Insects, Fish and an Encounter with a Fox - Marshside 29/05/20

I had a short wander from Marshside to the bottom of Highstead today. Overall it was quiet for birds so I had a look to see what insects etc I could see. I saw a flash of green on an umbellifer flower and had what I think is a Broad Centurion Chloromyia formosa.

Broad Centurion Chloromyia formosa

Broad Centurion Chloromyia formosa

A Speckled Wood Butterfly was sunning itself as it waited for any passing rival or mate.

Speckled Wood butterfly

I came across a bee which I think is a Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum. I am finding bees a challenge when it comes to identifying them correctly. Still the good thing is that I can only get better.

Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum

Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum

A couple of micro moth were resting up and I will need to try and identify both and will update when I sort them out.

A mating pair of Azure Damselflies were in tandem and a little further along a resting up Ruddy Darter gave some good views.

mating Azure Damselflies

Ruddy Darter

Ruddy Darter

I had a look in the dyke and good numbers of fish were in the shallows. I am not sure what some of them are but it looked as if there was at least one Perch amongst them with its stripes showing well. I am not sure whether the others are Roach, Rudd or Chub or a mixture.

Tucked down amongst the vegetation was a 7-spot Ladybird pupae attached to a stem. It was beautiful and I don't remember coming across one of these before. 

7-Spot Ladybird pupae

A Broad-bodied Chaser was sunning itself in between making hunting sorties. They are beautiful dragonflies. Real stop and look at me types, just beautiful.

Broad-bodied Chaser

Broad-bodied Chaser

Broad-bodied Chaser

A little further along a Hairy Dragonfly was ovipositing while resting on the vegetation at the edge of the dyke.

Hairy Dragongfly ovipositing

I had a walk up to the bottom of Highstead and caught sight of a Norfolk Hawker Dragonfly but unfortunately it was disturbed by a dog walker and afterwards I could not manage to catch up with it again. It is the first time I have seen one at this location. At least waiting for the time I did gave me the opportunity to see a fox working its way towards me along the edge of the field. It stopped and found something to eat amongst the bean crop before continuing towards me and then at the approach of another dog walker it melted away amongst the crop.

Fox

Fox

Fox

I finished an enjoyable visit with good views of Brown Argus butterflies. 

Brown Argus Butterfly

Brown Argus Butterfly

Red-eyed Damselflies and a Banded Demoiselle - Marshside 22/05/20

It was nice to be able to go a little further afield today and to be able to have longer out due to the changes in the lockdown regulations. I decided to head off to Chitty Lane and see what I could see with a wander up to the embankment. It was a breezy day but I could get some shelter from the hedgerow in places. On arrival I was greeted by the enthusiastic singing of both Reed Warbler (114) and Sedge Warbler (115), a very welcome sound indeed and one I have missed. Skylarks were rising up in a tower of song and a Yellow Wagtail (116) called as it flew over. A few Azure Damselfies were tucked down out of the wind as I made my way along.

I came to a nicely sheltered area and saw a couple of Red-eyed Damselflies briefly, my first for this year. I was pleased to see them and their eyes glowed as the light caught them.

Red-eyed Damselfly

Red-eyed Damselfly

Red-eyed Damselfly

As I wandered along the air was full of song with Chaffinch, Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler all singing at full pelt. It was lovely to hear them. A Holly Blue butterfly was battling against the wind and got caught in a gust of wind which sent it tumbling this way and that. It managed to land low down in some vegetation and hung on upside down.

Holly Blue

Lots of Azure Damselflies were about and I enjoyed watching the various ones I saw.

Azure Damselfly

Azure Damselfly

A came across a single male Banded Demoiselle Damselfly who gave some great views as it perched on vegetation in a sheltered spot of the track. If I had carried on I would have to have disturbed it so I enjoyed some great views as it rested up between darting up to catch insects. It shone in the sunshine and looked absolutely beautiful.

Banded Demoiselle Damselfly

Banded Demoiselle Damselfly

Banded Demoiselle Damselfly

As I did not want to disturb it I decided to head for home as time was getting on anyway and headed back the way I had come. A Speckled Wood Butterfly looked spectacular as the light shone through its wings as it perched up in between chasing a rival.

Speckled Wood Butterfly

On the way back some Yellow (Flag) Iris were in full flower forming some lovely shapes.

Yellow (Flag) Iris, Iris pseudacorus

Yellow (Flag) Iris, Iris pseudacorus

It had been an enjoyable afternoon and very nice to be able to go further afield today.

