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My blog will predominantly feature a selection of photographs and reports of recent wildlife photographic trips, mainly in the UK
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The hard working Kingfisher pair are now on to their third brood of the year and the young had hatched a couple of days ago. Time therefore, to pay a visit and see how they are getting on. The local Sparrowhawks have also raised a brood and two of them were hanging around on the pylon.     Later in the day, one of the juveniles made an attempt to intercept the male Kingfisher as it returned with a fish, but luckily (for the Kingfisher) missed! When I arrived, the female was sitting out on the bushes on the left allowing for some good shots with a decent background.      She heard the male returning and called out to attract its attention.    They both did a great job of bringing in a number of fish, some quite large.    Even having time for a quick discussion!  Here is a useful size comparison with a young Carrion Crow.  As some of the pond had cleared, I was able to attempt a few dipping shots as they cleaned themselves after being in the nest bank. It is essential to keep the feathers in top condition.     A great couple of hours and good to see some friendly faces including Kevin Garrett and Mark O'Dell. 
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I have had some lovely trips to Fowlmere this year, mainly for the Water Voles and Marsh Harriers. The juvenile Marsh Harriers have now appeared to have moved away and I did have views of possibly a new bird which looked like a young adult male. Entering the reserve, I could hear Spotted Flycatchers but could not locate one, so it was on to the Spring hide. A juvenile Cuckoo had been seen there for a couple of days, being fed by its "foster" parents, a pair of Reed Warblers. As I entered, I had brief views before it disappeared for a good while. After walking up to the Reedbed hide and back, it thankfully had returned and stayed in the same area for a good hour. Here are a few shots.            From time to time it would make short flights before landing and demanding to be fed with constant calls. I am sure at this stage it could find its own food, but the chance of a free meal is not to be sneezed at! Of course its parents will now both be back in Africa, probably a good 4 to 6 weeks ago. I managed a couple of shots of it stretching it's wings. Come September it will be ready to head off, on its own to Africa.   The biggest challenge was trying to get images of the Reed Warblers feeding it, as reeds or twigs always seemed to be in the way. The vegetation also gave the images a green cast, as shown here. I managed to remove some in processing, but still a problem.  It did however move position allowing for a few clearer shots.     An amazing experience and whilst I have seen juvenile Cuckoo's before I have never witnessed one being fed! Those Reed Warblers certainly had their work cut out. Reed Warblers are the main host bird for Cuckoo's but Dunnock are also used, and on moorland, Meadow Pipit is the preferred host. The young birds when ready to breed, will only use the same host bird to lay their eggs with. One final shot to end.  Good to see some familiar faces in the hide, including Chris Kenyon and Mark O'Dell, as well as some other friendly souls.
A Long-tailed Shrike had been reported at Eastleach Martin, just south of Burford on the Oxfordshire/Gloucestershire border. It looked settled, so despite yet another hot, sunny day I decided to take a trip down there, braving the M25. It was so hot, it seemed to affect the Sat Nav, but the site was reasonably easy to find, down some single track roads. The local farmer had done a great job of providing safe parking and we readily donated to his chosen charity. This was the view from the car. In the distance is the hedge line where the Shrike is residing.  The bird breeds in Central and Eastern Asia so is an extreme rarity here, indeed there have only been three UK records and this was the first one in England. There were a few other birders present and after initially viewing it distantly, we were able to get closer, though still keeping a good distance away.     It appears to be moulting, hence why it has stayed for a while. At one point, doing some feather maintenance.   Every so often, it would drop down from the bush onto the path looking for prey, mainly bugs and insects though small mammals would also be on the menu. It was difficult getting shots due both to the position of the sun and the heat haze. The next sequence show the bird just after it had caught something.    Despite the initial impression of a barren landscape, there were a number of smaller birds including Yellowhammer, Linnets, Wheatear, Common Redstart and Whinchat. A brilliant bird to see, so one last shot to end with.  With the hot, sunny weather continuing, it was a perfect time to visit Panshanger Park and try and get some shots of Dragonflies. That being said, I will start off with a Purple Hairstreak which came down from an Oak tree to get some moisture, near one of the ponds.   There were good numbers of the commoner Damselflies and I managed a shot of a Small Red-eyed Damselfly. Once very scarce, they are a species that are increasing their range.  However, the star Damselfly was this Emerald Damselfly. It is a species that is limited to just a few sites in Hertfordshire.      Some of the commoner, larger Dragonfly species were in evidence including this Four-spotted Chaser.  And a male Broad-bodied Chaser.  There were a couple of Brown Hawkers, though I was unable to get a shot of this species as they seldom land and are very erratic in flight. I did however get some images of our largest species - the Emperor. This is a female egg laying.    This shot shows the Emperor with a Small Red-eyed Damselfly!  The Darters were well represented including this pair of Ruddy Darter.  Resting Common Darter.   And some flight shots.   One of my favourite species is the Southern Hawker. They are very inquisitive and will hover right in front of you, usually too close for images. With a bit of patience, I managed these shots of a male.     But the surprise was at least two male Southern Migrant Hawkers, another fairly new species which is expanding its range in the South East. Tricky to get flight shots against a distracting background, but managed a couple.    Such amazing creatures to watch and photograph! Big thanks to Allan & Tracey Burrows for lending their expertise and sharing their time - greatly appreciated as always.
