Big garden birdwatch!

Little egret and water rail seen behind the ageing willow.

Don’t believe me?

Here’s the water rail at least ….

An elusive creature, more easily spotted in winter.

This is the first time I’ve managed to get a shot of one.

(and not with a telephone!)

The site has just about recovered from the deluge.

Here are a couple of close encounters during recent site clearance activity:

the larva of a cinnabar moth feeding on ragwort

        ringlet butterfly during a brief rest in flight

     a skipper basking in the sun

And this was all under water a few months ago!

Our site updates have been notable by their absence so far this year, but here’s a reminder of the view over the mere.

This photo taken in April, (and really is only a ten minute walk from the city centre!) ……..

and a colourful creature that only the most tolerant gardener would like to see …..

… a vine weevil on the stalk of our spring flowering fritillary…

The leylandii have gone, distant houses are now visible, and a pair of canada geese drop in to survey the scene…

19.01.2012

9 ring necked parakeets on site today.

They’re always there and few native species seems to worry them.

Until a sparrowhawk flew over that is, then they went into an extreme panic.

Not quite as dominant as we thought they were then. . . .

some fly-bys:

17.06.2010

by coincidence I was on site Thursday morning and also happened upon the damselflies

the rather disappointingly named common blue damselfy.
Most of the time, I have no idea what I’ve seen until I get home,
view the photograph, then refer to my ever-to-hand nature guide book.

a blue-tailed damselfy, according to the book.

look closely, this great tit has got his prized sunflower heart.

in a conventional pose, the ever wonderful bullfinch.

the hovering bullfinch!
I was lucky with this one, the colour’s a bit off, but I enjoyed the moment.

22.04.2010
my first visit for a while, too long really.
I was plagued by foliage getting in the way of my “perfect” shots, also unwanted branches.
We could also blame the creatures themselves, they don’t want to be pestered do they?

here a wren tries to hide under a leaf -and nearly succeeds.

it’s time to say “aah” as the ever present blue tits pose for us.

among the leaves, again.

the fritillaries on show again, though with some frost damage.
I managed to hide those to the rear of this shot, they appear lighter.

a peacock butterfly suns itself on a log heap, after all the cold, it’s nice to see some beneficial sunshine.
Also seen, orange tip and speckled wood.

I saw a male mallard chase away a duckling earlier, the female seems to tolerate him still.
He’s a bit of a mongrel, a bit dull. He may grow up to be a she, we’ll see.
Anyway he has found the surplus seeds below the feeders, so he should survive OK.

Bullrushes standing out more in winter