Westhay - Draycott Sleights - Priddy Mineries

Date: 21/05/2015

Location: Westhay - Draycott Sleights - Priddy Mineries

Observation: I've been without my 400mm lens, Been dodgy for a while but gave up completely 2 weeks ago, sent it of to Colchester Cameras £202 quid later its back !! Seems sharper too! So this morning more butterflies on the cards ! But thought i'd let the day warm up a bit first so headed to Westhay, heard Booming Bitterns x2, Cuckoo x1 saw lots of Swifts, a distant Marsh Harrier to try lens on, didn't try on Swift's thought i'd just depressed! So Marsh Harrier it was, distant through the reeds but better!

Lots of Common Blue Damselfly about & Common Blue Butterflies

And this Four Spotted Chaser

A flypast Hobby the sound of strimmers (clearing grass in front hides). So back to van it was and Draycot Sleights, never been before was worried about parking but no problems.

Headed up over slope seeing Common Blues, Small Heath, Orange Tip + Small Copper also Dingy and Grizzled Skippers, wind at this point was picking up and the Skippers & Heaths. Chased anything that landed making pictures difficult. 10 species seen.

Did see this little chap just before I left think its a Tiger Beetle, correct me if I'm wrong!

Apparently if Usain Bolt had a race and the beetle was Usain's size the Tiger Beetle would run 9 times faster  !! 200mph + !! Wow, Also at top speed they go blind, the beetle not Usain!

Thought Priddy Mineries would be less windy, not really headed across towards pond.

 Small Heath was it, on pond there must have been 1000+ tadpoles !

 After scouting with Binoculars for a Cuckoo calling, and not seeing, went over to Stockhill and through woods not much here on returning to van this Downy Emerald landed briefly never seen by me before and a nice end to day :)

Weather: Blue Skies, 16c, Some Wind  

Other Species: Whitethroat, Buzzard, Bittern, Hobby, Reed Buntings, Reed Warblers, Blackcap, Goldcrest, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Marsh Harrier, Cuckoo, Kestrel

Butterflies: Common Blue, Orange Tip, Red Admiral, Brimstone, Small White, Large White, Small Heath, Small Copper, Peacock, Comma, Dingy + Grizzled Skippers.

Thanks For Reading 

Check back soon as off to Bempton Cliffs for a few day back Wednesday :)

Puffins...Guillemots.....Gannets........ :)

Hobby + Willow Warbler Bonus!

An Amazing Sight !!

Date: 8th Sep - Late Morning - Afternoon

Location:  Newton St Loe - Zones 1,3,4+5

 Another First For Us (Since 2010)

Observation:  We headed out the lanes alot earlier than normal to see if it makes a difference to what birds we seen in the morning apposed to the afternoon, as were more of afternoon birders! We left around 10.30am and headed out for lake and started a species count. We had 10 species before we even got to the Dog Walk in the campsite, so was already looking good! A little Field Mouse hiding in the grass at the crossroads, 2 Goldcrest feeding in the fir tree in a garden in the village. Seemed to quieten down until the lake with only a few common species and some Barn Swallow. At the Lake, no fisherman or people nice! Only 1 Little Owl (juvenile, so parents were watching from somewhere) seen, and 2 Kingfishers flying around the lake. Some stunning Migrant Hawkers stopping for some pictures in front of us. Heard a Goldcrest, so stopped at the bench on Top Lake, also then seen Coal Tits, more Goldcrest and 2 Willow Warblers! (first of us on our patch). After the steep walk up the hill to Park View Farm, hoping to see the Linnet or Wheatear, field completely empty but we crossed the road onto the conservation path and half way down the first field, as seen a bird come zooming from the left of us scanned around the field and flew back STRAIGHT towards us and back the way it came from, a VERY nice surprise and a bonus, as again a first of us on our patch, next field had 4 young Yellowhammer feeding. We walked along 12 o'clock and seen a Roe Deer feeding, was nice to watch him without scaring him off! Walking back, we seen 2 more Kestrel, and a further sighting of the Hobby (must be the same one, which flew North back towards Bath).

A Crystal (Clear) Migrant !

I Think He's Beginning To Like Us!

Weather:  Sunny, Hot, Light Breeze

Other Species: Buzzard, Kestrel, HOBBY, Little Owl, Goldfinch, Willow Warbler, Kingfisher, Wren, Dunnock, Coal Tit, Goldcrest, Bullfinch, Green Woodpecker, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Grey heron, Long-Tailed Tit, Raven, Collared Dove, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Yellowhammer, Grey Wagtail, Song Thrush

Thanks For Looking !