So the plan was to have a birding day out to try and see a Caspian Tern that was reported the previous day at Abberton. As we drove in that direction there was no further news so we decided to continue on to the Essex/Suffolk border for a Hudsonian Godwit. This bird had been around for a few days and in appearance is much like a Black-tailed Godwit, though it is a resident of North America and quite a rarity here. It spends a lot of time on the river, but when we arrived it had relocated to North Marsh and we soon spotted some local birders who had found it again. We had some good if distant scope views, but way too far for a picture. I am therefore deeply indebted to Marcus Nash for allowing me to use his brilliant image when the bird was showing a lot closer.  It was extremely hot, so rather than wait a couple of hours in the hope it flew back to the river we decided to head to Abberton. The Caspian Tern was not relocated and we failed to find the female Ring-necked Duck. From the Layer de la Haye causeway, these Common Terns showed well.    At the Layer Breton causeway it was very quiet. Distant Spoonbills and Great Egrets, but good to get this little group of Cattle Egrets.  A few Yellow Wagtails were feeding on the floating vegetation, including this juvenile bird.  And there were obviously some feeding opportunities for this Great Crested Grebe.    Not a great day for photography, but great to get a lifer in the shape of the Hudsonian Godwit!
An afternoon visit to Rye Meads to see how the juvenile Kestrels and the Kingfishers were getting on. Still in the grip of very hot weather, so it was nice to sit in the Draper hide. At least one Green Sandpiper had returned from breeding and a couple of Common Terns were fishing in front of the hide.      The Kingfisher Hub was relatively quiet so plenty of space for all. The juvenile Kestrels seemed to like using their nest box as a base, despite fledging some time ago. All three were showing and the adult male also put in an appearance. Here are two together, a youngster and I believe the adult female on the left.  One of the youngsters had caught a vole or mouse and was a bit unsure what to do with it. At one stage it regurgitated a pellet.  And a few more shots.     While I was there in the afternoon I did not see the female Kingfisher who remained with the chicks in the nest hole. They are probably due to fledge in 2 to 3 days and the male was bringing in a number of fish of reasonable size. After dropping off a fish he would disappear to bathe behind the bushes as the pond has quite a cover of algae. On the way in however, he would pause on the central perch.    And taking the time to lighten the load!  No chance of diving shots today, but I did manage a short take off sequence.    A great three hours and lovely to meet David Gowing as well as Sue and young photographer Alastair and his Mum.
Time for a Nightjar trip, but first a stop at RSPB Lakenheath. It was extremely quiet on the bird front with no Hobbies and it looks as if the adult Cuckoo's have started to head back already. One or two Marsh Harriers visible and we did have a fleeting glimpse of a Kingfisher at Mere Hide. On the Wash, were a few waders including Black-tailed Godwits, Avocets, Redshank and Lapwing. However, we had incredible views of a Bittern flying along the river. Sadly, it was flying away from me, so I didn't get a chance of a shot. The shortage of birds, meant time for some Dragonfly shots. Firstly, one of many, Four-spotted Chasers.  A male Ruddy Darter.  And some shots of the orange/yellow females.    There were loads of Butterflies and it has certainly been a good year for them so far. First up - Red Admiral.  Painted Lady.  And a personal favourite of mine, Brimstone.   It was good to bump into Alan Reynolds whilst walking around and he said he was off to Weeting Heath where we were also planning to go. He rang later to say the Stone curlews were showing well. We headed up there and getting there later in the day meant the heat haze was not too bad. We had views of a Spotted Flycatcher feeding along the fence line and this Mistle Thrush gathering a large bill full of insects.    The Stone Curlews showed well from the West hide. I believe two adults and three young in all. Certainly the most I have seen there.   I was lucky enough to get some flight shots as one bird took off and did a short circuit of its territory.     Fantastic to see these amazing birds! Next stop was The Red Lion for a meal and to kill some time, before heading to Mayday Farm. We had good views in the fading light of a Tree Pipit, calling high up.  This is the typical view whilst waiting. No roding Woodcocks, but we did hear a Tawny Owl hooting away.  And then, as it got darker, we heard our first Nightjar churring. It was not until well after 10pm that we saw our first bird flying and then got much better views as one flew close. We also located one churring, perched on a small side branch of a pine. Too dark for shots, but do enjoy this video of the sound. A final treat was coming across a couple of Glow-worms on the way back to the car. From the Beetle family, it is the females that glow, to attract a male. A very poor phone shot as a record.  A long, but brilliant day and good to also bump into a few RSPB SE Herts members along the way.
