Paxton Pits Juveniles

Very much a nature diary entry as the heat haze yesterday afternoon made sharp distant images very difficult but what a wonderful 3 hours spent doing nothing but watching this year's youngsters  starting to learn their skills and showing visitors the delights of the reserve. I didn't see either of the two Kingfishers catch anything but they were very busy practising their dives while the Heron chicks were still squabbling and showing off inappropriately as teenagers do.  I only recorded six Cygnets but they were moving around a lot. The remaining Grebe chick was staying close to one parent while the other went off hunting and came back with a crayfish I think. The adult Heron was just trying to find something to feed those youngsters on or get them to leave the nest and do their own hunting. The Dunnock wins on the subtlety of its plumage.

Stanwick Lakes April 10th

 Jane had to collect some photographic equipment from Northampton so we took the opportunity to visit Stanwick Lakes expecting lots of birds to photograph and therefore equipped with long lenses rather than macro gear. Birds very sparse but lots of Orange Tip Butterflies, a male Geen-veined White and also several species of Hoverfly. The Orange Tips were displaying and clearly ready for mating. Lots of  Beeflies so experimented with shutterspeeds to freeze the wings (1/2000 and then 1/8000th). Finally the only two birds close enough to photograph Dunnock and Great Crested Grebe.

My Garden Birds

The birds were very busy feeding in the garden this morning with flocks of Goldfinches and Greenfinches visiting the garden feeders and pairs of Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, and Blackbirds all looking as if they are pairing and starting to set up territories. All three of the Dove family - Rock Doves, Wood Pigeon and Collared Dove, pair of Dunnocks, Robin, Chaffinch, Song Thrush and Wren (too fast to photograph!).. Also visiting in recent weeks Tree Creeper,  Starling, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Redwing, Fieldfare, Jay, Magpie and Pied Wagtail 

I came across my garden list for Jan - Feb  in 1968-71. It had all these except Collared Dove and Stock Dove and also included Bullfinch, Marsh Tit, Turtle Dove, Corn Bunting, Yellow Hammer (still in Hedgerows), Tree Sparrow - all declined or absence with a change in the arable farming techniques.

Encounters at Paxton Pits

Today I helped with a Guided Walk at Paxton for U3A Sawston Bird Group - lots to see including various insects such as this Hornet, which I couldn't get a clear view of through the leaves but this has added a pictorial vignette, which I like. Also shown Variable and Common Damselflies, Craneflies, Scorpion Flies, a Grizzled Skipper and also lots of birds including the final very confiding Dunnock. 

Bee Flies, Bees and Birds in Toft

A miscellany from the last couple of days in Toft - bee flies taken at 1/800th and1/6400th second and still not quite stopping wing movement; three Andrena species of mining bees (A,nitida, A. heamorrhoa and A. cineraria); three migrant species (Chiffchaff, blackcap,Willow warbler) and a Dunnock.