Julia and I made the effort to be at Welney for 'dawn' and walked along the public bridleway on the bank to view the swans all leaving their roost on Lady Fen and heading off to the fields to feed. Very dull light so little detail in the images but do give an idea of the spectacle and the typical Fenland scenery - just add the noise of hundreds of Whoopers calling as they head off in their family groups. Big flocks of Lapwing also becoming active.
Today (June 17th), the sun rose at 4.37am and continues at this time until June 21st when it will rise at 4.38am and then progressively later till December!. I caught it just as it came over the horizon and then above the treeline. I was rewarded for an early start by a group of Hares at close range though not for long! and a very vocal Whitethroat. On our pond, a Southern Hawker was emerging.
Since we first recorded marbled Whites in Toft Wood in 2012, they have roosted in the clearing in large numbers (35-40 counted this year). They are at least a week earlier than previous years (we were away when they were first observed around 16th June. Here a variety of early morning shots with dew still on the butterflies as they climbed to the tops of plants to warm up in the sun.
