I paid a visit to Thorndon Wood today and had a walk through. The morning started well when I caught sight of a speck of red ahead and saw a Large Red Damselfly settled in a patch of sunshine. Unfortunately a cyclist shot past and it was off and I did not see it again but hoped that I might catch up with another one with a bit of luck further along. A little further on I came across a few Heath Fritillary butterflies flitting around and paused to enjoy the spectacle.
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| Heath Fritillary |
I was really pleased when once again I caught the sight of a speck of red and ended up getting some superb views of a Large Red Damselfly. It was a beauty and is a damselfly that I do get to see very often.
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| Large Red Damselfly |
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| Large Red Damselfly |
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| Large Red Damselfly |
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| Large Red Damselfly |
Nearby I could see a small pond that though it couldn't be accessed, as it was fenced off, I could still see a good amount of it from the path. A male Broad-bodied Chaser was perched between making hunting sorties and gave some very nice views as it returned repeatedly to the same perch.
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| male Broad-bodied Chaser |
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| male Broad-bodied Chaser |
I could hear Crossbills (123) and looked up from watching the chaser to the fantastic sight of several Crossbills drinking from the pond at the back. I have never seen a Crossbill so close and it was a truely unforgettable experience. They were only there for a few moments but I felt so lucky to have seen them.
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| Crossbill |
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| Crossbill |
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| Crossbill |
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| Crossbill |
After that excitement it was back to watching damselflies as a pair of Large Red Damselflies in tandem visited.
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| Large Red Damselflies |
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| Large Red Damselflies |
The Broad-bodied Chaser settled even closer and gave some superb views. There were 3 males over the pond.
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| male Broad-bodied Chaser |
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| male Broad-bodied Chaser |
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| male Broad-bodied Chaser |
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| male Broad-bodied Chaser |
I carried on down the track and the air was full of Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler song. A flock of 15 Crossbill flew overhead, calling away, and a little further along I could see a Crossbill perched in the top of a tree.
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| Crossbill |
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| Crossbill |
I came across a striking moth and on looking it up it is a Speckled Yellow Pseudopanthera macularia.
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| Speckled Yellow Pseudopanthera macularia |
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| Speckled Yellow Pseudopanthera macularia |
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| Speckled Yellow Pseudopanthera macularia |
I had a short wander up a side path and met a ranger who had come to feed the Konick Horses and sure enough they had heard him coming and came to meet him. I had not realised they were in the wood. They are lovely horses. A little further along I was pleased to hear a Nightingale (124) singing and paused to enjoy its song. The horses were making their way back and looked lovely in the sunshine.
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| Konick Horse |
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| Konick Horses |
I made my way back to the main track and a Fox crossed the path in front of me before disappearing into cover.
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| Fox |
I came across some Heath Fritillary with some trying to attract a mate and others attempting to mate. Any that were paired did not tend to get much peace as other Fritillaries also tried to mate, pushing their way in where they could and trying to oust the other male.
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| Heath Fritillary |
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| Heath Fritillaries |
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| Heath Fritillaries |
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| Black-tailed Skimmer |
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| Black-tailed Skimmer |
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| Black-tailed Skimmer |
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| Grey Squirrel |
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| Broad-bodied Chaser |
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| Foxglove |
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| Foxglove |
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| Foxglove |
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| Holly Blue Butterfly |
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