Venus Pool - Chasers and Darters

A brief visit to VP and I didn't even get as far as the hide! The three Black tailed Godwits were apparently still present but distant and a Green Sandpiper had been seen but my eyes were alerted to a flash of blue over the 'Norfolk drain'....

No, not a Kingfisher, much smaller and an overdue chance of photographing a cracking male Broad-bodied Chaser! I reckon these are omongst the most beautiful of our dragonflies but I'll let a couple of images do the talking.....








A male Common Darter completed a 'catch up' with the pair of missing easier species from the Odonata race. Probably an immature male, this one hadn't 'coloured up' completely.....







A male Ruddy Darter nearby provided a welcome comparison shot, whilst the deep colour is so striking the body shape is the easist pointer - unmistakable....








Brown Hawker, an early Migrant Hawker, Four spotted Chaser (Chasing everything away) plus Blue tailed and Common Blue Damselfly completed a worthwhile quickfire session!

North Shropshire - Quail and Blue-headed Wagtail

As I'm writing this retrospectively, the main bird from this visit (a barley field off the A41 between Whitchurch and Tern Hill) will be..... to follow...

There were two Quail calling in the field, a few Corn Buntings flying around plus a few 'ordinary' Yellow Wagtails but the highlight was at least one of their European counterparts - a cracking female Blue-headed Wagtail

Here's a taster but there will be more to come in due course, including her partner!






Now that's what I call flava of the month!

Finally, as if the Monday evening session couldn't get any better? There were two Quail calling almost continuously in the field. Another Shropshire and UK tick followed as I finally got a decent view of a Quail (in flight), zipping low over the crop before dropping like a stone and then calling again, within 50m of me.

Venus Pool - Great crested grounding

A quick call at Venus Pool continued the theme of wader movement with three Black tailed Godwits present! They remained distant however, never nearer than the middle island......






A little bit closer was an engaging juvenile Great-crested Grebe. Long gone were the relaxed days, riding around on Mother's back! It was now fend for yourself time, after being chased off quite aggresively, this youngster was getting to grips with the world......

Water - nice smooth runny stuff which supports and lets me glide from A to B.






Land/mud - horrible brown sticky stuff which you can't swim in.












Air - I might have to go up in this one day? OMG - where's me feathers! Flying will have to wait a while yet!!!








A Franklin's Gull had been reported at Chasewater, he was off and so was I.....

Stubbers Green - Yellow legged Gulls

While the Franklin's Gull had done a disappearing act, I checked out Stubbers Green - an adult Yellow legged Gull showing quite nicely - bright yellow legs resplendent in the occasional ray of sunlight......










Is this what you call being 'goosed' !







A quick winglap....






A less mature Yellow-legged Gull, probably 3rd Summer with much paler legs and iris, virtually unmarked primary tips. Seen here with a juvenile Herring Gull.....






One or two nice examples of the 'Intermedius' race of Lesser black backed Gulls. Particularly dark plumage when compared to the near by 'graellsii' types....








That's quite a mouth you've go.....






An evening spent looking at a barren Chasewater (who pulled the plug out!) produced nothing of note and certainly no Franklin's....

Prees Heath - Silver studded Blues

Look on any distribution map and you will see just how rare and 'local', the Silver-studded Blue butterfly has become. Prees Heath is now the only colony remaining in the Midlands and the only known location now for ssp masseyi of this species (Plebius argus). A complex habitat relationship with ants is essential for survival and the site is now managed by SWT in the hope of continued survival. They have been on the wing for a while now and some were looking a little worn / tatty but a few presentable specimens were posing nicely on the heather or gorse....

Males are a deep iridescent blue with a broad black border against the white fringe to the upperwings.....








Underwing detail.....






Females are brown, again glowing with iridescence in the sunlight. Orange spots at the wing edges.....








The underwing detail, with the silver studs (light blue actually) showing nicely!








Back to birds then, another Hobby was seen over the heath. The final destination was a barley field off the A41 between Whitchurch and Tern Hill. Friends ringing on Whixall Moss had alerted us to a Quail calling earlier in the week, plus a possible Blue-headed Wagtail.....

Whixall Moss - insects for a Hobby

A bit of a mixture day planned with insects the aim and promise that birds might put in an appearance?? A morning on Whixall Moss turned into a five hour grueller, searching for White-faced Darter! The conditions didn't help with showers and dull conditions but by mid afternoon a retreat was called for. Thinking back, I've only ever seen these in the past during June so an early start in 2011 is called for!

I couldn't help noticing this fantastic Pitcher plant which I remember photographing six years ago (it was big then!!) These are plants which are normally associated with glasshouse conditions but Sarracenia purpurea, the plant in question is undoubtedly hardy though and presumably planted here by someone many years ago (it's a North American native!)






Didn't see a Large Heath either and this resing Brimstone was the only butterfly of note.....








Macro lenses can reveal incredible detail - not the small hooks at the base of the legs with which the butterfly anchors itself to a supporting plant......






A few Emerald Damselflies were clinging to the vegetation - all males today and very inactive. The limit of exertion was the odd abdominal flex or two.....








Birds noted: plenty of Swifts, Green Woodpeckers, a pair of Stonechat, Meadow Pipits and Reed Bunting. A single Hobby was hawking impressively for the few dragonflies on the wing - I caught it overhead - leaving the Moss, in search of prey elsewhere.....








Later than planned, the quest continued.... Silver-studded Blue butterflies......

Venus Pool - waders at last!

A brief call today had a little bit of wader interest! Goodness me, 2 Dunlin (bit too distant to do them justice) plus 2 Common Sandpiper, whatever next.....








A female Pintail has also arrived on the scene.....






What with a Redshank ealier in the week (Tueday) I might be tempted to put a bit more time in now......






More insects and hopefully a bird or two planned for the weekend......