Insects and a few birds…

Gorgeous weather here the last few days and today we were treated to three very cute baby squiggles and these special little creatures.

Common Blue Damsel Flies

We did also see a Blue tailed damselfly, but it was so slight and thin that the camera wouldn’t focus on it – need to get closer :D

Not sure if this is the Large or Small Damselfly

One of the first dragonflies of the year – the 4 spotted broad back chaser.  I didn’t even know there were as many species are there are, but we were lucky enough to meet a guy who told us that broad back chasers are the first to appear – at the same time as Damselflies because they feed on them – then hawkers - the ones we’re used to seeing (and several other types, as I found out on visiting a Dragonfly website) appear in Summer.

While hunting through one of my photo folders, I also spotted these, which I had forgotten all about.

Not a fab photo because it was too bright but this was from the year before last.  We used to get up to 13 or 14 goldfinches on our feeders at any one time and they’d be knocking each other off, fighting for a perch. Since the cold snap, we’ve only had the odd pair, which is very sad.  They sing so beautifully and are such happy birds.

This one’s from Pennington Flash – I couldn’t believe just how many cormorants were perched here and had forgotten just how striking it was!

This is the main one – wow!  Just try counting how many there are :D  Just wish it was clearer but it was a LONG way from the hide.

Spadgers…

I forget how lucky we are to have House Sparrows here, now that they’re declining in number so quickly, until someone points it out.  A couple of days ago a friend was here and he mentioned it.  He actually lives five minutes away from here, yet he says they just don’t see them in the garden at all – amazing, really.  So, I took a photo – not brilliant because they were in the shadow while I was taking a photograph in the garden, but here are two of the curious little rascals.  I was watching the first baby of the year, earlier today, as the parents were feeding him/her – lovely!

Weekend Adventures

We were thrilled to see lots of different birds over the weekend, including a harrier, a pair of yellowhammers (photo to follow in next post) and a black cap.

Meanwhile, I took these – not as good as John’s but a couple of them aren’t bad considering my crappy little camera, lol.

Yes, it may look cute but I call them ‘demon squiggles’ and this is a prime example.  It was unbelievable how he/she was managing to get up and down those feeders and one of them was trying to bite through barbed wire round one of the feeding tables!  I spend half my day chasing them out of my garden with a big brush!!! 

These are the reed bunting.

Great Spotted Woodpecker and a blackbird, pecking at the fat in the holes on this tree stump.  Can’t help but admire the tenacity of both the blackbird and the robins, the way they launch themselves at this stump is incredible and they’re almost always rewarded.

Last but not least, one of my favourite birds – real characters.  I’d swear this little one was posing for me!  He was definitely looking straight at me.  There’s nothing so quintessential as an English robin – they’re cheeky, clever and beautiful little birds.