The Butterflies are coming!

Date: 25th -27th March

Location: 
Somerset Levels, Newton St Loe

Weather: 
Blue skies and rising temperatures

Species Highlights: 
Bittern, Glossy Ibis, Garganey, Chiffchaff, Marsh Harrier, Lesser Scaup & 
Butterflies!

Observation: 
Monday Morning was forecast to be blue skies and sunshine so we headed down to the Somerset Levels, We drove along North Chine Drove and were rewarded with a Red Kite and 27 Cattle Egrets just below Mudgley. Our first stop was Westhay it was very quiet so after a brief wander we Went to Ham Wall.
Lots of calling Chiffchaff, Blackcap & Butterflies making a lovely spring spectacle.

The Garganey was sleeping so views were limited.

But while sat in the Tor hide a bonus Bittern could be seen sat in reeds.

A brief flight and dropped it into Reeds, then started to Boom immediately.

From Shapwick we had some distant views of the Glossy Ibis, so small, it got spooked by a Great White Egret.

A highlight of the day was a displaying Male Marsh Harrier, swooping and soaring over the reed bed with the female high above watching her mate.

Trailing cob webs.

We watched a Great Crested Grebe fishing below the hide amazing to see it change position under water, very agile!

OOOoo European Peacock just showing off. Brimstone, Small White were also seen today.

Still looking for better shots of the Garganey we headed around to Catcott, unfortunately no more were seen but 3 Great White Egrets were having a battle this one launching to attack.

On way home we dropped into Cheddar Reservoir the Male Mandarin was present still looking splendid.

After a long walk around this female Goosander was the best of the rest.

Tuesday after the sunshine we'd been getting i was feeling lucky so wandered around Bath Mill and up to Seven Acre woods in search of butterflies, not disappointed. Brimstone's in good numbers.

A few Small Tortoiseshell.

Plus 2 Orange Tip 5 days earlier than previous years (I have records since 2008)
Still very flighty but managed a few decent shots.
Feeling very happy a Speckled Wood Landed in front of me (21/03/2016 earliest) just to top day off.

Wednesday I went to Chew Valley and Blagdon a brief song from a Willow Warbler but many Chiffchaff and Blackcap's singing.

This male Greater Spotted Woodpecker busily feeding, it had a ring but couldn't quite read it (8278?)

Lots of Bee Fly hoovering around lake, this one the Dark Edged Bee Fly.

Went for another shot at the Lesser Scaup, always a bit distant but with perfect light i waited enjoying the sunshine.

It didn't come any closer after watching for 40 mins so I left heading home to see if i could improve the  butterfly count on my patch.
Had a walk around Patch and only thing of note was Swans top lake seem to be nest building(work still ongoing on Dam)

On the Butterfly count It turns out I could, 2 Holly Blue seen, high up near transmitter in Seven Acre and 5 days earlier than 2017.

Speckled wood seemed more settled today giving me a opportunity at open flat wings.

European Peacock

Comma, a little worn this one.

Small White first picture of the year for this very fast moving individual I'm sure they'll settle down.

Wayne Year bird List: 138
Lauren Year Bird List: 132

The first 10 for me 
Butterflies :10 species

Red Admiral, Large Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Brimstone, Comma, Small White, Orange Tip, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood, Holly Blue.

Lauren Butterflies 5

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Holly Blue and Speckled Wood Finally!

Date: 16/05/2016

Location: Patch - Newton St Loe

Weather: Blue Skies, Sunny

Other Species: 
Buzzard, Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Chiffchaff, Skylark, Linnet, Stock Dove - Of Note
Butterflies:
Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Orange Tip, Large White, Small Whites, Peacock, Green Veined White.
Dragonflies: Broad Bodied Chaser, Beautiful Demoiselle, Large Red

Observation: 
Last walk before Portugal and main objective Holly Blue and Speckled Wood Butterflies.
Normal stuff along brook and up to Seven Acre although seem to to be more Whitethroat about at least 5 or 6. At Seven Acre stood looking for Holly Blue in normal place and after 10 mins, 2 appeared! Was beginning to get worried, while watching this Greater-Spotted Woodpecker was foraging in oak tree.

Saw this, bad picture sorry. 

At crossroads got jumped on by dogs so this the best I could do!!

Out through village at Church heard 2 Blackbirds alarm calling making a right racket and on further investigation saw this Buzzard obviously after something Mr Blackbird didn't want him to get!

At Herony, 5 Grey Herons all out of nest having some stretches in the sunshine.

Grey Wagtails at Lower Waterfall seem to had a successful breed with one Juvenile hopping and wagging across waterfall.

Upper Lake Mute Swan still on nest with 7 eggs seems normal amount, although looking back through photos previous years only had 5 hatch.

We'll wait to see what happens this year, any day now.

Really pleased to see Dragonflies as well. 

This a great looking Broad Bodied female just one seen.

