Summer Sights

Summer finally arrived in all her glory and my goodness it has been hot, hot and unfortunately humid too for much of the time. The grass is parched and the birdbath needs refilling frequently. Very hot and humid weather doesn't do me any favours at all but we have taken our chances where we could and enjoyed some nice walks towards the end of the day when the air is a little cooler.

'That beautiful season the Summer!

Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light;
and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.'

(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

We revisited Otmoor twice recently, it is a lovely place which we first visited last year. It is an area of approximately 400 acres of wetland and wet grassland in Oxfordshire. Watered by the River Ray, it was until the early 1800s unenclosed marshland, and regularly flooded in winter. An Enclosure Act was passed in 1815, under which the area was extensively drained. This disadvantaged the local farmers and led to civil disturbances known as the Otmoor Riots of 1829 to 1830.The semi-wetland landscape provided habitat for many rare species of birds and butterflies. These were threatened in 1980 by a government proposal for the route of the M40 motorway to cross Otmoor. Opposition to this plan was led by Friends of the Earth. An alternative route was eventually adopted by the government, and since 1997 a large part of Otmoor has become an RSPB nature reserve with large areas of land being returned to marshland.

When we visited recently, at the end of June, it was a lovely sunny day...until we arrived at our destination! Within moments of our arrival the sun disappeared and only showed itself occasionally which didn't help at all with photography.

The first thing which greeted us was that most welcome and quintessential (though sadly not so common now) sound of an English Summer's day - the Cuckoo. After not hearing one for at least three years it was a real joy to be accompanied by its call for much of our visit.

I saw these Burnet Moths busily ensuring the continuation of the species.

Five Spot Burnet Moth

These Damselflies posed nicely for the camera.

Blue-tailed Damselfly?

Common Blue Damselfly?

Edit: Thanks very much to Warren for confirming my ID of both damselflies.

While photographing the damselflies I caught sight of what I think was a fritillary butterfly but it was gone before I could get the camera on it. I think it may well have been a Marsh Fritillary as this site has the only colony of Marsh Fritillary Butterflies currently known in Oxfordshire, and represents the second most easterly location for this butterfly in Britain.

I did see this lovely moth which I have had difficulty identifying, I think it might be a...

Silver Y Moth ?

Edit: Thanks very much to Cheryl for confirming my ID.

Otmoor is a great place for birders. Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Stonechat, Marsh Tit, Linnet, Yellowhammer, Marsh Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Kestrel, Red Kite, Peregrine Falcon, Reed Bunting and Cetti’s Warbler are just some of the birds which can be seen regularly all year round and Hen Harrier and Merlin are regularly seen in Winter. It is one of the best places in England to see Hobbies which enjoy the abundance of dragonflies during the Summer months. A Great Bustard was seen there in April of this year and last year in June a Marsh Warbler was seen.

When we were there the air was alive with the sound of Reed and Sedge Warblers singing from the reed beds. Grasshopper Warblers reeled from an adjacent field and Skylarks sang overhead. Being 'that time of year' most of the birds were staying well hidden and if only I were more adept at identification by song and call I could have given a list of what was heard but not seen.

We spent some time watching Lapwings from one of the hides and trying to decide if the white birds we could see in the very far distance were Little Egrets which are seen quite regularly there. Towards the end of our walk I saw this Reed Bunting perched quite openly on a branch completely unconcerned by my presence.

Reed Bunting

Mirroring our experience last year, as we returned to the car parking area with the light failing fast, I saw this Yellowhammer repeatedly treating us to its familiar song of ‘a-little-bit-of-bread-and-no-cheeeeeese’.

Yellowhammer

'Ah homely bird ! thou canst not know
How far into my heart doth go
That melancholy key,
How from thy little straining throat
Each separate, successive note
Beats like a pulse in me.'

(Frederick William Faber)

and this Whitethroat.

Whitethroat

I also saw these Cormorants, I counted five but there may have been more. Perched in trees in a darkening landscape they almost looked like they inhabited some distant foreign land.

Cormorants

Otmoor is an atmospheric place which holds many unusual species and is well worth visiting and revisiting. My next post will show what I saw there when we visited again a couple of days ago.

