Scotland Highlight #1 Treshnish Isles

In june went up to the West coast of Scotland one of the highlights was a trip to the islands first trip was to Lunga which is a super seabird colony with the Puffins so near people were taking pictures with smartphones!! A great place to walk around with wildlife everywhere with Guillemots, Razorbills and Puffin going in and out constantly and Kittiwakes and Fulmar around the edge and on land lots of Rock Pipits and Wheatears breeding and the odd flock of Twite which briefly showed. Two hours was never enough time to spent on this island with the sounds and sights going on but did manage to get to the top of the island to get a view out to see and see how next destination the Isle of Staffa more on that later in the week.

Puffins Galore

Razorbill in flight

The auks

Fulmar in flight

One of many Rock Pipits around

Adult Wheatear

One of a pair of Twite which flew in briefly

Views from the top towards Staffa and the other Treshnish Isles

Walk at Bricket Wood

Nice walk at Bricket Wood with Butterfly Conservation despite the cloudy start a good total of 18 Species seen with the highlight 2 Purple Emperor seen on the main ride though high up and seen clashing in there main area in the woods along with quite a few purple hairstreaks.

On the ride itself had a nice number of Silver-washed Fritillarys and White Admirals feeding and clashing along with the Freshly emerged Peacocks with a selection of Skippers, Meadow Browns and Ringlets a good morning out.

Wildflower meadow at heartwood

Each year at my local woods they re-seed Wildflowers mainly Poppies and Cornflowers from last year crops the fields nearby usually looking very pretty and this year was the same so a few images from one evening spent down their.

Last light on the poppy meadow

The Mixed Meadow

Cornflower

Butterflies and friends at Aldbury

Before work this week headed now to Aldbury Nowers a great sight at this time for year with the flowers out and the butterflies going about their business when i got there the Marbled Whites were in full flow throughout the meadows with a few hundred easily with good numbers of Small Tortoiseshell, Meadow Brown, Skippers and Ringlets feeding in the first field and a few Large Whites and Red Admiral feeding as well.

Then moved on to the 2nd field where had the pleasure of seeing a few Dark Green Fritillary but too fast for me!!! At the edge of the field along the main footpath was lucky enough to find a sunny spot where a heavy pregnant lizard was sunning herself before moving myself down to main chalk pit where I had a few Common Blues and a lovely family of Blackcaps with a male feeding three young ones.

Feeding Marbled White

Ringlet in the sun

Feeding Large Skipper

Sunbathing Lizard

Adult Blackcap getting food for youngster

Calling young Blakcap

Lakenheath and breckland

After a few weeks off to scotland (more on that later) and the back to work a nice weekend was insstore so headed to Lakenheath for my annual visit a bit later than usually which turned out was a productive visit with Hundreds of Small Tortoiseshells around along with Green-veined Whites, Commas and singles of Red Admiral and Painted Lady on the butterfly front.

Birdwise walked to the first view point where had lots of Warblers singing and Wrens and woodland birds in the woods. From the viewpoint itself Reed warbler and Reed bunting showed themselves from the Reeds a nice flyby kingfisher and in the distance a Hobby and Marsh harrier were hunting.

Then headed down to the new hide where a Cetti Warbler was singing and Dragonflies where hunting over the water mainly Black-tailed Skimmer and Four-spotted Chaser. Then had a bittern fly through which more than likely was nesting in the reeds and a lovely flock of Bearded Tits flew through.

Then walked down to the last viewpoint where a few Swifts where feeding high up and a pair of Marsh Harriers hunting before walking down the river where a pair of Cranes where feeding before walking back along the river which was full of insects life a real hot for the butterflies and a few Five-spotted Burnet moths and Azure Damselflies, Banded Damselflies and a super Golden Bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle.

Reed Warbler

Young Bearded Tit

Singing Reed Bunting

Wren in the reeds

Comma

Small Tortoiseshell feeding

Five-spotted Burnet Moth

Banded Damselfly

Golden Bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle

Then ended the day at Weeting Heath where there where 7 Stone curlews where present though distance. but the highlight was from the hide with lots of small birds around the water including a Super pair of Spotted Flycaychers, Yellowhammer and lots of young Goldfinches then back a brief view of a feeding Treecreeper in with the coal tit flock.

Spotted Flycatcher posing

Down for a drink

Foraging treecreeper