A really hot day, but Allan & Tracey Burrows had found a couple of Lesser Emperor's in Panshanger Park the previous day, so I popped down to try and see this scarce Dragonfly. As I walked up there, the wild flower meadow looked amazing!  As to be expected, there were lots of butterflies, including these mating Skippers.  As well as a Green-veined White.  It was fantastic to see so many Marbled White butterflies, certainly well over a hundred as I walked around. One eventually settled, to allow for a couple of shots.   Panshanger is a really good spot for Wasp Spiders and there were a number around the lake. All quite small at the moment, though they will increase in size as the Summer progresses. This one had damselfly prey.  Standing by the lake, waiting for the Dragonflies, there was the sound of a Water Vole munching away out of sight. Later it swam across a small bay but just as I raised my camera it dived out of sight. I had more luck with this Common Frog, making its way back to the water.   As for the Dragonflies, there were at least one Emperor, one Norfolk Hawker and lots of Four-spotted Chasers. Quite a lot of male Black-tailed Skimmers and it was nice to get a picture of one with a decent background as they usually favour gravel areas.  It was a nervy wait for the Lesser Emperors, but they eventually started to show about 11am. Initially erratic, they seemed to develop a route and I managed to get a few flight shots.     They were hunting butterflies that were flying across the lake, eating them on the wing. I was extremely fortunate to grab a couple of shots as one landed close by, for a matter of seconds.   Great to see this scarce species expanding its range! The heat finally defeated me, so time to head back home. Lovely to see Allan & Tracey down there as well.
A great RSPB SE Herts Group coach trip to Minsmere Suffolk. Brilliantly organised (despite the air con failing on the way out) by Paul Ballantyne. He is certainly the best coach trip organiser since Rob Kitchen! We headed straight to the sea after a quick stop at North hide and from the boardwalk, a Marsh Orchid, just past its best.  Approaching the East hide, this Sedge Warbler was very confiding!  From the hide we had distant views of Wood Sandpiper, six Spotted Redshanks and two Spoonbills. On the area behind the beach I spotted a Small Heath.  And spent some time watching this Sand Wasp with prey.  On the shingle beach were a pair of Oystercatchers.   But what about the Terns? First up were Common Terns, fishing close inshore.       It was then on to the public hide to try and find the Roseate Terns. This is the view over the scrape looking West.  And tucked away on the farthest "finger" the two Roseate Terns. Just a record shot sadly.  And a record shot of the two Little Terns.  The Sandwich Terns were much closer!    On the Gull front, there were a few Kittiwakes, as well as these Mediterranean Gulls.   Continuing our way around the scrape, we had better views of the Spotted Redshank in their full Summer plumage as well as a Green Sandpiper, but all too distant for pictures. More obliging was this Shelduck.   And of course, no visit to Minsmere would be complete without a couple of Avocet images.   It was then time to head to the shadier part of the reserve and visit the Bittern Hide and Island Mere hide. A few Marsh Harriers and Bearded Tits were spotted, but surprisingly only one Hobby. This Roe Deer (I believe) did however pose for a shot.  But the highlight was this female Bittern which showed for about 10 minutes.     It then flew off, back to its nest and I managed to grab a couple of flight shots. After mating, the female Bittern is left to bring up the chicks on her own!   An excellent day out and good to meet up with Rob Kitchen and also finally meet Minsmere legend, Les Cater in the Bittern hide.
A lazy Sunday morning but when Graham White posted to say there were two Black Terns at Amwell, I quickly popped down. An unusual time of year to see them! They were mainly in the centre of the pit which made obtaining decent images difficult. They also fly quickly, twisting and turning, so just a few shots salvaged.        You can clearly see the differences between the two bird with one in full Summer plumage and the other not as black underneath. A nice surprise!
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