Wild harvest

Plodding around the patch yesterday afternoon in lovely sunshine, and finding only a few birds. I still put the lens to good use taking pics of the bountiful wild  harvest, fruit for the picking everywhere. There should be no shortage of winter food for the birds this year, as all the trees are laden, the wild apples are bending the branches there is so many.

Wild apples, some people call them crab apples, but these are not true crab apples as they grow much bigger.

Same tree, closer image.

Good crops of Hawthorn ready for the winter thrushes.

And yet another apple loaded tree.

Elder berries, The birds love them, so do the home wine makers.

Elder berries.

Fairy ring or a fungus, sometimes it is the Marasmius oreades fungus

Leighton Moss

Had a ride down to Leighton Moss, and headed straight for the marsh hides first. The water levels where quite low, but even so there was very little activity on the Allen pool, a few Redshank, ditto Lapwing, Greenshank, and this Little Egret put in an appearance.

I watched this Redshank for some time as it searched for a morsel.

Its head disappeared below the surface a few times without success.

 

Then at last success, just a tiny morsel for its efforts.

Along the path between the hides I came across this Speckled Wood, in fact there where two in mating display but only the one settled.

Speckled Wood.

On the Eric Morecombe pool there was more activity , with good numbers of Black-tailed Godwits, More Redshanks, and a Few Greenshanks.

In an area back at the main reserve, I came across a pair Moorhens building a nest, they where both sharing the job of gathering nest material. Then one disappeared into the reeds and reappeared with two chicks, so looks like they where getting ready for another brood.

A variety of Convolvulus

And to round the trip off, a Male Bullfinch on the feeders.

Linking to I'D-Rather-B-Birdin http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.co.uk/

When the sun shone

Small Tortoiseshell

Our butterflies have been showing well all over the country, from the Small Common Blue, and Scotch Argus, to the larger  Purple Emperor and Swallowtail. The sun of course makes all the difference, there is nothing butterflies like more than nice warm sun,(a bit like myself)

Small Tortoiseshell

And this was the case wandering round the patch the other day, the area was alive with this species in particular, so like a lot of birders when there is a drought as regards birding, our attention  turns to other things. so blogs all over the country have been posting photos of our butterflies.

This particular one is possibly one of our more commonest species.

And because of this is probably taken for granted, or overlooked in favour of something more exotic or rare

,

But just look at this little beauty, even its colours shout out warm sunshine, its a little gem.

If wildlife could talk

Just look at the fool, first it gobbles up half my family, now its destroying our habitat

Tastes like duckling.

OMG I've made a blue hole and we are all going to be sucked into it never to be seen again.

Now how did Martin Riggs get out of that straight jacket  (Lethal Weapon 2)

He did it under water, not working for me.

And all the while the adults patrol overhead.

Come on you've  seen enough, lets head for cover before the fools get bored

Hope you enjoyed, I'll try to be a bit more serious next time, but that is not a promise.
     Linking to I'D- Rather-B-Birdin http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.co.uk/

From out doors & in

Sunset over the patch----- out doors

Rain clouds through a window  in doors.

Linking to Skywatch Friday.     http://skyley.blogspot.co.uk/

Corvids Galore

Nothing more guaranteed than a load of muck spreading to bring in the corvids, in this particular field a mixed bag including Rooks, Carrion Crow,and Jackdaws

They say there is a pecking order, but does this apply in a mixed flock, or just when there is a single species feeding.?

Waiting on the sidelines.

When is it going to be my turn.

A touch of rural England

Linking to Stewarts Wild bird Wednesday http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.co.uk/

Inundated with Gulls

At the moment the patch is inundated with Lesser-Black-backed Gulls, Herring Gulls, and their respective young. we are also doing very well with mallard, many having bred early and escaped being Gull fodder.

Young Gull that thinks its a Gannet, mind most eat like Gannets

They have had a good breeding season again on the rooftops of the local industrial estate.

Adult Lesser Black-backed Gull cumming in to land.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

And splash down.

Juvenile Lesser Black-backed, incoming. Its like Heathrow airport, they are coming and going all the time. commuting from the industrial estate.

 Mallard, they maybe our most common duck, but still very smart plumage when examined closely.

I just couldn't resist.

And other birds around the same area where-----------

Woodpigeon

Swallows on power lines

Swallow.

And hawking insects over the water.

Linking To Anni I'd Rather be Birding athttp://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/cest-magnifique-up-to-85-215cm-wingspan.html