Levels-birder

July 27th 2008

During the past week, when birds have been at a bit-of-a-lull, I’ve mostly been concentrating on dragonflies and butterflies, although my one walk along the Huntspill Seawall did manage this high-tide roosting Dunlin (one of 14) and this Linnet which was unusually obliging, staying behind when its companions flew off. The only other bird of note was a solitary calling Greenshank that flew overhead.

 

 

Kay and I stopped off on Tealham Moor to observe the sheer spectacle of hundreds, probably thousands, of freshly emerged Green-veined White Butterflies, floating everywhere over the short grass.

 

 

I took several photos, and these two were just about OK in what was fairly windy conditions.

 

I photographed this female Southern Hawker Dragonfly, one of our larger ones, along the main footpath on Shapwick Heath NNR, having watched it for 30 mins before it finally rested in a low enough position after making many hunting forays to catch the small flying insects it was feeding on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This unusual view of a Silver-washed Fritillary from below shows how a butterfly coils-up its tongue, like a partly wound watch spring, when not actively feeding with it.

 

 

 

These last two photos are of a male Brimstone butterfly, feeding on thistle, and show its leaf-like camouflage, complete with mould spots, and its distinctive, pinkish-red antennae.

 

 

July 22nd 2008

Good news! Today, the Somerset Ornithological Society officially announced that a pair of Cattle Egrets has reared at least one young within the County. As far as is known, this is the first reported successful breeding of this species in the UK, and follows on from last winter’s influx, mainly into the southwest of England. I thought I would mark this important event with three more photos: one of a preening adult, one just as it takes off, and one taken in flight.

 

 

 

 

July 17th 2008

In-a-way I’m sort of sorry that because of possible breeding I can’t share the location of the Cattle Egrets that I’ve been watching since late April. However, I can share my photos, and these were taken today when they came close to my parked car. I was getting a little worried because in six visits I hadn’t seen any sign of them since June 29th, then all of sudden there were two on July 14th and then the four were back together yesterday.

 

 

I saw this male Brown Hawker dragonfly, my first of the year, during a butterfly and dragonfly survey on Ham Wall RSPB Reserve yesterday. It was one of three; the other two were a mating pair. Hanging among the vegetation in its settled position it’s fairly well camouflaged and not that easy to see.

 

 

 

July 15th 2008

It’s not often that I get this close to a Great Crested Grebe. This splendid male was catching small fish and delivering them to its new brood of three who were keeping close to ‘mum’ on the far side of a reedy-pool at Ham Wall RSPB Reserve.

 

 

 

 

July 13th 2008

The first decent-day with sunny intervals for some time found me on Shapwick Heath NNR looking for butterflies and dragonflies. Sadly, not many of either, except for two nice Silver-washed Fritillaries, seen from Noah’s Hide, that didn’t stop for a photo. However, better luck awaited me just over the footbridge on the track to Meare Heath Hide. Here, at eye level, was this obliging Purple Hairstreak, a butterfly that is rarely seen other than as a small shape flicking around the top of a tall oak. It was one of three, all feeding on a small sapling and giving me my best views ever!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve had an interest in butterflies for many years and always assumed their tongues were black; at least all the few species I’ve managed to watch feeding close-up had black tongues. Well, here was this Purple Hairstreak, hardly larger than a fifty pence piece, feeding avidly with its long, bright yellow tongue!

 

 

 

The only notable birds that I saw were an immature female Peregrine that scattered a flock of Lapwing in an unsuccessful stoop and about six, insect hunting Hobbies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This unusual-looking, white-headed goose, is probably a Canada/Bar-headed Goose hybrid?

A normal-looking 'escapee' Bar-headed Goose has been in this area since the winter and was seen keeping consort with a Canada Goose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Continuing a goosy theme, later, on Westhay Moor, I came across these Greylag Geese, part of a small flock of 14.

 

 

 

 

 

July 8th 2008

 

 

 

What with several days of rain, the start of the month has been a bit slow for wildlife and very little has passed in front of my camera. These juvenile Grey Herons were still on a nest in their heronry on July 4th, which presumably means they are a either a second attempt or an unusual second brood. Grey Herons are early nest-builders and most lay their eggs in February or early-March; from incubation to fledging takes about 75 days, so most young herons can be seen on the wing by early June.

 

 

 

 

 

The few walks that I’ve managed on my local reserves on the Somerset Levels have shown up a few successful broods of duck, like this family of Pochard, not one that I see many of, while this female Tufted Duck with a single duckling is one of six broods that I came across, the others varying from three to seven in number.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I photographed this pair of Tufted Ducks in the previous month, just before the duck left the drake after mating to go off on her own to nest and raise a family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This male Black-tailed Skimmer was one of several that I saw during a recent butterfly and dragonfly survey walk on Ham Wall RSPB Reserve on one of the few sunnier days so far this month.