A mixed lot

I may be gone for sometime soon... toys and pram with service provider, in the meantime;

For once I'm glad it's raining, on several counts really, water is so precious and we take it for granted but the fish will be glad of it, as will anything that grows and I can start catching up on all the jobs I have neglected, including posts on this blog. As a regular visitor, you will know sometimes the posts are for my benefit and to some extent I suppose this is, nothing earth-moving I am afraid but a place to post some images and keep a record of things, gives me some clue as I can't remember what I had for breakfast.

The local damselflies have been late this year, perhaps that cold wet spell we had in April, go out at the right time and I can count 18 blackbirds or more, all worming. Blackcaps have been singing but seeing them has proved very tricky but I managed a male out in the open. A Green Veined White and one that isn't! 

There are a large number of breeding Wrens hereabouts and again I caught this one singing out in the open for a split second. The male blackcap and wren were in the same location and while waiting for them this Scorpion fly landed in front of me and it seemed daft not to take a photo (at least I think it's a Scorpion Fly).

Again I am blessed with a number of Song Thrush hereabouts and they did used to nest in next doors garden, but no longer. I was concerned they had been 'disturbed' but in the last few weeks I have come across as many as four at any one time, like the blackbirds, out 'worming'.

There have been the odd sighting of the bullfinch and nothing more than that and an illustration of how difficult they are to see, let alone capture (and so you know I'm not making it up). The Mute Swan simply because I was shocked when processing to see how 'black' the surroundings were and had it not been the vegetation top left it is almost 'artificial'.

A picture of a Chiffchaff which has been singing for a month or more and driving me nuts, you can never see it and similarly a Willow Warbler for comparison, although the scale is not the same, but you can se the longer primary projection on the Willow Warbler.

And a quick snap of a female blackcap as I didn't want to disturb it as I moved on.

Red damselfly, late this year

Blackbird worming

A Green Veined White

and one that isn't

one of the many trogyldytes trogyldytes
(I just love the name)

Male blackcap in the open

Scorpion fly

Song Thrush out worming

Male and Female Bullfinch

a disappearing male bullfinch... one day!

left, Chiffchaff, right Willow Warbler
(note longer primary projection on WW)
not to same scale/proportions, WW is bigger

female blackcap with food

The more observant of you might have notived I began this blog stating it was raining, well it isn't now... how long it has taken me to get this post up here!

Another 'bitty' post

Too much happening to write posts!

Over on the esplanade at Preesall I often come across Wrens in the sea defence wall. Back at Newton Marsh, early one morning, Lapwings were not allowing the Godwits any peace and frequently chasing them off their territory. A dodgy image of a Black-tailed Godwit, for just that, id purposes, showing off it's black tail. I caught a Moorhen dispute, sadly the sun was not up, that's how early it was; while a male Teal walked serenely past when the sun did finally rise. An image of a male Wigeon as most of them have now departed. I found myself at Lower Bentham where I spotted a pair of Grey Wagtails and a Dipper flying low along the river. Up on the top a number of Meadow Pipits were passing through, otherwise strangely quiet, except somewhere 'over the tops' I came upon a large flock of Fieldfare, but sadly they were spooked by passing traffic and disappeared from their feeding into some nearby trees making a racket and it wasn't possible to stop and park.

The local Blue Tits have decided to use the nest box again this year, sadly they left 14 young in it last year... I fear their demise relating to the loss of the parents, which I think was probably the local cats; the Blue Tits coming and going drawing attention to themselves, although there may be another reason, I will be waiting to see this year.

While skulking for the local Grey Wagtails this Brown Rat showed itself in broad daylight... not impressed. Brown Rats carry the nasty Weils disease ... so always wash your hands etc when you've been out and about (I never do!!). 'Weils' can be deadly I think, certainly doesn't do you any good.

While looking for Goldcrests, the Coal Tits were feeding o the pine cones; I came across an early Comma, and again while looking for the Grey Wagtails had time watching Moorhens... so easily overlooked and I was glad I spent some time watching them. I think they are now on nest (but again rarely I have seen them with any young, mink and rats I fear)... but have you seen the size of those feet, you know what they say about big feet? A pic of a Sparrowhawk to illustrate just how high they appear and ride the thermals hereabouts (almost out of sight).. what do they see at that height? Answers on a postcard please.

I have five blackbird nests around the garden and not one has been successful – magpies! yet again the blackbirds decided to nest in a flowering blackcurrant bush in the front garden and their coming and going attracted the attention of a magpie – I wonder if it is a deliberate 'dupe nest'. (The photos taken from the car, parked on the drive as usual, on a bad light day). On the way back from Knott End a Hare trying to hide in grass too short and a pair of Collared Doves because I ignore them – and I was watching a programme about 'Attenborough does Africa' or something and at a water hole in the Kalahari were... correct, Collared Doves. 

And, in case you were left wondering, as Julie Roberts said to Hugh Grant in 'Notting Hill'... big feet: big shoes.

Jenny

I'm fairly sure this pair of wrens have already successfully raised one brood... but seem determined to start another family.

One of our smallest birds yet fantastic engineers. That twig is probably the same as an iron girder to us homo-sapiens and their nest building ability is quite a feat.