Grizzled Skipper...down sarff

Grizzled Skipper is my 42nd British butterfly...only 17 to go....................So good to see the sun and butterflys on the wing,, Brimstone , Common Blue , Small heath , Orange Tip , Speckled wood ,Small white and silver Y.At least 20 Red Kites and the same amount of Common Buzzards

Friday ...

Lapwing , Canada Goose  from Raggalds flood along with Oystercatcher,, Young Smooth newt above

More Purple Patch

Nearly trod on this ,not seen one during the day since one at Spurn a long ,long time ago. .very  very nice  indeeeeeeeeed.

Another two from the last week...............

Purple patch ....

Well a real time at the moment with a Marsh Harrier over Shibden Valley being mobbed by 4 Carrion Crows was icing on the cake,, after Osprey and Red Kite.. you don't see any good raptors for years then 3 in a week...had an adult Hobby in the Nottingham area as well hunting Mipits.now then temmincks Stint on raggalds flood...maybe not..but there will be something,, Must congratulate Nigel for keeping his eye on it over the last few years.....

Eriocrania Sangii top two and Coleophora serratella case on silver birch

Recent Pics

Dunlin at fly ,Shelduck raggalds flood and Grey partridge leeshaw....

Ringed Plover ,Avocet and Red Kite

Dytiscus marginalis

Well a trip to a rather dull part of the river trent produced two very unexpected Avocets , Ringed Plover at the raggalds and a Red Kite over the house,,,This large water bettle was impessive.

Last few days

Raggalds Flood seems to be the place to be at the moment with, Dunlin ,  Shelduck ,Redshank ,lapwing Wheatear , Pied wag , all been recorded...Just shows what a bit of juncuss flush a large pond with muddy edges and little disturbance does for the birds...brilliant really enjoy that little spot.
  This morning a LBBGull on the cricket pitch was unusual for northowram just fly overs mostly. Taking the dog out this afternoon was the best so far 108 Swifts moving north in just over 2 hours was some spectacle  , I had to dodge um at least  3 times when I was sure I was going to be hit. awesome .
 Oystercatcher , Ringed Plover , Redshank , Common Sand , Lapwings(20+) , Snipe , Curlew , Golden Plover and Dunlin at Leeshaw was a great sight as well..

Sunny day

Very busy at the moment and a lot to catch up,,,,I don't know why I stopped at fly flats this morning but Im glad I did,I got out of the car to loud calls from Redshank ,Oyk , Curlew and lapwing,i put my bins up to scan the res and bingo an Osprey flying low over the moor, didnt get much on it but a defo all the same..Walked to the res an adult male Greenland wheatear popped on to the fence .Common sands and dunlin calls could be herd and more Redshanks alarming away...4 noisy  LBBGulls headed over and a steady stream of swallows all  north. A couple of female type Wheatears , 2 Ravens over,3 snipe drumming away it don't get better......................
  Been doing a lot of newt stuff so farthis year managed 50+ Smooths , 30+ Palmates and 3 great crested ( at Nicks carters place on the coast), A migrant Tree pipit on my local patch was a real treat as warblers seem to be void in northowram this year, Linnets are up to 8 so far ...Found a nice Blue headed wagtail and Ring Ouzel in Nottingham the other day..................