'Oh, the summer night
Has a smile of light
And she sits on a sapphire throne.'

(Barry Cornwall)

~~~

Another walk, last week, was to see what butterflies I could find locally and I didn't need to go far to see this Small Tortoiseshell which was literally on my doorstep! It was on a Lavender plant right by the front door.

Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly

I was pleased to find this Large Skipper on a Cornflower.

Edit: Whoops! Thanks very much to Greenie for pointing out my very sloppy and elementary mistake, the flower below is not Cornflower but of course Black Knapweed!

Large Skipper Butterfly

and a butterfly I don't recall seeing before but which seemed to be everywhere I looked that day.

Ringlet Butterfly

This one with wings open

The Meadow Brown is more familiar to me.

Meadow Brown Butterfly

This Burnet Moth was posing very prettily

Five Spot Burnet Moth

and I thought this Comma looked lovely with the light shining through its wings

Comma Butterfly

'The Butterflies, by eager hopes undone,
Glad as a child, came out to meet the sun.'

(John Clare)

and this one with wings open.

I also saw this damselfly glistening in the sunlight.

Banded Demoiselle

I think this is a Broad-bodied Chaser

Broad-bodied Chaser

Finally this pretty wild flower is the Field Scabious also known as Gypsy Rose, Blue Button and Lady’s Pincushion.

Field Scabious

'Like frilly cushions full of pins
For tiny dames and fairykins;

Or else like dancers decked with gems,
My flowers sway on slender stems

They curtsey in the meadow grass,
And nod to butterflies who pass.'

(Cicely Mary Barker)

Enjoy the beauty of Nature wherever you are.

Joyful June

The year seems to be moving on at an alarming pace although it hasn't felt much like June for the last week or so and the last couple of days have been really quite cool. I am refilling all of the bird feeders in the garden each day, a clear sign that there are lots of youngsters being fed. The Starlings are particularly vociferous at the moment and using their usual bully boy tactics, making sure they get more than their fair share of the food!

'A bird in the boughs sang “June,”
And “June” hummed a bee
In a bacchic glee
As he tumbled over and over
Drunk with the honey-dew.'

(Clinton Scollard)

~~~

On one of our regular walks around a small local lake recently I saw this brightly coloured insect which is a type of Cardinal Beetle.

Pyrochroa Serraticornis

'And the poor beetle, that we tread upon,
In corporal sufferance finds a pang as great,
As when a giant dies'

(William Shakespeare)

I was particularly struck by the serrated antennae which earns it part of its Latin name.

I also saw this spider which I hope I have identified correctly as a Long jawed orb web spider. I have also seen it called Large jawed and Stretch spider but the Latin name is...

Tetragnatha montana

During the same walk I saw these colourful Iris growing by the water's edge.

Yellow Iris

It was here that I was bitten by the infamous Blandford Fly. I didn't feel anything at the time but my goodness it made itself known the next day! The whole of my leg from just below the knee to the ankle was an angry brick red and extremely painful. I have heard of several people who have been hospitalised due to its bite and it has taken nearly three weeks for my leg to fully return to normal!

~~~

I have been several times, recently, to a local spot where I noticed Blue Tits flying in and out of a hole in a tree trunk to feed their young. Trying to photograph them was very difficult due to their speed but they were fascinating to watch. The last time I went there was no sign of any activity so I hope the family all fledged successfully. The two photos below were the best I could manage I'm afraid.

Blue Tit

Another bird which was difficult to capture due to the speed of its movement was this Treecreeper. I thought I would include the photos (although they are not good) because the only other time I photographed one I only managed to get its back and foot!

Treecreeper

'From the day they leave the nest until the day they die
From ground up they climb the tree and then to the next tree fly'

(Francis Duggan)

This little beauty led me a merry dance before eventually camouflaging itself magnificently among the Buttercups.

Brimstone Butterfly

On the same local walk where I saw the nesting Blue Tits and the Brimstone Butterfly I heard and then spotted this Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

'And merry chiff-chaff from the budding tree,
Gives out his joyous notes so wild and free'

(John Joseph Briggs)

constantly calling to one of its recently fledged little ones which was on a higher tree branch.

Fledgling Chiffchaff

It is always a pleasure to see Dog Roses decorating the hedgerows at this time of year. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it was used to treat the bite of a rabid dog.

Rosa canina

'In the may-thorn's place,
Now the dog-rose blooms,—
Mingling rich perfumes,
With each modest grace.'

(William Barre)

I haven't been able to identify this small fly but have included it because I thought it made an interesting photograph.

Soldier Fly

Thanks very much to Greenie for identifying it as one of the Soldier Flies but there are so many of them that it hasn't been possible to be specific.

