It’s not rare, even for home, but we’ve never had one running around the patio before. By the time I got to the camera it had escaped onto the lawn, before giving the pond a try out.
It doesn’t make a summer…
… but the first Swallow of the year at home is always special. As well as that, there were loads of butterflies, bumblebees, including our first Red-tailed Bumblebees of the year. Pride of place goes to the smart male Redstart, that eventually gave itself up.
Swallow
Speckled Wood
Common Redstart, an infrequent spring and regular autumn migrant.
Garden Wildlife
Our first moth trap of the year yielded only four species, but one of them was new on the house list.
Male Sparrowhawk
Tawny Pinion, a new moth for home
Powdered Quaker
Bluethroat
On the way down south from Harrogate, the lure of the Lincolnshire Bluethroat was too much. It kept us waiting for nearly an hour, but eventually turned up and put on a show.
God’s Own Country
A superb afternoon up in the Yorkshire Dales, starting off at Strid Woods (no summer migrants yet, but the usual Goosander, Dipper and Grey Wagtail performed well). Then further north for both Red and Black Grouse. Red performed very well indeed.
The Strid
Red Grouse
Red Grouse
Southern Ecuador
I have finally ploughed through the photos from Ecuador. When I sort out a trips folder there will be some there, but for the moment they can be found on my OneDrive.
Jocotoco Antpitta
SEO at Beeding
A Short-eared Owl gave us some nice views at Beeding Brooks and on the way back a very nice sunset over Cissbury Ring
Rough Sea at Shoreham
Shoreham Fort at high tide yielded no Purple Sandpipers, but the sea was fun.
East Head
A twitch to East Head for a couple of Snow Buntings. How many photos of a Snow Bunting does a man need? Well, thousands and more, it seems.
Back at the car a Mediterranean Gull was hanging in the wind.
Crawley and Bexhill
Rosy Starling
Rosy Starling
Waxwing
Waxwing