A study in kingfisher

For once a kingfisher that did not fly off. This juvenile content with the sun on its back and a bit of preening, life is good eh! The juvenile reed warbler feeding deep in the reed, just emerging for brief spells. The greylag geese building up into huge flocks dominate the pool, all taken at tophill today.

Dunlin

Went to see the little gulls at hornsey mere, too windy, just a few gulls far out, have been up to 16,000 roosting on some evenings. This juvenile dunlin allowed close inspection, possibly never encountered humans before!

Top hill low

Lots of birds on the d lagoon now its drained but too far for decent pics, but two nice dragonflies in the wood. Brown hawker and Southern hawker, bigger than some birds!

Filey

Finally back to filey at the end of the holiday to catch up with juvenile black tern, common tern along with many terns around the brigg. The drab garganey showed well on the dams and the small roadside pool near muston held most waders, ruff, wood sandpiper and dunlin shown here. A juvenile yellow wagtail also dropped in, what else will turn up on this small patch of muddy water?

Stumpshaw fen

A few hours on a quiet afternoon, no swallowtail butterflies but a magnificent unspoilt area. Lots of shoveler in eclipse, a few common terns hawking the ponds, grey herons, and always a marsh harrier somewhere overhead.Finally, black tailed skimmers everywhere seemed the commonest of all the dragonflies.

August holiday snaps

Just a few images from my paradise bay near aberystwyth. A few whimbrel always feed here on passage. Rock pipits feeding through the boulders. Some fantastic mackerel evenings where the sprats litter the beach through glorious sunsets. Finally. the ever faithful wheatear juveniles enjoying life.