~~~

On our latest visit to Draycote, which is where I photographed the Rabbits at the top of this post, I saw this Great Crested Grebe youngster riding on mum's back. I think there is something quite comical looking about the young with their stripy heads!

Great Crested Grebe

Later in the walk we saw both mum and dad providing transport (no decent photo unfortunately) but here its sibling had to be content with swimming alongside.

I was also pleased to see young Yellow Wagtails.

Fledgling Yellow Wagtail

This Buzzard was soaring and gliding over the fields on the opposite side of the water.

Buzzard

'With piercing eye and rapid flight
He skims the moor from morn till night;
The feathered tribe are mute with dread
At visage of his hoary head.'

(Edward William L. Davies)

I had heard that an Egyptian Goose had been at Draycote for a week or so, only the third time one had been seen there in around thirty years. I had been keeping a look out for it but as it is a five and a half mile walk around the entire perimeter of the water and we are usually limited by time I can usually be guaranteed to walk in the wrong direction when looking for a specific bird. This time we walked part way round one side before doubling back and walking a short way in the other direction. We decided that as we had been there for about three hours, and it was quite late in the evening, that it was time to turn around and make our way back to the car when all of a sudden I spotted a large goose foraging at the edge of the water...it was indeed the Egyptian Goose!

Egyptian Goose

I have included the next photo to show the lovely light in the bird's eye but unfortunately I had a problem with camera shake :(

I know it was originally an introduced, ornamental bird which now breeds in the wild in certain parts of the country but I had never seen one before and was pleased to see what is a very rare visitor to Draycote.

Have a wonderful week enjoying the beauty of Nature.

Flitters, Flutters and Stop-Start Sprinters!

The very warm weather which many of us in the UK experienced a week or so ago was nice while it lasted but it certainly didn't last long! We had some persistent rain here in the last couple of days but it hasn't had much impact on the very dry ground especially as there have been some blustery winds which have dried things out considerably. However, at the moment everything still looks beautifully green and fresh.

'The old hills that for a mans lifetime hath stood
Unmolested mid brushes and burrs
The worn ways leading along to the wood
And the rabbit tracks into the furze....

Though simple to some I delight in the sight
Of such objects that bring unto me
A picture of picturesque joy and delight
Where beauty and harmony be.'

(John Clare)

~~~

I haven't yet seen as many different varieties of butterflies as I would have expected but during the very warm weather, while enjoying a walk close to home, there were lots of Speckled Woods about.

Speckled Wood Butterfly

I also saw this white butterfly taking nectar from a Herb Robert flower. I'm not too good at identifying whites, I don't think it is either the Small White or Large White and it doesn't look like the Green Veined White which I photographed last year. I'm pretty sure I have seen and photographed it before but by the time Summer has gone and we are into a new year I have forgotten what I learnt the year before :( therefore, I am going to leave it to those more expert than myself!

Green-veined White Butterfly (probably male)

(Thank you very much to Greenie. for the ID)

This little Fat-legged Beetle was gleaming in the sunshine on a Buttercup. It is so called because the male of the species has swollen looking femora (thighs). Other names are Thick-legged Beetle and Flower Beetle.

Fat-legged Beetle (Oedemera nobilis) (male)

This little beauty gave me the run-around, flitting from bush to bush, it was very difficult to 'pin down' and this was the best I could do before it took off again. It looked much blacker than the photo shows. I am assuming it is a Damselfly (although it almost seemed too small) but I haven't been able to identify which one possibly because it may be immature, I'm sure someone will know :)

Beautiful Demoiselle (female)

As I said, I knew 'someone' would know and of course he did!
Thanks again to Greenie :)

Back on safer ground now, during the same walk, there is no mistaking what is probably Britain's favourite bird, I photographed this one singing its heart out which gladdened mine immeasurably.

Robin

'Oh! for a strain as gladsome and free—
Oh! for a voice of such melody—
Oh ! for the spirit-like flow of song,
Heard for a moment, remembered long.'

(Henry Righton)

