Late Brood

These Reed Warblers were still feeding young. Each time one of the adults flew into the reed clump, the high pitched sounds from the young could be heard - I assume still in the nest which seems very late in the season ?

Silver-spotted Skipper

It's a while since I tried photgraphing butterflies and the Silver-spotted Skipper has been one I have omitted to try for in the UK. Until today that is at Aston Rowant NR where the sun bought this one out close to the car park. My first day out in ages.

TL15A

Having lost the regular pair of Little Owls in the south of the village following the cold winter, I'm now enjoying watching a pair closer to home. There are two birds but I'm not sure they bred ?

Woken this morning to the Common Buzzard's out training their two young with mewing and circling over the garden. A fly through Hobby over the garden was my first for some weeks too.

Single Kingfisher on the river - they have been difficult to find this year compared to previous years. I guess the winter has hit them really hard.

Hopper

Oak Bush-cricket. Female I think.

Still in the Garden

Still not getting much further than the garden but there's plenty to try and photograph. Need to get a proper macro lens though.

Southern Hawker

This magnificant beast had a damaged wing and therefore presented a static subject at the garden pond.

Monster

I'd forgotten how close my old coolpix could get to things like this Lesser Stag Beetle.

Garden Blue

Common Blue in the Garden on on 19th, about as far as my camera has taken me in recent weeks.

Fierce

I've not seen Peregrine this close before and I was not dissapointed. Fantastic birds two from the local brood of three needing a helping hand to fly the nest. The Raptor Foundation in Cambridgeshire did the job of feeding her up and thankfully this girl took back to being fed by it's parents to hopefully grace the skies over Willington !

Bubo bubo

Willington, 15th June 2010. Don't tell the local farmers will you.

Welsh Wanderings

The Blorenge on Saturday. Lovely spot, great birds, naff photos. The Marmora's Warbler has performed very well for nearly two weeks and does seem to pose nicely for portraits but not during my passing visit. Whinchats and Tree Pipits seem to do well here.

Common Buzzard

Some people have been seeing unusual dark-phased Common Buzzards in the UK recently.
I'm defintely on the look out in Willington.

Tree Sparrows

I like Tree Sparrows.

Seaside Sorties

Half term visit to east coast. Nice weather but too many tourists !

Flycatcher

Blue-wing

Female Blue-winged Teal paired with a Shoveler. Diddington Pit, Little Paxton.

Barley Bunting

Back to the middens near Eyeworth whilst my daughter was at music lesson in Dunton and I chanced upon a calling Quail. I didn't expect to see it but it was calling from a ride along the field edge and showed momentarily before walking into the barley. Corn Bunting only cos I couldn't get a shot of the Quail !

A Sad Ending

This is not my photograph but one borrowed from a Polish site to illustrate the worrying situation that has been mirrored this spring from my nestcam Great Tit's. They all succumbed by 17th May despite being fed intently by the parents for eleven days. Closer examination showed excess sunflower seeds filling their crops and little evidence of caterpillars being found by the parents. Perhaps the cold weather was to blame although seems like similar events are happening elsewhere too.

This highlights the critical importance of insects to food chains. Take away the insects and protection of many bird species is pretty much fruitless.

King of the Castle

The fields east of Biggleswade are alive with birds.

New Swans

This is the new brood of six cygnets hatched at the weekend on the settling lagoon in Willington. Let's hope they last longer than last year's brood from this pair that made the mistake of frequenting the fishing lake and recently "disappeared". Any information surrounding this crime that took place on Saturday 17th April should contact Bedfordshire Police.