Read it now!

Cornwall - 30th May - 7th June - Scilly Shrew, Polecats and Black eared Wheatear.

30th September

A hummingbird hawkmoth in the garden at work today was a real bonus and probably the last before the autumn really sets in.

28th September

I had to go to Amersham to give a talk, one of the reasons for not going for the crane. But on the way I was able to pop into Wilstone Reservoir to see the Leach's Petrel which was showing well mostly on the water. After my talk I popped into Wendover woods where the edible dormice were still about and very vocal, I had a few brief views including one on the ground before heading for home.

26 and 27th September

With the Crane on my mind, particularly as I could not go until late next week, I set of to an organised day of bat box checks and catching with the Wilshire bat group, who I have been with before and am always very impressed with them, both in their great knowledge and expertise in handling bats and communicating the information to those attending including some kids who they engaged with really well, real ambassadors for bat conservation. The punters were mainly from the Herts / Cambs area most know to me and as usual a good bunch and we all really enjoyed the event. Anyway we had plenty of Natters bats in the hand from the boxes and with a brute of a noctule to compare with soprano pips. Some Brown long eareds completed the bat box checks and we headed to Marlborough for refreshments before the night trapping event. With a new hi tech net which was very easy to set up and operate, the trapping was steady but was mainly natters and brown long eared but we did get a daubentons for comparison. It was a very cold night and tawny owls were about as was a cat looking for the mice we could hear scurrying in the undergrowth. I eventually found one in the night vision scope probably a wood mouse but will not stake the mortgage on it. Another excellent day out and I got some good photographs of bats in flight. Finishing late I headed straight to Pegwell bay where I successfully dipped the fan tailed warbler for a second time, continuing my recent run of form in Kent. I waited it out a few common migrants scant reward, but had to get a kip so had a few hours in the car but by mid afternoon nothing was happening so I headed to try the wild boar again. There were no recent signs of wild boar and with the food left out by Mike on a visit the previous weekend left untouched I assumed nothing was about. I baited an area with some peanuts for badgers disturbing a roe deer in the process. Several badgers were about and one fed happily on the peanuts but my photography failed as all the equipment had misted up with the heavy dew. I was about to give up when I heard a couple of wild boar passing grunting loudly and they made the badgers move away pretty quickly. They did not show and moved on after a few minutes I headed for home a tawny owl in flight and a badger shortly after leaving of note but not much else and a bit of a disappointing day.

22nd September

Another evening at my mammal feeding station was a little more successful a common shrew paid a brief visit and a fox on the walk home, with the hope of more to come.

21st September

With a day in London I was not expecting much wildlife but it was not too bad, mid afternoon I was walking along the banks of the Thames. A healthy flock of starlings entertained with their aerobatics, but it was two carrion crows that drew my attention diving at and harassing a peregrine falcon which easily out manoeuvred them but it was great to watch. And one more bird of interest a kingfisher whizzed past me and then looped round to give me a second look. Back at home I staked out my rats this time in total darkness trying out IR photography, they were very skittish when I tried previously at night but there is one brave one who let me get the shots I wanted.

20th September

A weekend of gardening and catching up on all those chores. But it was not all boring I have set up my mammal stake out and baited it all up on Saturday. But first the gardening with chiff chaff and great spotted woodpecker in the garden. Several common darters and a small tortoiseshell were also present as well the rats the current total is 8 a second litter now present. So off to the mammal stake out, buzzards on the way along with a little owl and a grey partridge and finally a mammal two hares in the newly tilled field. At the mammal site I settled for a few hours, the blackbirds were giving a tawny owl hell, but as dusk came so did the small mammals, a couple of common shrews and a vole sp not seen well enough. Despite lots of promising noises no sign of any deer or badgers, I will keep trying.

