Great Reed Warbler - Paxton Pits

A great morning at Paxton Pits in Cambridgeshire for the Great Reed Warbler it had been there for awhile now and I had mentioned it a couple of times but it was a very elusive bird and also I struggle seeing them when there in reeds.
On Sunday we decided to go and give it ago I was very excited and just praying we would get to see it, we arrived and began the walk to the Great Reed Warbler I was thinking we would have to wait hours and hours to see him so when we got there and Dave said his singing then I heard him so much louder song than Reed Warbler, then a lady said I have in the scope if you would like to look, so I had a look and there he was singing his little heart out, he was amazing and my first words was he is big isn't he lol Dave then got him in my scope and had amazing views could see all the details on him, couldn't believe are luck to see him straightaway and have such beautiful views. Was too distant for any photos but I was over the moon and the Great Reed Warbler brought my life list up to 250 just amazing and all down to Dave :)
Below are a couple of Dave's photos of a Great Reed Warbler taken at Straw's Bridge NR,Ilkeston,Derbys 19/5/10.  

Great Reed Warbler by Dave Hutton at (Straw's Bridge NR,Ilkeston,Derbys 19/5/10)

Great Reed Warbler by Dave Hutton at (Straw's Bridge NR,Ilkeston,Derbys 19/5/10)

You can see straightaway how much bigger he looks compared to Reed Warbler also the bill is longer and thicker also they usually show a dark spot at tip of lower mandiable in Great Reed Warbler also a broader pale supercilium also slightly longer tail and longer primary projection with clear white tips to primaries.

They are similar in color to Reed Warbler but I thought he looked slightly more darker brown than Reed Warbler, there are other differences but for me what I noticed was much bigger, longer bill and thicker and the slight color difference.  

Big thank you to Dave for the use of the photos and also for taken me to see yet another great bird I love Warblers and this another stunning Warbler, very lucky to have seen him and have such wonderful views.   

Moths update

The past few Months have been quite slow in the trap with most nights only getting one moth in the trap but i'm lucky because a lot of them have been lifers for me and all very beautiful moths, I love them all just love the excitement of having the trap on and checking if we have anything it's addictive and gives me that fire in the belly :)
I think mine and Dave's highlight has to be the Streamer moth which just flew to us in bright sunshine in the garden watching the excitement on Dave's face because he had always wanted to see a Streamer we were both over the moon and such a stunning moth.
We have also had lot's of other moths in the trap but and when we have been out an about, some new for me some new for us both and some that we have both seen before but all equally as lovely :)

Oak Beauty

Brindled Pug

Twin-spotted Quaker

Common Quaker

Hebrew Character

Waved Umber

Streamer

Pebble Prominent

Iron Prominent

Powdered Quaker

Clouded Drab

Common Heath

The Spectacle

Forester

Muslin 

Small Purple-barred

Brown Silver-lines

Pale Tussock

Pebble Hook-tip

Angle Shades

Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet

Buff Ermine

Blood-vein

Cauchas rufimitrella

Twenty-plume

Bee Moth

Esperia Sulphurella

Dyseriocrania Subpurpurella

Nettle-tap

Adela reaumurella- Longhorn

Gracillaria Syringella

Argyresthia trifasciata

Anania fuscalis

Wood White Butterflies - Ryton Woods, Warwickshire

We spent the past couple of days at Ryton Woods in Warwickshire with the Wood White Butterflies one that Dave had been waiting along time to see also a lifer for me :)
We soon located them but with the sunshine so bright and the temperature really hot they were very flighty but still lovely to see, small and delicate butterflies, we also had Pearl-bordered Fritillary but also very flighty but got a record shot.
The next day with it forecasting periods of sun and cloud we decided to try again, we walked round for awhile before we saw any and they were still flighty but then are lucked changed with Dave finding a female laying eggs, Dave managed to get a shot of her laying an egg.

Photo by Dave Hutton 

Being able to look at these Butterflies more closely they really are beautiful like angels :)

Also was lucky enough to have a Male settle too nice to be able to see both up close.

Just so pleased we got to see them and I also managed to get some better shots than the day before, it had been a successful couple of days 2 Butterfly lifers for me Wood White and Pearl-bordered Fritillary and also had lovely views of a Female Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonfly :)

Wood White (Female)

Wood White (Female)

Wood White (Female)

Wood White (Male)

Wood White (Male)

Wood White (Female and Male)

Pearl-bordered Fritillary - Record shot

Broad-bodied Chaser

  

Butterfly Weekend- Small Blue, Duke of Burgundy, and Green Hairstreak

Had a fabulous weekend with not many birds being around we decided to have a Butterfly weekend, on the Saturday Weather was dull with rain showers but Dave came up with a great idea of going to Yellowland in Warwickshire, as soon as we arrived Dave soon found a Small Blue in the long grass there was quite a few, Small Blue is quite rare in Warwickshire with only a few sites, so we were both over the moon and with the weather being cloudy they just sit in the long grass such beautiful little Butterflies there so small, we also had Common Blue also beautiful and had one on my finger who posed nicely showing of his wings :)

Small Blue

Small Blue

Small Blue

Common Blue

Common Blue

On the Sunday we headed to Prestbury Hill in Gloucestershire in the hope we would get Duke of Burgundy Butterfly last year we were to late, but we were in luck this year didn't take that long before we got one absolutely stunning butterflies and one that Dave had been waiting to see so that made it even more special its so nice when its new for both of us :)
They were very flighty as the sun was shining bright but we got a few snaps and also saw Green Hairstreak, Small Copper and lot's of Small Blue's.
As we were heading back up the hill me out of breath lol Dave already at the top I saw him bend down and I thought yeppy his got something, he had a Duke of Burgundy with his wings closed and because the weather had changed cloudy and rain due to come in he just sat there not moving with him very settled we took the chance to get lot's of photos :) Just amazing to be able to watch such a wonderful butterfly so close up and for a long time,a dream :)
It had been such an enjoyable weekend we also got a Moth lifer small purple-barred very pretty and I also got Common Heath.
I love being close to nature like this love the Butterflies and also love the insects nature is just wonderful. Thank you to Dave for an amazing weekend :)

Duke of Burgundy

Duke of Burgundy

Duke of Burgundy

Green Hairstreak

small purple-barred moth

Common Heath (Female)

Narrow bordered 5 spot Burnet

On Monday morning we headed to the River near Daves to see the Banded Damoiselle's, Had lovely views of them but they were more flighty than last year but managed to get a record shot, also there was lot's of Large red Damselflies. Another enjoyable morning and a lovely walk with Dave to the River :)