Wedding visit and unexpected array of woodland birds

On August 27th I visited Coleslaw Hall, Upper Peover, near Knutsford, Manchester for my cousins daughter's wedding. There was a very showy Heron in the grounds that allowed a very close approach even with my 150mm macro lens. One time it was by the bridge by the pond another time it stood near some reeds and posed beautifully for the camera. The following day and early morning walk revealed 3 Nuthatches in one Oak tree followed by 3 Chiff- Chaffs, Treecreeper, a GSW, Blue & Great Tits it was nice to see this one tree alive with woodland birds. 2 Nuthatches were also seen by trees closet to the Hall too. Looking over a nearby field, 3 Buzzards soared in the air including a very pale bird. An unexpected wildlife oasis!

Dotterel at Covehithe cliff field

Receiving a BINS message that Carl B had found an imm Dotterel at Covehithe cliff field just N of the metalled road. On a really close muggy afternoon, an hour or so later I walked down to the site. Tt was in the cliff field (formerly a pig field) now a potato field. Initially I couldn't see it but seeing a group of birders in the north-east corner path I knew where to go and sure enough the fine immature Dotterel was only 7 ploughed furrows in. Good to see Ali R, Carl B & Neville L here. Thanks to Ali for putting me in the best spot to see the bird. This fine bird spent most of it's time sitting down, it initially stood up but then sat down and spent the entire duration watching it sitting down. I then visited the Broad with Neville L it was immediately apparent there had been a massive amount of erosion, trees from the 'cliff' just south of there had fallen into the sea and the hide was only approx 30 metres from the beach and we saw around 60 Dunlin, a single Greenshank in front of the hide, Kingfisher fishing from the posts in front of the hide. Steve P popped in briefly to retrieve his notebook. We saw around 30 Black- tailed Godwits and a smart summer plumage Bar- tailed Godwit at the back. An Avocet flew into and settled in low water at the back. 4 Knot seen, 1 in wp, 1 in full sp and 2 in transitional plumage. Strangely enough no Sandpipers seen. Back at the Dotterel, Chris M & Peter N were in attendance an finally when the sun came out I managed to manoeuvre around without disturbing the bird and get some reasonable pics, the bird stood up once when some dogs on leads were passing on the path, once they had gone it soon settled down again where I left it. Several 5 Speckled Wood butterflies seen around the vegetation of the metalled road as I walked back.

Hummingbird Hawk Moth outside work!

On leaving work a tad late yesterday, Friday 25th Augus at 5.15pm, I was glad I did so as I instantly saw a Hummingbird Hawk Moth taking an interest buzzing the guttering bordering the R&D offices, it flew gradually south, I shut the western doors to stop it flying in and it then flew strongly south, about 6 miles away it would receive a very warm welcome!

"Why does it always cloud over me?"

Sung to the tune of Travis' "Why does it always rain on me?", one of Jenny's favourite songs, I could well ask the question each time I walk the 2 miles to the top of Carlton Marshes it always clouds over! On Sunday 20th August, mid morning, again I was pleasantly distracted along the dykes, where I met an elderly couple who had spotted one Fen Raft Spider this time from the main boarded area where one was sat on a Lily pad, just right of a particularly thick Water Soldier plant sticking out of the water, by the three fronds cut off half way up. The lady also found a second further along past the big bush, in a bowl shaped indentation, along the far side of the dyke, another Fen Raft Spider was facing down onto the water. Walking around past Spratts water, a couple rather annoyingly trailed just behind me, so I was unable to get a shot of a Kestrel on a gate post and a Black- tailed Skimmer on the path ahead of me. I also saw Peacock & Small Tortoiseshell butterfly briefly here too. No birds seen on the Scrape apart from a Mallard! At the top, a female Great Diving Beetle (with finely lined back) was on the path and scurrying to get into cover, she safely negotiated the path into a side area. A slightly tatty Wall Brown butterfly was perched on the bare part of the path and later perched on the wall, it flew and is a very unobtrusive butterfly, but when it perched on the wall it was doing exactly what it says on the tin! Also on the wall, were up to 3 skittish tiny Common Lizards (boding well for the future) and slightly further along was the most obliging Common Lizard I have ever come across. It spent well over an hour on the wall just past a thistle and was an absolute joy to photograph, pity the sun had gone in. A very fine male Migrant Hawker flew in and perched underneath a weed. Nothing along the north die of Scrape. IN the dyke I saw an adult and 2 young Moorhens that just eluded the camera, It was really good to catch up with Alan & Edwina B in the car park afterwards and I hope they got to see some of the Fen Raft Spiders.

Trio of Goodies at Breydon

On Friday 18th August, following a tweet from Tommy C, I headed over to Breydon and was rewarded in seeing a trio of goodies (no, not Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke Taylor and Bill Oddie) but the first bird seen feeding vigorously with its long neck exercising its long spatular shaped bill from side to side was a Spoonbill in front of the Tern platforms. There were lots of Med Gulls, Avocets, Godwits and amongst the Gulls, I saw the magnificent Caspian Tern facing left. I couldn't see any smaller waders. It's black crown was starting to moult a little into whiter winter plumage. Its big bill looking more reddish than orange it was facing and left and slowly walked left. Suddenly, I spotted an immature Arctic Tern with very bouncy flight flying left and over the Tern platforms it even perched on one of them. It stood out from the more elongated Common Terns.

Surprise Hummingbird Hawk Moth in garden

Whilst on the phone to Mum on Monday evening at 7.53pm, I noticed what looked like a Hummingbird Hawk Moth feeding from the top flowers of the Buddlea Davidii bush in the garden. Rushing outside this was confirmed and I watched for a minute before it suddenly disappeared at 7.55pm. My first of the year.

North Beach Terns

On Monday 14th August, I drove down to the Link's road at the North Denes, I was fortunately to watch a flock of 19 Common Terns a mixture of 10 adults and 9 immatures. That was the highlight of the evenings birdwatch. 2 fine summer- plumaged Turnstones were seen in the near corner at Hamilton Dock.