18th September

A brief drop into Stanwick lakes on the way home and finally a reward for my efforts this week a black tailed godwit feeding on the small lake north of the A45 pit. Next stop was Fen Drayton RSPB again quiet but a whinchat was worthy of mention. The real reason of my visit was to attend the National Moth night event here, not that I know much about moths but it was worth the visit to learn a bit more. A Tawny owl was vocal and showed in flight, but it was the bats that were the stars, the concentrated insects around the moth traps were perfect for bat feasting and several common pipistrelles a couple of brief brown long eared and a daubenton's over the lake. Oh yes there were moths some nice ones and some dull and boring ones.

17th September

An evening search of Stanwick Lakes did not turn up much, common sandpipers the top birds.

16th September

Somehow I had missed news of the Whale and during my lunch I visited Stanwick Lakes to try and see the Baikal Teal again and now in more favourable light get some pics. But the teal was nowhere to be found on the two lakes I focussed on. Then when going to report my no sighting saw the whale report and I was off to sunny Bournemouth, although it poured with rain all the way. Despite the poor weather I made very good time and was in Bournemouth ahead of the rain. I joined a couple of people and got the gen. 10 mins later and I was watching the northern bottlenose whale, it surfaced half a dozen times and then disappeared for almost 25 mins before repeating the process but only staying down for 10-15 mins. It stayed in a fairly small area circling and we all thought it was in a poor state, but it started to become more active with energetic tail slaps seemingly timed with bouts of heavy rain just to make photography more difficult. At one stage it got very energetic with about ten breaches that got myself and the only other brave soul very excited. The weather turned even worse and I almost headed for the shelter of the car but the whale reappeared and started another series of breaches about twenty in all - fantastic! I tried to use the bus stop for shelter but could not see the sea from there. Shortly after John arrived and we enjoyed some reasonable views in very poor conditions including some tail slapping. Totally soaked I visited the chippy and returned to the site where the whale was still showing off and on while I enjoyed some food. Rather soggy I headed for home.

14th September

An evening visit to Stanwick Lakes, where after a long search I located the Baikal teal which I found there earlier in the year. It was tucked away on a island and I was looking into the sun so it was difficult to see, let alone photograph. I will try again later in the week.

13th September

I already had a trip to Kent my recent dip fest could not continue could it. Anywhere I was not there for the birds I had an event which I would fit some birding around. First stop was Dungness but despite searching the finch flocks no rosefinch was present, and no rose coloured in the starlings. After my event it was off to the RSPB reserve to check out the Great white egret, but yes you can guess I dipped it, no sign only a garganey and marsh harrier in the blustery conditions. During the walk back I bumped into a fox but not much else and there was no sign of the egret from Dengemarsh road. After some food I staked out a wild boar site. I baited the track near the car and headed a little further into the woods where I heard a boar very close as I was baiting I backed off but it would not come into the open and after about 10 mins moved past me. A few others passed me but would not show themselves. A ferrett ran across the track and then a period as darkness really fell with nothing at all happening then a couple of badgers started feeding on the track. Not being totally prepared I "arsed" up the photos ( I had not torch to focus the camera or point it in the right direction) but had more success with video. Back to the car and the bait there had gone and I had missed them. A tawny owl showed well by the car and a badger on the road nearby, my first boar dip at this site!

12th September

The promised top day in North Norfolk never materialised, but it did start of promisingly. Our first stop was Warham Greens, where Stephen and I had the site to ourselves, the birds were about and we managed to locate a red breasted and closely followed by a pied flycatcher and a few common warblers. Then a juv hen harrier passed by. Then the icky was reported nearby we were off to a flyer, joined by the rest of the Stortford crew things went downhill as the Icky never reappeared nor did the red breasted flycatcher seen nearby. The hen harrier reappeared and acrobatically caught a meadow pipit. Reports from elsewhere were also going downhill and we did not fancy the needle in a haystack search of wells wood so it was off the Cley. A good selection of birds was present noting spectacular but several curlew sandpipers amongst the commoner waders and two scaup the pick of the ducks. A good number of bearded tits were showing but eluded the camera. A bit of seawatching produced the real prize an ocean sunfish but some fisherman spotted it as well as the local gulls and were quick to grab it, all the usual seawatching dross was present, but that was enough and we left dropping into Stiffkey for the rather nice juv red necked phalarope buzzing around the fen. Still mammal less for the day apart from a rabbit I scanned Blakney Point but could not find any seals. With things winding down we headed for home with the local Glossy Ibis and / or Pec sand worthy of a visit. We plumped for the ibis but on arrival they had left a kingfisher and a barn owl kept us going until the 7 glossy ibis came into roost which was very protracted as some duck hunters were keeping everything very jittery. Not a day as promised but we probably made the best of it.

