPB group a nice selection of spring birds with lots of warblers singing in the scrub mainly Blackcap and Whitethroat but did manage to see one Garden Warbler briefly and a couple of Chiff-chaffs and one Willow Warbler. Around the main pit had Oystercatcher fly over to its nearby nest and Common Terns hunting along the River Colne and on the spit one Little-Ringed Plover was seen and at the end of the walk a Cuckoo was heard but not seen.

Next day got in from week to find a pair of Temminck's Stints had been seen the next day but them seemed to be pass throughs but was lucky for them to reappear and sat around for the next three days so popped down before work and for this species and the site were showing really well along with a few Lingle Ringed Plovers

Temminck's Stint reflecting in the water

Next to a Little-ringed Plover to show size difference

Duke of Burgundy and friends

After main years of struggling to find Duke of Burgundy had a successful trip to Ivinghoe Beacon at the weekend where the fine weather brought them out at one point there seemed to be everywhere and a nice support cast of Green Hairstreaks also in good numbers, Dingy Skippers, Common Blue and Holy Blue and a Wood Tiger Moth a new species for me.

Duke of Burgundy

Green Hairstreak

Dingy Skipper

Wood Tiger moth

Wader day at Amwell

Had a nice saturday morning at Amwell despite being the weather was forecast at being very wet so with a sun out decided to head down to amwell and with rewarded with a nice selection of waders around the viewpoint with Common Sandpiper and Two Little Ringed Plover and a Single Ringed Plover feeding well but the star of the day was a beautiful Summer plumage Turnstone showing well and further out at least one Redshank was till around. Walked around to Holycross lake to see if any dragonflies had appeared which they had't but nice to see a few of the Orchids appearing before I wandered back along the canal with Common terns for company.

Thr Turnstone

Common Sandpiper

Ringed Plover

Little Ringed Plover

Common Terns by the canal

Black- necked Grebes and a bonus Dunlin

A nice walk around one of my local reservoir produced a good count of Black-necked Grebes with over 15 seen and showing very well such superb birds in the summer plumage. Was also lucky enough to find a dunlin showing well on the reservoir wall also around were a good number of warblers with whitethroat the most active of them but a few Blackcaps and Chiff-chaff singing and 1 Willow Warbler

Pair of Black-necked Grebes

Dunlin on the shore