Sunbeams, Coal Tits and Willow Warbler Song - Broomfield Track 10/04/20

I had an early morning walk for my exercise walk today and the air was full of bird song as I made my way along. More Whitethroat were in evidence today and I enjoyed listening to their song and calls. None were in the mood to be photographed though as they flitted from song post to song post, marking out their territory. As I came along the bottom path the sun was streaming through the trees and the effect of the sunbeams and backlit leaves was beautiful.

There also appeared to be more Blackcap in today and at various points the air was alive with their song. A Rabbit enjoying the sunshine seemed remarkably unconcerned with my presence and only moved off at a leisurely pace when I got nearer.

Rabbit

Two male Blackcap were chasing each other through one of the trees and the victor allowed a quick shot as he paused to check that the other bird had moved on. I heard my first Willow Warbler (107) of spring singing and it was lovely to hear the song once again.

Blackcap

A Fieldfare called as it flew across and 2 Red-legged Partridge flew up in a flurry of wing beats before disappearing into cover. Just before I started up towards the upper path I could hear a couple of Coal Tits calling from above me. They are lovely little birds and I always enjoy listening to their calls and song. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was busily drumming away and a Ring-necked Parakeet called.

Coal Tit

Coal Tit

The rest of the walk was very pleasant in the early morning sunshine but remained fairly quiet. A Common Buzzard flew over and a little while later a Sparrowhawk rose lazily into the sky. I finished my walk with a Speckled Wood butterfly enjoying the warmth in a patch of sun.

Speckled Wood Butterfly

In the afternoon, while out in the garden, the local Herring Gulls started to kick up a fuss and the cause turned out to be a passing Red Kite which was a very welcome sight. I did not manage much in the photo line but it is nice to have couple of memory shots.

Red Kite

Red Kite

Birds seen this visit included: 6 Whitethroat, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Common Buzzard, 11 Chiffchaff, 1 Fieldfare, 2 Red-legged Partridge, 3 Wren, 6 Dunnock, 8 Blackbird, Blue Tits, Great Tits, 5 Robin, House Sparrows, Carrion Crows, Rooks, Jackdaws, 2 Collared Doves, 12 Chaffinch, 2 Coal Tits, 10 Blackcap, 1 Jay, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Little Owl, Ring-necked Parakeet, 5 Stock Dove, 1 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk

Red Kite, Ring Ouzel and first Speckled Wood of Spring - Broomfield Track 08/04/20

I headed for my usual walk on a beautiful spring day and was greeted by my first Speckled Wood butterfly of the year which made a good start to the walk. It was taking advantage of a patch of sunlight before leaving its perch to chase another Speckled Wood butterfly flying past.

Speckled Wood Butterfly

I had an enjoyable walk round but with no sign of anything particularly new in. The air was full of Skylark song and 2 Common Buzzard called to each other as they spiralled higher and higher above me. A nice surprise was 2 Red-legged Partridge exploding up from cover as I reached the halfway point and disappearing behind the hedge. I hoped that they might have settled in the field but there was no sign of them as I made my way further down.

I could hear a couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers drumming as I passed the wood and a Green Woodpecker called loudly. A group of Dandelion heads caught my eye and I liked how I could see all the stages of the flower from flower to various stages of seed head in the same small area.

Dandelion heads

My walk got a whole lot better when I looked up to see a raptor coming and realised it was a Red Kite (104). Now that was a very welcome sight. What a beauty. I lost my balance as I tried for a photo as it came past and only managed the one nearer shot. By the time I could try for another it had already gained a lot of height but was still a real pleasure to watch and I could see that it had moulted at least one of its tail feathers.

Red Kite

Red Kite

Well chuffed I carried on only to find that the walk still held another very welcome surprise. Heading back up the path past the paddock I could see some Blackbirds in the paddock through the gaps in the Hedgerow and then caught sight of a stunning male Ring Ouzel (105). Luckily for me, though fairly obscured by branches and a wire fence, I was able to see it well enough to try for some photos. It became very alert as some dog walkers came down the path and then flew for cover. I felt so very lucky to have seen it. What a super end to the walk. I looked back over my records when I got home and found that the last time I saw a Ring Ouzel at Broomfield track was on exactly the same day, the 8th of April, but in 2013 and that time it was in the cow paddock. It must be a good day in April for them.

male Ring Ouzel

male Ring Ouzel

Birds seen this visit included: 6 Robin, 3 Wren, 12 Blackbird, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Wood Pigeons, 4 Dunnock, 1 Jay, 8 Magpie, 4 Goldfinch, 5 Chiffchaff, 8 Chaffinch, 5 Song Thrush, 8 Linnet, Rooks, Carrion Crows, Jackdaws, 5 Stock Dove, Skylarks, 2 Common Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel, 2 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Pheasant, 2 Red-legged Partridge, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Red Kite, 1 Ring Ouzel