8th September

A polecat was found dead on my way to work and I stopped on the way home to photograph it.

8th September

With the reports of the Fan tailed warbler I headed off, arriving to bad news it had been flushed and despite an extensive search the site is large and could easily conceal a warbler, the site was quiet a turtle dove, ring necked Parakeets and whimbrel of note.

7th September

A detour on the way home from work was rewarded with the recently found cracking Pallid Harrier, it showed for quite a while quartering over the fields and I only had to wait 10 mins for its amazing show. What a top bird, peregrine and kestrel present as well.

5th September

With a family weekend not much was done but the family BBQ on Saturday had some uninvited guests. I had noticed the peanut feeder had been going down very quickly over the last week and today the culprits showed themselves. A family party of a mother and 5 baby brown rats were climbing in the tree and clambering down onto the peanut feeder. They were not worried by us and were quite showy. A nice selection of butterflies in the garden enjoying the sunny weather.

29th August

My plan to go to Rainham and the Lee Valley changed slightly with the appearance of some Terns at Farmoor. But I started on the Thames at Rainham with my crab line trying to catch a Chinese Mitten crab, but my efforts although successful number wise yielded only shore crabs and not my target. I popped into the reserve and had a brief walk around, not much birdwise but marsh frogs and a grass snake were found. Despite kids having all week to visit some very noisy ones were around keeping the birds away and some of their parents were worse! A dead rat was interesting flies on the boardwalk but I could not find any water voles, So I concentrated on insects all the usual dragonflies were about and a comma made a change from all the whites present, a few bumblebees kept my interest for a while but it was time to leave. Despite the bank holiday the traffic was not too bad only slow in a few spots although a few idiots not used to the roads had ventured out causing a few problems. Several red kites were flying over the M40 on the way to Farmoor. On arrival two terns were flying over F1 part of Farmoor reservoir but distantly, one my third white winged black tern of the year and the second an American black tern. Several of the birders were discussing the ID features but at that distance! I headed for the causeway where the view was a little closer but the flew over our heads and landed in the middle of F2 and then they could be studied in detail. As they took off a black tern joined them and a good comparison of all three could be had, very nice indeed. Having had my fill I headed off to my next destination in search of a snail. The site of this exotic was much more salubrious than my last exotic twitch, so my car was safe parked amongst the Bentley's, Porsche's and Merc's at Cliveden National Trust property. Indeed I was the odd one out, not dressed up and only paying interest in one wall where the Cliveden Snail lives and a short search found several individuals of this introduced species. I wandered round the grounds all the horse chestnuts were infested with chestnut leaf miner and the leaves were heavily infested. After a cold drink and a wander down the river for an ice cream I drove to Wendover for a bag of chips before heading into the woods at dusk. Edible dormice were easily located by their calling but harder to photograph as they were very active and I could not pin them down, after 30 mins or so one eventually gave in and allowed me a couple of shots before heading home.

24th August

Continuing my quest to explore sites local to my work I headed to Hollowell reservoir for the evening I was in the wife's car for the final time. Conditions were poor with heavy drizzle during my visit top for birding hence this major twitch to myself. I quickly found a wood sandpiper but the pectoral sandpiper was much further down the reservoir. I managed a few record shots in the terrible conditions. Several yellow wagtails and two common sandpipers were also present.

