Sunday May 11 - Morton Bagot

 It always amazes me how by the second weekend in May its as though someone has flicked a switch from birds to insects. It's not like I'm not trying to look at birds, its just that from now until July/August they'll be pretty much the same birds every week. At least that's the case here at Morton Bagot.

Dave joined me, and later wished he hadn't as his phone told him there were two Black Terns at Marsh Lane GP. He abandoned me half way round, and sad to say was too late to see them.

Before he did that he accidentally kicked up the best creature we saw this morning. A Lime-speck Pug moth was a first for the site, and that rare thing, an easy to identify Pug.

Lime-speck Pug

Dave is not into moths so hadn't a clue what it was, while I knew what it was but had completely forgotten its name. I suppose that's what comes of developing an interest late in life.

We also saw lots of new insects for the year (for me at least) including the butterflies  Small Copper, and several Small Heaths, and the dragonflies Broad-bodied Chaser, and Azure Damselfly. Dave also spotted a Large Red Damselfly which I nearly stepped on but didn't actually see.

Small Copper

Small Heath

Broad-bodied Chaser

Azure Damselfly

As for birds, the Avocets had gone, as had most of the water in the nearest flash. All that was left was the Little Ringed Plover, a few Lapwings which clearly had young as they were going ballistic at the presence of a Carrion Crow in the hedge (I fear the outcome may have been bad), and a Mallard with a brood of ducklings. The furthest flash has been taken over by large gulls this year, mostly Lesser Black-backed Gulls (23) and also several families of Greylag Geese.

On a disappointing note, we saw the remains of what I'm pretty sure had once been a Lapwing shortly before Dave headed off. I'm guessing it had been predated from a nest.

With Dave gone, all that was left was to spend some time scanning skywards in the hope of a large raptor. A Cuckoo started calling, a Yellowhammer flew over, and finally a raptor appeared.

Common Buzzard was not what I'd had in mind. Still at least it's in focus. It helped that it was hovering.

I'll be back to exploring next week.