Venus Pool - Common Sandpiper

Whilst I normally post a few images of the bird in question, I only had one useable image from this brief encounter with a Common Sandpiper in front of the main hide...

Bits in the way everywhere but, in 'habitat' :-)

Venus Pool - Arctic Terns

Two Arctic Terns spent late morning onwards at Venus Pool today! Not easy to photograph in the rain and poor light...

A few similar shots...

Perhaps the nearest pass?

Venus Pool - Common Scoters

A good find at VP today by John Martin in the shape of two Common Scoters on the adjacent Fishing Pool...

A rare moment of the 'sleepy one'...

Quickly zzzzzzing away!

As they drifted further out...

Shrewsbury - Migrant Hawkers

A surprise in store, lurking in the fields behind good ole Percy Thowers Garden Centre today!  My earliest encounter for sure with male and female Migrant Hawker!

Ladies first...

Here is the male...

A close up of those amazing eyes!

Shrewsbury - Volucella inanis & Red Admiral

Whilst the Migrant Hawker was a nice surprise. The Buddleia it was feeding on held plenty of Volucella zonaria and once you got your eye in, the smaller Hornet mimic Volucella inanis!

Here's some close ups of Volucella inanis, clearly smaller than V. zonaria in the field...

Although it pays to get some views if the underside to be sure!

The two images below show the pale area of V. inanis vs the mainly black markings in V. zonaria also present...

Volucella zonaria...

The light was lovely for a good number of Red Admirals on view!

Always one of the most beautiful Butterflies we have...

Particularly with the underwing view!

Venus Pool - Kingfisher

Kingfisher fishing and giving plenty of 'opportunities' as it hovered - today held a few lucky moments!

The local Pied Wagtails were not welcoming!

Perched waiting...

And success with catching a small carp! 

Various backgrounds during plenty of 'hovers'...

I'm always on the lookout for nice downbeat moments... 

1/8000 sec helps!

They will do nicely...

Venus Pool - Black tailed Godwits x 8!

A nice find by John Martin this morning with 8 Black-tailed Godwits dropping into Venus Pool on the middle island!

They flew a little closer...

And then spooked by a Heron, off again!

Images against the white sky were awful but I managed one shot against the background trees...

No room for the eighth bird on landing!

But they soon got back together!

Never mind the rain, it keeps the birds happy...

Shrewsbury - White letter Hairstreak

Another walk at the same spot where Dave and I had seen Volucella zonaria turned up trumps for one of the most secretive and prized Shropshire butterflies - White-letter Hairstreak!! I photographed at least two...

Let's gloss over this first one with chewed wings!

Luckily a fresh one was on hand feasting on Creeping Thistle. That will 'do'?

Back in 2010 (on July 10th) however, I was lucky to encounter my first, a pristine example on brambles at Longnor!!

Shrewsbury - Volucella zonaria

I teamed up with Dave Chapman who was showing me the delights of fields at the back of Percy Throwers Garden Centre! Not a good day for Butterflies but there had been brief (Bins) views of Purple and White-letter Hairstreak. The fields here were rich in flowers and it's been years since I witnessed the sight of Hoverflies in their hundreds. Nothing special though initially...

Then... Dave got a bit animated, pointing at a patch of thistles with those immortal words "What the bloody hell is that Jim"? OMG came my reply..."Volucella, hornet mimic!! But which? I knew there were two species to consider? 

To make sure the ID was fireproof, I remembered to get a clear view and pic of the underside and sure enough, the broad black bars were there. Volucella zonaria, my third...

The Thistle flowers weren't exactly big enough for this brute but I set about getting all angles!

 

Especially the head on ones! 

An amazing insect, too big for his own good really!

Clearly a male, my previous two were females so it felt like an exciting new addition to the Hoverfly list.