23rd August

I was at Snettisham RSPB for dawn, borrowing the wife's car had one condition park in a safe place hopefully no drunken yobs here and I was correct. On the way I took a quick drive round Wolferton that produced two muntjac. The weather was looking good but very windy. As I walked down the far end of the reserve the geese were on the move but that is not what I was after, my target was waders. Being there so early I had hoped for 40 winks before the action but I was quickly joined in the hide by a helpful couple but they were very noisy and were convinced the yellow wagtails were grey! Their gen on the kingfisher was spot on and I bagged a few good pics. A kestrel tussled with partridges before carrying something off which even from the photo I cannot make out. The waders started to arrive a couple of greenshank then some common sandpipers and slowly the redshanks, godwits, dunlin and oystercatchers which were the most abundant. There were a few other waders mixed in, but it was quite difficult finding them as they were flushed often by marsh harriers, kestrel and many non raptors. But I managed to pick out a few avocet, turnstone, sanderling, grey plover, knot, ringed plover which were pretty easy but a single curlew sandpiper was a bit harder to find. The hide started to fill with numpties trying to separate dunlin from grey plover so that was my cue to leave. The beach held a couple of big roosts of dunlin, sanderling and ringed plover which more numpties managed to flush. A few butterflies were still about several whites in good nick but also some poor looking meadow browns and gatekeepers but the pick although in very poor condition was a wall. Very tired I headed for home stopping at a spot for Autumn Lady's tresses.

22nd August

Being car less and busy with work I had not done anything all week, but today after some successful car hunting (pick up in a few days) I took a walk round the village and to check on my reptile refugia. All was quiet a few migrant hawkers about, but no reptiles under my refugia, they were inhabited by a variety of insects including ants and two were home to bank voles. A field was full of ladybirds over 350 seven spot, 4 fourteen spot and a single two spot, and a sparrowhawk was out manoeuvred by a lucky linnet.

15th August

A very early start with Chew Valley Lake my first stop, where the long staying fudge duck had been seen recently. On arrival one other birder was present but there was no sign of the fudge duck. A few waders were present, common sandpiper, dunlin, black tailed godwits amongst the large numbers of wildfowl. It was a beautiful morning so I stayed a while, some movement on a small island had me looking. It was a mammal and the little grebe gave it a wide berth, the grey heron was braver and a quick lunge and it was caught and the brown rats fate was sealed although not with out a bit of a fight. I headed for North Devon via a couple of non wildlife related sites, I did connect with a couple of Exmoor ponies and a selection of butterflies as I crossed the moor. My destination was an organised visit to a lesser horseshoe bat roost. Our host had a natter's bat that was being hand reared to show us, and after a short talk on bats we went to the roost site. Condition were against us with periods of drizzle in dispersed with heavy showers, about 150 of the 400 bats present did leave the roost along with a couple of common pipistrelles. I zipped up to the Forest of Dean where just after midnight I met up with Farnboro John who had been baiting the site. I had done some research on the recent reports of Skunks in the Forest of Dean and had put together all the sightings and sorted the area in which we would concentrate our search. The plan was to bait some areas which John had done in advance of my arrival and we would search mostly by car for the skunks hoping they would come to our bait. As we carried out our search it became apparent neither of us knew what sound they made - an oversight in the research. We drove loads of laps of the area in John's car looking for our quarry, but we saw mostly cats and dogs. Exploring some sites on foot proved to be equally frustrating with rabbits the only wildlife spotted, apart from the local drunks. As we neared 3am there was a lot of cat activity, some sheep and a fox so failing optimism was buoyed for a bit. But it started to wane after a while, but a foot patrol down a cul-de-sac suddenly perked us up with a striped skunk in a garden. We lost it for a while in some bushes but it was still there when I took a close look. Another one was spotted in a garden further down and we got a few pics but they were not too happy with the flash but after a minute they returned. They were much whiter than we expected although some investigations post sighting suggests that they are of a much white form found in Arizona. They moved off after about 5 mins so we headed back to collect my car for a celebratory cup of tea to help keep me awake as it had been 24hrs since I was last in my bed. In the 15 or so minutes since we last drove past my car the local inbreds had been past and had trashed it broken front and rear windscreens and scratched up every body panel. It took the shine off a top night but despite the damage all my expensive optics and electronics gear was untouched, just mindless tossers. My plans would have to change so I was to head home but we took a brief stop to look for wild boar, a roe deer, stoat and grey squirrel were spotted on the short drive. Our walk in the woods had lots of recent signs of boar but no sightings. Time for a mega caffeine hit before heading home and all the agro sorting the car out.

