Sunday May 29

Sunny with a light north-easterly breeze.

On arrival I headed for the reed-bed at Netherstead to confirm that the Reed Warbler was still singing and to try to see it.

Hide and seek with the Reed Warbler

Feeling pleased with this success I went to the south end and started walking north-east. The Willow Warbler was still singing but there was little else of note until I headed down the footpath towards the pool.

Juvenile Tawny Owl

The fledgling Tawny Owl was in the Oak Tree where the adult is regularly seen. I couldn't see any more, but there could easily be a family of them hidden away in the canopy. A little further on and I was being buzzed by a pair of angry Lesser Whitethroats.

Lesser Whitethroat

Clearly their young have recently hatched. Down at the pool I had a brief surge of excitement as I spotted a wader in the shallows. End of May, its got to be something good. In a way it was, my first ever May Green Sandpiper. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

As far as this bird is concerned, autumn has arrived!

I am used to seeing the first returning Green Sandpipers in late June, but May! This bird must have arrived in Scandinavia in mid April, done the business and immediately high-tailed it back to the UK. The adults start moulting as soon as they get here before heading further south from September.

The Canada Geese seem to have added to their brood since I saw them with three goslings a week ago.

At the Flash field I could only see adult Lapwings, but their alarm calls lead me to suspect that at least one chick was hidden in the grass. The Shelduck pair were also still present.

The return journey was largely devoted to finding and photographing insects.

Not a bumblebee. 

Azure Damselfly

The bumblebee-like insect is a hoverfly called Volucella bombylans which mimics a bumblebee's markings. They apparently come in two forms, one which mimics Red-tailed Bumblebee, and the other, seen today, which mimics White-tailed Bumblebee. Dragonflies seen were Broad-bodied Chaser, Large Red Damselfly, and my first Azure Damselfly and Blue-tailed Damselfly of the season.

Finally, shortly after taking a picture of this pair of Swallows;

the peace was shattered by the sudden appearance of a Hobby intent on catching and eating them. I'm pleased to say he missed, but rather less pleased with my efforts to capture the moment.

A fuzzy Hobby

It was all going so well.