Home, Local Patch and a morning in Yorkshire

Thursday morning the 15th and the Buddleia in our front garden was alive with butterflies so I enjoyed an hour or so watching and photographing six different species.

 Peacocks

 Peacock

 Red Admiral

 Small White

 Painted Lady

Red Admiral

 Small Tortoiseshell

 Peacock

That afternoon I headed to our local patch at Cholmondeley Castle grounds with Ashley and Scruffy. We decided to walk around Deer Park Mere where there is still plenty of Reed & Sedge Warbler activity. Overhead five Buzzard were taking advantage of another clear blue sky.  Three Raven joined them and we sat watching this wonderful air display for ten minutes or more. 

As we sat watching the Raven I asked Ashley if he still needed Two-barred Crossbill as a UK Lifer ? "Yes Pop why"? was his response.  I told him about the record at Broomhead Reservoir in South Yorkshire of 6 Juvs and 2 Adults.  We decided we would go the following morning and see if we could add a lifer to Ashleys' list - something not so easy to do nowadays. 

 Reed Warbler

 and again

 Small Red Damselfly

 Speckled Wood

 Speckled Wood

(Library photo) Two-barred Crossbill - whapped on .......

Butterflies Bees and Birds

At short notice this morning Alex and I headed to Neumann's Flash, Northwich in search of a Turtle Dove that had been reported in the area.  As we arrived on site, the lure of the snack van won out and a sausage and bacon bap before we headed off looking for the Turtle Dove seemed like a good idea. 

Following a fruitless two hour search in high temperatures, for what appeared to be "a needle in a haystack" we decided to call it a day.  The only birds of note we saw during "Turtle Dove hunt", were a pair of Bullfinch, 3 Yellow Wagtail and a pair of Blackcap.  

Butterflies on the other hand were everywhere, especially on the Buddleia around Ashton's Flash.

A short drive over to Frodsham Marsh for a pair of juvenile Black-necked Grebe resulted in a lifer for Alex.  They were showing really well which was an added bonus, along with a female Redstart in the far corner of number 6 tank.   Alex stills has Turtle Dove to add to his list, which, of course gives us an excellent reason to go out looking again.  

Red Admiral and Comma butterfly were added to our list of butterflies at this second site.    

 Bumble Bee

Large White

 Small White

 Small Tortoiseshell

 Large White

 Peacock

 Peacock

Gatekeeper

Comma

Common Blue