12th August

Following up on Mink reports at Fen Drayton, I staked out the place, and after a couple of hours I had one crossing the track way in front of me.

11th August

With the impending harvest in the field behind my house, I dusted off the small mammal traps and checked regularly, the field was harvested this evening, and the follwing morning I checked the traps, all were tripped, a great haul of slugs and snails and a lone field vole. 8th August

A two spot ladybird landed on me inside the spinnaker tower in Portsmouth, the only other wildlife during a great weekend with the family on Hayling island was a buzzard and a green woodpecker.

7th August

A family event on the south coast saw us heading down to the New Forest to try again for the scarce blue tailed damselfly. Conditions were much better than my previous trips but it was quite windy and damselflys were scarce - no pun intended! A couple of southern damselflies a blue tailed and a couple of small red damselflies. We took a quick look at the Boundswood fallow deer before heading over to Farlington Marshes. We quickly found a greenshank and a couple of common sandpipers and quite a few of the commoner waders. A water rail showed over the back of the marsh, pushing the Leica to its limit, and this is where the spotted crake eventually showed, not the best view, but still worth a look as we were passing.

6th August

With some decent weather I headed down to Suffolk to another new site - Staverton Lakes. The walk to the site was busy with butterflies grayling the pick of a dozen species. One other person was at the site and we quickly found a willow emerald just too far away to photograph so it was a digiscope job. Three individuals were seen in total and several other species were present a perched migrant hawker worth a photo, 6 odonta species. The willow emeralds were surprisingly lethargic but the wind made photography difficult. A muntjac and buzzard were also spotted. Not much else about apart from a great white egret at Hen Reedbed SWT. When I found the site with the aid of two modern satellite navigation systems there was no one there so I took a wander round, the great white egret was at the far end of the reserve but the walk was pleasant. A whimbrel was present amongst the commoner waders but the gulls held nothing of note. I headed back to the car and a bittern flew right over me - superb! I headed for home with a little owl the only thing of note.

3rd August

An evening visit to Pitsford reservoir, for nothing in particular other than to check the site out but my reward in the good numbers of wildfowl was a drake scaup north of the causeway, not much else but a good reccie of the site was had.

31st July

With a break in the weather it was time to get back in the field. First stop was a site I visited for violet helleborine last year, but I was just a little late and the flowers were past their best. This trip I was a fraction too early but a couple were looking good. Not much else apart from a couple of red kites. Not much doing here so I headed to Rutland Water, a couple of ruddy shelducks had been reported earlier in the day, so I thought I would take a look. The place was deserted not a soul about, I had the place to myself and it was bliss. Several green sandpipers were in Lagoon I along with a greenshank and a common sandpiper. Further down the path a family of bullfinches was a pleasant sight. Finally near the Gadwall hide I located the two ruddy shelducks but the view was through trees so I went to the hide and they were just visible, they eventually came out into view. The walk back to the car produced a hunting barn owl and it was sucessful. I stopped to check the bird feeders at the visitor's centre, no birds present as the brown rats had taken over robbing the feeders rather acrobatically.

29th July

With poor weather and a broken car, not much on the wildlife front to report apart from a Old Lady moth in the garden.

25th July

I met the Norfolk BC and Norfolk WT for a moth trapping session and butterfly walk at Great Hocking. We checked the trap but the overnight conditions were far from ideal so not much was in the trap, a couple of buff ermine, buff tip, small magpie, dark arches, silver Y, rustic wave, scalloped oak, Lesser Swallow Prominent were the ones I can remember. As we headed for the flowers, past the site of the trap (it had been moved out of the sun) a poplar hawkmoth and privet hawkmoth were resting on the logs. We took a walk with lots of pristine butterflies, painted lady, small skipper, essex skipper, common blue, gatekeeper, comma, meadow brown, ringlet, purple hairstreak, white admiral, peacock, small tortoiseshell, small white, large white, small copper, brimstone. We found a badly injured hedgehog which was the only mammal of the walk, not much birdlife just the common species and a smooth newt was unexpected. A weasel crossed the road in front of me on the way home.