~~~

All of the following photos were taken during recent visits to Draycote, the light conditions were not always favourable and some of the birds were a very long way away. Whenever we go there we are usually guaranteed to see Pied Wagtails flitting around, searching for insects and landing momentarily on the rocks.

Pied Wagtail

On a visit in April, I spotted, in the top of a tree what I assumed to be a Yellow Wagtail. In my experience it is unusual to see a wagtail in a tree and I took some very poor photos which on careful examination showed that I had found the Blue-headed Wagtail which had been seen there at that time! Unfortunately they were much too poor to show but nevertheless I was pleased to have seen it. Getting back to more recent visits to Draycote I was happy to see my first Yellow Wagtails of the year. This is sadly another bird on the red list of endangered species in the UK!

Yellow Wagtail

It was also nice to see these Ringed Plovers, there were two, each standing completely still, apart from constantly turning their heads. In common with some other birds including other plovers these attractive little birds will defend their nests and young against predators by feigning a broken wing, calling and leading intruders away from the nest, once the potential threat is far enough away the plover will fly off. When hunting for food they employ a stop-start, run and pause technique.

Ringed Plover

'They sprint eight feet and -
stop. Like that. They
sprintayard (like that) and
stop.
They have no acceleration
and no brakes.
Top speed's their only one.'

(Norman MacCaig)

This lovely Great Crested grebe was quite close to me for a change, what elegant, graceful looking birds they are, even when dripping wet after diving for food!

Great Crested Grebe

These two were much further away and I hoped they were going to perform their beautiful 'weed dance' but unfortunately after some initial overtures it fizzled out.


As well as water birds there is always lots of birdsong coming from the trees and hedgerows at Draycote and this Dunnock was enjoying some sunshine

Dunnock

and so was this very smart looking Great Tit.

Great Tit

This next photo is especially for someone who is not feeling too well at the moment as I know it is his favourite bird. I hope it may help to cheer you up a little, Keith :)

Pheasant

'Oh! beautiful bird in thy stately pride,
Thou wast made in a waste of flowers to hide,
And to fling to the sun the glorious hues
Of thy rainbow-gold, thy green and blues!
Yes, beautiful pheasant, the birch-wood bowers,
Rich many-formed leaves, bright tinted flowers,
Broad masses of shade, and the sunshine free,
In thy gorgeous beauty are meet for thee!'

(Mary Howitt)

~~~

Wherever I go at the moment there seem to be lots and lots of Rabbits which is not surprising considering that it has been estimated that in five years a single pair could have around a million descendants were it not for the many mishaps to which rabbits are exposed!

Rabbit

I was very pleased to get photos of two birds I have never managed to capture before, the first was a Kestrel which was a long way away from me and the light wasn't good but here it is anyway.

Kestrel

And finally my first captures of a Green Woodpecker. Again it was a very long way away and I scrambled down a rather steep bank to try and get closer, needless to say I soon spooked it and it was off and away all too quickly!

Green Woodpecker

'Hark! heard ye that laughter so loud and so long? -
Again now! - it drowneth the wood-linnet's song!
'T is the woodpecker laughing! - the comical elf!
His soul must be merry to laugh to himself! -
And now we are nearer - speak low - be not heard!
Though he's merry at heart, he's a shy, timid bird ...

... soon as a footstep that's human is heard,
A quick terror springs to the heart of the bird!
For man, the oppressor and tyrant, has made
The free harmless dwellers of nature afraid! ...

And then, when we're up at the end of the lane,
We shall hear the old woodpecker laughing again.'

(Mary Howitt)

Have a wonderful, Nature filled week wherever you are.