Dragonfly Laying Eggs in the Pond

This August seems to be very good for Dragonflies and it was exciting to see a Southern Hawker female laying eggs in the newish pond.

Southern Hawker laying eggs.

The pond now has a huge population of daphnia in addition to numerous types of fly larvae, so there should be plenty to eat for the dragonfly nymphs.

This individual was in the garden for at least an hour, visiting the pond edge to lay eggs several times.

Butterflies at Abbot's Wood

A lovely summer's day at Abbot's Wood to take part in the Big Butterfly Count.

Silver-washed Fritillery

Large White 9
Silver-washed Fritillery 9
Meadow Brown 17
Peacock 5
Red Admiral 1
Gatekeeper 3
Small White 3
Comma 2

Comma

Peacock

Silver-washed Fritillery

Peacock

Dunlin on the Cuckmere Estuary

These lovely birds are regularly to be found on the Cuckmere in August.

I presume they have bred further north and are pausing on their migration.

They are wonderfully confiding and will happily feed a few metres away.

Their heads bob quickly up and down when feeding, like the needle on a sewing machine.

Some of these individuals have the black bellies and speckled golden plumage of breeding birds.

On Tuesday there were about 25 present on or near the river.

There were also four Whimbrel at the river mouth and a Little Ringed Plover on the scrape.

Birds on the Wire

Outside the bedroom window of Caudale Beck cottage, where we stayed in the Lake District for a week, was a telephone wire. Each morning a variety of birds would sit on it, and also on the roof of the barn to which it was connected.

House Martins. Up to eight birds came at the same time.

A smart adult House Martin. Some of the newly fledged birds were distinctly scruffy.

A Swallow

Spotted Flycatcher. This bird came on two different mornings.

Most mornings were dominated by hirundines, usually Swallows or House Martins, but there were regularly other species.

A juvenile Redstart. An adult female also visited.

A juvenile Mealy Redpoll.

Other visitors included Blue Tit, Nuthatch, a pair of Grey Wagtails, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Goldfinch, Robin and Chiffchaff. This made a total of 15 species.

This White Wagtail was most surprising as the Brotherswater valley was full of Pied Wagtails.

Over the front door were half a dozen House Martin nests. The residents gradually fledged during our stay. I am certain that one fledgling repeatedly returned to the nest to try and get fed.

 Swallows

 More House Martins

Lake District

I spent the first week of the school holidays in the Lake District, in a cottage near Brotherswater.

Goosander on Rydal Water.

The weather was mostly good, allowing for walks over hills and around lakes. There was also a visit to Leighton Moss on the way home.

Chaffinch at Dodd Wood.

Great Spotted Woodpecker at Haverthwaite.

I was really keen to see some of the species that breed there, that I normally see as passage migrants on the South coast.

Juvenile Robin at Brotherswater.

Siskin at Deepdale.

On the lakes I saw Goosander, Red-breasted Merganser, Little Grebe and Common Sandpiper.

Tree Pipit above Low Wood.

On the streams I saw numerous Grey Wagtail and a Dipper. At Bassenthwaite Lake I saw Kingfisher and Osprey.

Song Thrush at Sykeside.

In the woods and fields around Brotherswater I saw Coal Tit, Goldcrest, Siskin, Mealy Redpoll, Nuthatch, Spotted Flycatcher, Tree Pipit, Pied Flycatcher, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Redstart.

Goosander on Rydal Water.

On the open hills I saw Wheatear, Meadow Pipit, Whinchat and Ring Ouzel. No luck with Red Grouse.

Grey Wagtail at Grasmere.

House Martins and Swallows dominated the skies, with occasional Swifts turning up.

Sundew near Kirkstone Beck.

Coal Tit near Kirkstone Beck.

Juvenile Stonechat near Kirkstone Beck.

A Badger, out in the afternoon, near Patterdale.

Yarrellii Pied Wagtail at Buttermere.

House Sparrow at Buttermere.

Red-breasted Merganser on Buttermere.

Black-headed Gull on Windermere.

Lesser Black-backed Gull on Windermere.

Juvenile Wheatear near Mire Beck, above Glenridding.

Meadow Pipit above Glenridding.

Cotton Sedge, Birkhouse Moor.

Black-tailed Godwits at Leighton Moss.

Great Crested Grebe pair with juvenile, Leighton Moss.

Marsh Harrier, with prey, Leighton Moss.

Greenshank from the Morecambe hide Leighton Moss.

Redshank from the Morecambe hide, Leighton Moss.

Overall I saw 84 species. This is a great start to my Summer Holiday 2016 list. My previous record is 123 species from 2015.