23rd July

An after work trip to Finemere woods to look for the released marbled fritillaries, but the weather was quitr poor and only a few butterflies were around, of note silver washed fritillary and white admiral. A red kite the only bird of note.

22nd July

I left work on the news that a blue cheeked bee-eater was near Dover, I made good time until the bottom of the M11 where the matrix signs read M25 delays J30 and the warning proved to be true. After crawling through the tolls, I made it to Bockhill Farm, on arrival the bee eater was calling behind the monument, but I could not see it. I had just missed it by seconds and a few minutes later the group who had seen it returned to their cars. After a few hours it was obvious that it had gone, so we made do with calling quail which was the only bird of note, marbled white the pick of the butterflies. As the rain arrived it was time for the unhappy trip home.

20th July

With the birding still poor I once again headed for flowers and took an evening visit to Warburg BBOWT reserve, which when I used to visit when I was a kid was called Bix Bottom and always caused great amusement to us 10 year olds. It was over 20 years since my last visit and the reserve has changed quite a bit. After a short but muddy walk I found the orchid area and quickly found a couple of narrow lipped orchids in flower but several not, the poor light in the wood made photography difficult particularly as I had the wrong camera with me, still even with the correct one I am no David Bailey! There were a few violet helleborines present as well but they were still in bud and will need a few more days before they open.

19th July

The day started perfectly with bright sun and light winds, perfect for today's targets dragonflies in the new forest, but first I made a quick stop for bog orchid, good job I had the wellies packed as their name suggests they live in bogs. I quickly found a couple and managed some photos without getting wet. I headed to the dragonfly site but the weather had changed and was now drizzling and the wind growing ever stronger. I did a visit to a touristy site before returning but even when the sun came out the wind made it impossible for dragons and I did not see a single one. I did see two brown rats feeding from a roadside bin, so I gave up on dragons and had a bite to eat like the rats while working out an alternative plan, reptiles, the conditions were perfect for them. But first I stopped at Boulderwood to see the Fallow deer, it was heaving and it was well before feeding time, I took a few pics and left stopping for an ice cream, here I watched a spotted flycatcher acrobatically catching insects in the strong wind, my first of the year. Heading for Bournmouth, traffic was very busy but I made it to Parley common, I had a look on the heath and found a sand lizard but it was too fast for my camera. I bumped into a chap who had seen a black adder, he directed me to the site, not on the heath but nearby and a very dodgy place a scrubland full of rubble on the edge of a small wood. After a previous encounter with an adder which I came off the worst, I was on orders from the misses to avoid them, but I had never seen a black adder so I carried on. I found the place but nothing and started to search around a bit and then I found it basking in the sun, I kept my distance and got a few photo's before my presence caused it to move off behind an ivy covered tree stump, perhaps where it lived. I headed back to the heath picking up a dartford warbler and stonechat on the way, but the weather had changed and despite a quick look no other reptiles were seen. The weather worsening I headed for home along with millions of others after a very hit and miss weekend, mainly due to the poor weather.

18th July

Dawn came and I headed to a site where a small population of a non native species is present, I won't divulge it now because I did not see any due to some disturbance on the site so will visit again. A bit deflated I took a random walk along the south downs hoping for chalkhill blues and after a short time I found several pristine specimens struggling in the ever strengthening wind. There was a good selection of butterflies fresh painted ladies, comma, meadow brown, ringlet, gatekeeper, small skipper, red admiral, green veined white, common blue to name a few. A few of the common downland birds a whinchat the pick of the bunch and a hare added to the mammal tally. I had no real plans as I had set aside plenty of time for my first stop so I visited a couple of touristy places before heading mid afternoon to Pulborough brooks RSPB. The sightings board was a bit bare but I took a walk anyway. I ambled slowly sitting and watching the many families of birds and the chiff chaffs in particular, nothing special but a drake pintail on one of the pools. The rain hammered down, but I had just made it to one of the hides in time. A hobby was braving the downpour as was the large mixed hirundine flock perhaps the two were connected. I added grey squirrel to the list on one of the feeders. After some food I headed to Ebernoe where I was booked on a bat evening. The weather held despite the poor forecast and we had a reasonable number of bats considering the conditions, the tally was one soprano pipistrelle, one whiskered bat, 8 barbastelle and 5 bechsteins.

