@peteandmarjo.bsky.social
Waited early morning near Glocs./Oxon. border for this juv. Hen Harrier to preen and warm up in the sun, then it set off to hunt just after 7am. #birdingUK #GlosBirds
Another enchanting phalarope encounter this morning: juvenile Red-necked Phalarope at Kingsbury Water Park, Warks. #westmidsbirding #birdingUK @birdingcentral.bsky.social
Looks like Pine Hawk-moths have fully arrived in Bromsgrove and seem to like our Montezuma Pine @wheatearlp.bsky.social
Very helpful adult Spotted Crake at Upton Warren Moors, Worcs. at midday (sometimes harassed by Water Rail). Hobby looking for dragonflies, 12 Little Egrets etc. #worcsbirds #westmidsbirding
Grimley Church Farm nr. White Hart fishing pools late morning. Some pics of Hoopoe. Whinchat too. (also ad/1st.w f. Redstart in hedge/ sallow bushes) #worcsbirds
Hoopoe Grimley near White Hart Angling Club pools. Feeding in clear area
Green-flowered Helleborines on Cannock Chase this afternoon. Out of 68 flower-spikes of various sizes we could only find one flower that had decided to open (and near-imperceptibly at that) @ukorchids.bsky.social
Numerous Clouded Yellows in the red clover-mix leys on approach to Grafton Wood,Worcs. yesterday. Occasionally they would stop and allow the usual 'stopped' photo but mostly zapping around fuelled-up on nectar in the sunshine. Flight photos were attempted @savebutterflies.bsky.social
Quite common and more than quite beautiful: Elephant Hawk-moth in our Bromsgrove (Worcs.) garden this morning @savebutterflies.bsky.social
On return to our Bromsgrove, Worcs. garden I rescued a Red-belted Clearwing from a water butt: on drying out, it ungratefully pinged-off without waiting for a photo. First time I've noticed any Clearwing here: good year for them? @savebutterflies.bsky.social
Searched Oversley Wood nr. Alcester, Warks. for Purple Emperors this morning: saw none and getting concerned until one male found on horse dung as we were about to leave (a pleasure it was sharing with Red Admiral and Comma) @savebutterflies.bsky.social
Looks like we're going to be seeing plenty of White-letter Hairstreaks. Burlish Meadows near Stourport-on-Severn this morning 16.6.26 @savebutterflies.bsky.social
We could not find any sign of R.Cackling Goose amongst many Canadas dispersed across site on floods this morning but notable were 26 Shelduck and 7 Oystercatchers returning or passing through #WorcsBirds
Juv. G.Northern Diver still on N.pit at Ripple this p.m. Also Otter on smaller pool north of N.Pit. No sign of the Slavonian Grebe at its Upton-on-Severn site but a Water Rail of interest there #WorcsBirds
OK, so yesterday was a miserable grey-murk day in N.Wales. Spirits were low when🤫🤔 the birds in the sallows by Llyn Brenig were indeed 2 Willow Tits. This made for excitement! Haven't seen these guys for AGES. Let's hope they can hang on here with 100's (pristine) Coal Tits #birdingUK #birdingWales
Two days ago on the scars and pavements above Gt. Orme's Head this male N.Wheatear stood out not only for whopping size but exquisite pattern and deep colours: candidate for ssp. leucorhoa or W.Pal. tundra bird in mid-Oct. #BirdingUK #birdingwales
Golden Plover resting on The Longmynd, Shropshire today. 3/4 N.Wheatears passing through. Stonechats seem to have bred well but we found no Whinchats. Slopes facing the afternoon sun have been baked dry. Bilberry has coloured superbly #shropshirebirding #UKBirding
2+ Clouded Yellows in field with Lucerne and Chicory at midday. First field to left of public footpath running ENE from road by Rascals dog grooming towards church. Grimley, Worcs. Favouring area where slope increases downwards. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bc-westmids.bsky.social
Some of the 49 Cattle Egrets gathering in front of 1st screen Otmoor yesterday 17.00hrs.--> Joined by Gt. Egret, 3 L.Egrets, Grey Heron,(Bitterns doubtless in veg. nearby); Glossy Ibis turned up 17.30 #BirdingUK/IRE, @rspbotmoor.bsky.social
The subadult BC Night Heron still at Grimley CLPit midday. #WorcsBirds Bonus colony of 12+flower spikes of Broad-leaved Helleborine (?) amongst the Great Horsetails west end of south causeway @ukorchids.bsky.social
At Warks. helleborine site which includes 'Dune Helleborine' yesterday. Plants small and many flowers dessicated it seems. Nearby helleborines in fuller shade flowering more healthily, but even smaller at c. 10cm. @ukorchids.bsky.social
Tiddesley Wood, Worcs. p.m. SW Fritillaries, White Admirals and 2 Purple Emperors. Numerous L.Skippers, Commas, L.Whites, M.Browns, some Red Admirals and couple Scarlet Tigers. Hordes of Ringlets and a few Marbled Whites on approach to wood. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bc-westmids.bsky.social
Much of yesterday was spent at the very interesting Cothill Fen near Abingdon. We had a good look at specimens of Pugsley's Marsh-orchid in this unusual occurrence of its habitat (joined by Black Bog-rush, another indicator of same habitat) Identical to the Narrow-leaved Marsh-orchid of Europe?
A couple of hours in Oxfordshire yesterday afternoon showed considerable activity at a Black Hairstreak site. @ukbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social
57 Greater Butterfly Orchids flowering in one small field this afternoon with crystal clear view across to the Malvern Hills, Bredon Hill and the city of Worcester. @ukorchids.bsky.social
It seems now is the time to look for developing Bird's-nest Orchids if you have access to suitable sites: 59 flower spikes on their way in very-approximately 7500m2. of mature Beech wood today, with others still to surface by the looks of it @ukorchids.bsky.social
Most of the Yellow Wagtails at Clifton are 'flavissima' type ('our' Yellow Wag.) as in pics 2,4. However, there are 1 or 2 that look like 'lutea' (Yellow-headed Wagtail from Volga eastwards) as in pic 1. Also, there is the hybrid flava x flaviss.? in pic.3 @birdingcentral.bsky.social #WorcsBirds
