Birthday Walk at Paxton

The pits at Paxton were more or less frozen over for our Third Thursday walk at Paxton so all the waterfowl were pushed into the small open areas. Lots of Fieldfare, Wren, Tree Creeper, Green Woodpecker, Single Lapwing, Several Herons and Cormorants completed the walk.

Entering Another Decade of My Life

I was born on this day in 1944 so enter a new decade. Here a selection from those years ending with a birthday shot 5 years ago in the Arctic - it felt almost as cold on the Bird Walk at Paxton Pits today.

Birthday Tea Party

I realised towards the end of my party when some people had already departed that we hadn't taken any photos (or had a camera with us) so Barry came to the rescue with his i-phone -thanks. Big thank you to Ellie, Matt, Peter, Holly, Phil and Sadie for organising the tea party, Lynne for the splendid birthday cake and for everyone who came along.  (Meredith had a bad headache so she found a quiet spot upstairs! but I wanted her included in a record of the party).

Completing Dorset Visit: Day 6 - Sabre Wasp

Preparing 2023 images for archiving, I realised that I never sorted and processed images from day 6 of our Dorset Trip when we visited Hook Woods - general insects to follow but here Rhyssa persuasoria, the Sabre Wasp, trying to locate a beetle larva in a fallen trunk. the male is much smaller shown at the end.

Paxton Cormorants and Ducks

The cormorants already have the white patch on the body under the wing showing they are ready for breeding. Lots of Wigeon around pestering the Coots as they dived for food (kleptoparasitism). Also Tufted Ducks including one with a very snazzy beak 'Ring'  LVC3 I think