17th July

The weekend was pre-planned and the south coast the destination, targets were mainly insects but the weather was not to oblidge so in the end it was all a bit improvised and bitty. Th roads were filled with fully ladened cars and drivers not versed with friday rush hour and combined with the poor weather led to the inevitable crashes and bashes which delayed my trip down to Kent where I drove to the wildboar wood. One greeted me as I pulled the car into the parking space but crossed the road and away. I got organised and headed to a good vantage spot, a bit of boar spore?? was present so they were about. I watched the rabbits feed as I set up my camera equipment and a stoat arrived but disappeared before I was ready. A fox crossed the track but nothing else, but just as it got dark rustling and snorting behind me and a wild boar was there just behind a bush, but it knew I was there and skirted round me and disappeared. After a couple of hours of nothing but a few unidentified bats I left. I did a drive round the local lanes and quickly picked up a couple of badgers and several foxes, but no more boar. I headed for my next destination, on the way I had to stop for a polecat, it turned and it was obviously not a polecat but a ferrett, with a pure white face, it bounded off before I grabbed the camera.

12th July

A leisurly start before a quick visit to Thompson Common, there were good numbers of odonta present despite the sub optimal weather. First was a hairy dragonfly and then it was into the damselflys with good numbers of emeralds and blue tailed amongst the commoner species and I eventually picked out a scarce emerald and a few large red damselflys. Ruddy and common darters were dwarfed by a brown hawker and an emperor. Having my fill I headed for home with a quick stop at Lyndford Lakes for some butterflies but had lots of bumblebees and ladybirds mainly harlequin but also a good number of seven spots and a few fourteen and sixteen spot's as well. There was my first grass snake of the year and red admiral, comma, gatekeeper, large skipper and a large white on the butterfly front before heading home.

11th July

It was bird atlas time again, and despite the mixed weather I had a good morning, and as usual it brought a couple of surprises. I also took a note of the other wildlife as usual, mammals were rabbits, hares, grey squirrels and a common shrew. Buterflies despite the weather were out in force with loads seen gatekeeper, meadow brown, ringlet, large white, small white, green veined white, peacock, brimstone, painted lady, small tortoiseshell, comma, speckled wood, large skipper and a couple of either small or essex skippers. So quite productive, but today the birds were the stars I had a common tern over a private fishing lake. The prize was a lesser spotted woodpecker showing in a small wooded area on the edge of a village, very smart it was too. green woodpecker and great spotted woodpecker finished the set and a family of buzzards was of note.

10th July

An afternoon visit to Fen drayton to see the white winged black tern which was showing quite well over Ferry Lagoon and it eventually landed allowing for some views between the cormorants. It was not as smart as the one at Loompit Lakes earlier in the year as it was showing some signs of moult particularly around the head. A drake pintail was also present but not much in the way of waders, just a little early yet I suppose, so a bit more work on the insect and orchid front for a few weeks before the birding picks up again. A large moth was present in the house in the evening not a hawkmoth but still big, it was photographed and let go.

