Firecrest

Taken in terrible light at Holkham pines, I have only added it to the blog as they are so difficult to photograph

Magpie mayhem

This territorial fight erupted on my neighbours drive and involved all four magpies and was watched noisily by the resident crows.

Unidentified

taken in Puerto pollensa on a villa wall, it had very long antennae and also has a back leg missing. I'm still trying for an I.D.

'Golden beetle'

I.D. not discovered yet but it really did seem to be as described but when the picture came out it seems to have a green sheen, it was in the Alcudia albufera.

Black vulture

taken in the Mortitx valley on Majorca, the nearest I have ever got to this species, not a quality picture but I am pleased with the result.

Montagues harrier

this was taken in Majorca at the Alcudia abufera, it has been ringed.

Red-nobbed coot

Introduced to Majorca from mainland Spain

Spotted flycatcher

Taken in Majorca

Swallowtail

Picture taken in Majorca

The dun cow (nearly)

A trip to Kelling was fairly uneventful but we did see this cow which had been for a drink in the pond in its field and aparently come perilously close to being stuck in the mire. The marks higher on her back were from the swishing of her tail

Brown hare

Seen in the Therfireld area of North Herts, this hare was playing possum until my camera clicked and he was off and running,

Fallow deer

Taken in the Sandon area of North Herts

Common buzzard

Taken in the Sandon area of north Herts, I also watched a clouded yellow butterfly pass my hide, there are many quiet moments but these pictures show how close the birds come making it well worthwhile.

Common buzzard

Picture taken in the Sandon area of North Herts, there have been some impressive numbers of raptors in this area in late summer and are a credit to the landowners and farmers.

Tufted duck chick

having a good stretch on a beautiful day at Cley-next-the-sea. I should have put this picture with the one of it's mother that appears earlier on the blog

Painted lady

This has been a bumper year for painted lady's these were photographed at lakenheath fen

seal pup

Lesley found this little chap on the beach at Kelling and thought it was dead, when she approached for a closer look he woke up from his sunbathing and disappeared in to the waves with alacrity and then watched us instead

Whitethroats

taken on the coast near Kelling, there were lots of them and they were easily the most common warblers about

Tufted duck female

Taken at Cley-next-the-sea, she posed just outside the hide

gold ringed dragonfly

My id may be incorrect but then I'm no expert in this field, but it is a beautiful creature

melodious warbler

taken in the grounds of an abandoned farm that was very rich in birdlife.

banded damoiselle

a superb summer visitor to most riparian habitats

Kingfisher

Taken at Fowlmere and this little beauty posed right in front of the hide briefly

Treecreeper

I was waiting for a picture of a kingfisher which has been fishing from perches all out of reach out of my camera when this bird landed close by and proceeded to walk up a dead tree.

Wood pigeon bathing

taken in Ickleford

Stock dove

this male was courting it's mate (just out of frame), its neck was swollen as it called and postured

Twite

One of many birds I saw in the Orkneys where they are quite common, this one was in the field adjacent to our accomodation,

Marsh warbler

It took me four hours to get this view of a very elusive and tantalising quarry, it sang often but did not perch in the open for more than verybrief
periods. This was at Amwell

Puffin

Taken overlooking the Pentland firth, I had to hang over the cliff to capture this shot with the bird about fifteen feet below me. I did notice while waiting for a flight shot that the puffins are not very ergonomically bright, if they missed their 'run up' to their nest ledge/ hole then it required a 200 metre flight back out to sea and then try again. I watched one bird try at least six times to land using this method and many of his compatriots did the same

Short eared owl

Seen near and often flying over the croft we stayed on. It has a nice juicy rat in it's talons.

Redshank

This was a superb subject, we were able to drive right up next to its sentinel post.

Whitethroat

Seen here with a piece of nesting material, the picture was taken at Lakenheath fen

Dog rose & diner

This little beetle (Oedemera nobilis) was a handsome addition to this picture taken at Fingringhoe

Painted lady

One of a large migration taking place all over Southern England over the last few days, this one was at Fingringhoe, we even observed them in numbers on Orkney

Magpie

A very obliging bird that posed right in front of me in the Lee valley on a beautiful morning whilst on my way to see and hear a distant Savi's warbler

Przewalski's horse

Taken at Stodmarsh in Kent, these animals are happy in a wet environment and keep the foilage down, two are seen doing some mutual grooming.

Nuthatch

This Forest of Dean dweller was very approachable and posed a few times, sadly the weather was dreadful or the images would have been much sharper

Mandarin duck

Taken in different locations in the Forest of Dean