aye, there be damsels and there be dragons...

Around this time of the year on my local patch I tend to come across damselflies of one description or another, but apart form the odd large red damselfly, males, I have seen very few. I think it is the cold and wet spell we had in April and May and June... mind you, I don't think the dredging helps.

So I had a mooch about 'off site' and came across a couple of locations where I saw one or two blue damselflies, then I saw three or four, five and six... hundreds of the things! 

In actual fact I had first come across two four spotted chasers 'in passing' which led me to a number of return trips and so then the damselflies.

Again, I'm trying this year to get some 'different images' than those I already hold in the locker, and 'flying' damselflies and dragonflies are on the wish list, as you will see from the images, until the sun comes out again I don't think I have much chance and even less chance then – they move so fast.

While I was perched a red soldier beetle passed from a stem to a leaf, so it seemed a shame not to capture the moment – and I have not seen a great deal of the local Kingfishers this year but in early May managed a quick 'snap'. Sadly, I doubt the local Kingfishers survived the cold winter, I know a lot of my garden plants didn't!

note: you may have trouble seing some of the subject matter as they are pretty small in life, double-clicking produces enlargements as a slideshow.

More Common Terns

No point writing too much... these were taken back on May 12th! Only surprise was to see this small flock of Oystercatchers trying to join in – clearly attracted to the colony of Terns and their shinnanigans, one or two did eventually land, but a few days later and I don't think they were allowed to settle – Preston Docks will become a real bird safety haven at this rate. The pictures hopefully speak for themselves (some could do with 'tweaking but I can't be bothered!) and when I have a moment I'll be returning with the rest of the story... one day, don't hold your breath!

I'll be back...

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!

Storyville – West Africa to Preston Dock!

'I wanna tell you a story...'

primarily in pictures, there aren't any award winning photos here but bear with me and hopefully I can make sense of this (that'll make a change then!).

It goes back over a few years when I first came across the Common Tern at Preston Dock, West Africa to Preston Dock... I ask you!

The male who appears to have started this colony was ringed at Doffcocker Lodge, Bolton on 14 June 2006 hasn't been seen so far this year. I have been down three or four times, mainly when the light was awful and aperture speeds just not fast enough, it started off with about 13 birds and last count was 23+, the plus because they are often mobile and keeping track isn't always easy, so 23 is a seen count with probable others.

It appears as if the birds have been flying off west down into the River Ribble but quite how far they are going is presently unknown to the author... so to the story in pics (not all photos taken on the same day, or same time), more posts on the same subject to follow a sthe story has moved on but I can't keep up!

returning home with the catch

landing with the catch, not always on the correct pontoon
can cause havoc

involves lots of posturing

and may involve another fly past

while others may be in the air on business or looking for a mugging

returning often attracts unwanted attention

more posturing with the mrs... (anyone know what the fish is?)
the male has the fish

results in a tug of war

which can last for sometime, all part of the bonding and courtship process

all the while the live fish in the middle of all this

whereupon the male gives in and the mrs gets her catch and
hopefully she wont have a headache later

while others take an interest

but nothing a common tern cant handle
he's just taking the proverbial
come back when your agile enough!

sun is so much better, included because I have never seen the
feet in this position before

and sometimes you get lucky