5th July

I awoke at some ungodly hour to torrential rain, today's plan would not work if that kept up, I went back to sleep for a bit and eventually got the energy to drive to my next stop as the rain slowed, it was Barrow in Furness - well a nature reserve nearby called Sandscale Haws. Targets here were orchids, and they were very difficult to find, but there were loads of common spotted orchids and a couple of early marsh and pyramidal orchids. One of the wardens pointed me to some good locations and I did manage to find a couple of dune helleborines just coming into flower, and a few marsh helleborines as well. I also stumbled upon two green flowered Helleborines quite by chance, and there were loads of other rare plants, well worth a visit. Graylings and dark green fritillaries were out in good force and I had family parties of rock pipits and stonechats, there were loads of 7 spot ladybirds in the dunes as well. My last stop was Arnside Knott, and my trip was well timed, as I met up with a couple of guys from Northumberland who were very helpful, and we spent some time photographing the butterflies (when they would stay still in the hot sun), dark green fritillary, high brown fritillary, red admiral, speckled wood, grayling, large skipper, small tortoiseshell, and a purple hairstreak we also located a couple of northern brown argus but they would not settle, it started to rain which prompted the long slow limp home.

4th July

With the report of a river Warbler at Applecross a plan was forming, however a crucial part of the plan the car was misbehaving, perhaps it was the thought of Scotland as during my trip to Scotland last year I had the same problem. The engine management light comes on and the car looses power, so Friday I finished work early and headed to my brothers in Leicester to diagnose the problem. The news was mixed, I colud drive it as the problem was not life threatening (although it is a tricky drive with low power, hills being a real problem to get up - it is like a Jeckel and Hyde car changing from a Braun GP to a McLaren in an instant), the bad news was that a couple of parts would be needed the cost of which I would need to sell two kidneys to cover. I headed north, with the car spending some time in each mode, usually in limp mode when a hill came on the horizon, it did not bode well for Scotland that has a hill or two. I made it to Penrith before I needed to stop and after some food I was ready for Scotland. With light traffic and the car behaving I made good time to Loch Lomond, where I started to see some wildlife, I spent lots of time avoiding frogs and toads on the road and a swerve to avoid a hedgehog crossing the main road, and across Rannoch Moor red deer were my obstacles. Just south of Fort William a pine marten crossed with something in its mouth, I filled the car and added more caffeine to my system before heading to Applecross. The car could sense what was ahead and I was concerned about driving over the pass of the cattle in limp mode, but that is what I did, good job there was nothing else on the road (apart from deer) and I made it into Applecross, it was now 6am. I parked at the heritage centre and there was nobody there - strange!, had it gone, been re identified? I went for the phone but no signal so drove up the hill a little and got a signal and checked birdguides - Blue cheeked bee eater - Devon - in my tired state was all I saw - that is where they all are damm! I then had some more caffeine and read the messages properly River Warbler in Applecross late the evening before and the bee eater was from a few days ago - phew! I went back to the heritage centre and started searching for the bird on my own, a strange occurrence for a twitch, and I was sure something was amiss. But a few mins later a couple of birders turned up one had seen it the night before which allayed my fears. Another group turned up and the original pair both left. So it was just four of us looking and nothing at all for two hours apart from siskin, common toad and a family of whinchats, when suddenly from the bush in front of us it started singing, no sign until it flew to a gorse bush a bit further away. I was singing on and off but we could not locate it despite its close proximity. Then suddenly the river warbler hopped up on the fence postand sang fro a few mins in full view and then in the small tree behind the heritage centre. Excellent it flew back into the gorse but despite a few bursts of song it did not show. Happy we all headed off, I headed north around the coast and found a phone signal and sent in news. The view was stunning I had only ever been here in winter before in poor weather so missed the scenery, well worth the trip for that alone, hooded crows everywhere and eider and red breasted mergansers in the bays worth mentioning. The car knew no hill were on the itinerary so behaved and I made it to Bridge of Grudie for some dragonflies, but the weather was no helping a stiff breeze had got up and the sky overcast with the odd drop of drizzle, and only a few large red damselfly were present. I tried a couple of other spots but nothing, I picked up raven and common sandpipier but no insects. The weather looked like it had set in so I headed east to Channory point, several red kites on the way. The weather here better but still a strong breeze, I had missed the main event as the tide was wrong but a couple of bottlenosed dolphins were feeding but not close in, plenty of artic terns feeding but little else so I headed to Tesco to stock on supplies before heading down the A9, a couple of stops produced nothing and tiredness set in so my heart was not in it some chips in Aviemore and the long drive to the border where I had to have some sleep.