Out through Woodland and at ponds as I hoped Damselflies were out as well mostly Large Reds but sure they will be a few others soon.

Conservation Path looking good just after I took this shot a Hare darted across in front of me, typical!

After Park Farm on to lanes and this Buzzard drifted over lanes with a pair of Rook in hot pursuit, just out of shot.

Almost home and a Speckled Wood appeared, mission complete! Speckled this year on patch seem very late in fact a month later than the last 4 years on my records!

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Newton St Loe At Its Best !

Date: 08/05/2016

Location: Patch - Newton St Loe

Weather: 
Blue Skies, Some Wind

Other Species: 
Goldcrest, Blackcap, Song Thrush, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Skylark, House Sparrow, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Grey Wagtail, Grey Heron, Green Woodpecker, Linnet, Kestrel.
Butterflies:
Small Tortoiseshell, Orange Tip, Peacock, Small White, Large White, Brimstone, Red Admiral, Comma, Green Veined White.

Observation: 
Blue skies today so headed out as normal through Bath Mill, a Kingfisher flashed along brook with the normals in trees and up to the fields. Whitethroats, Yellowhammer and Skylarks on top fields and this cracking little Dunnock singing away competing with the Skylarks.

Still not many Butterflies about but a little windy across fields this Small White finding nector where it can, not many plants about.

On 22 bird species at this point with a surprise Sparrowhawk over Seven Acre.

At Village, House Martins and Barn Swallow screaming across the landscape, here a almost in shot! After many failed attempts.

On out through Village and Churchyard this Crow having a crafty bread roll which it must have scavenged.

Lots of Blackcap and Chiffchaff hidden now by foliage in the Covert Woodland on my way down to Fisherman's Car Park.

A quick turn right along College Drive to see Grey Herons paid off with 8 birds in nests, such great mad looking chicks !

Pre-Historic chicks !

At Lake very little Grey Wagtails the best of it, Teal seem to have departed.

A few students about making noise and off footpaths as they do ! 

So carried on out towards Stanton Prior where there was very little also, a Red Admiral first one I've seen on patch this year !

Yellowhammer, Linnet & Skylarks at Park Farm then on round to 12 O'Clock Lane where this Roe Deer looked nice surrounded by green.

Buzzard soaring across Englishcombe and a distant Kestrel, Chiffchaff as normal along lane.

Got this nice looking Female Orange Tip on wild garlic, cracking !

Carried on down lanes thinking that's it for photos and this stunning Buzzard drifted over from Pennyquick and across lanes perfect light !

Then while thinking that's definitely it a male Sparrowhawk just before road and home !

Amazing and a cracking bird to end on species count today was 40 Birds and 9 Butterflies although Butterflies seem slow to start on Patch this year ?

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Spring Life At The Lake!

Date: 26th April - 3PM

Location:  Newton Park Lake - Return Route

Observation:  We were hoping to visit Meare Heath to get the Hudsonian Godwit this morning, but it was a no-show so a quick patch walk in the hope we would find a rarity! The campsite and dog track is pretty quiet, apart from a few Pheasant, a Whitethroat (calling) and a single Jay feeding. So swiftly moved onto Seven Acre, and we spotted a group of birds circling, there were 4 Buzzards! After watching them 2 more joined them and a further single Buzzard, most we've seen in a group! They headed East over towards Bath. Further down the track (past the crossroads) there were a further 2 Buzzard which were heading North (one of which was hovering!). Nothing much more of note until we got out to the Lake, a nice Orange-Tip butterfly in the sun through the woods. 

At the Lake, there were a pair of Mallards on the over-flow with 7 cute little Ducklings practicing to filter feed by the looks of things! Very cute to watch! 

On Top Lake, there were 4 Teal (2 pairs), and were glad to report the Mute Swan (female) is back on the nest, with 4 (maybe even 5 eggs!). The nest was empty on the 21st, so they are newly laid. No sign of the Little Owl pair (hopefully they will be successful this year also!). 

There were lots of noisy lambs around Top Lake having a good run-around. Walking back through the Village, there were 9 Barn Swallows (only 5 on the 21st), in the lamb field there were 2 Goldfinch and 1 Greenfinch (unusual for the village area). 

Also a single Yellowhammer in the Oak tree well camouflaged against the bright leaves. To finish off the walk we had alot more lambs and a fly-over Kestrel along the Lane.

Weather:  Cloud Clearing, Sunny + Warm

Other Species: 1 Kestrel, 9 Buzzard, 1 Yellowhammer, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Jay, 2 Skylark, Mallard (With 7 Ducklings), Mute Swan (On Nest - 4 Eggs) - Of Note

Butterflies: Orange-Tip, Small White

Thanks For Reading !

P.S - Lauren (1/2 of NSL-Birding) is on holiday in Majorca from now until 7th May , so Wayne (2/2 of NSL-Birding) will be doing all blogs from now until then, so expect alot more spelling and grammar mistakes!  :-) ;-)