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 :)

Wood Warbler and More year Ticks :)

Had an excellent weekend on Saturday we headed to Staffordshire for the Wood Warblers, had my best views, last year was nice views but this was the most prolonged best views such stunning birds really yellow and a distinct song, just beautiful, feel so lucky to see this close and be able to photograph them, also had are first Spotted Flycatchers of the year :)

On the Sunday we headed to Otmoor in Oxon for the Turtle Dove as soon as we arrived we saw them and heard them but they wasn't as showy as last year but there was a lot of people about but still lovely to see, and had amazing views of Hobby's hunting I was just amazed by them managed to get a distant record shot, also had lot's of Red Kites just love them :) and also had an excellent Damselfly day with are first ones of the year, Red-eyed, Azure, Large Red and also unexpected several Emerald shame that we didn't get a photo because could be the earliest record but they were definitely Emerald Damselfly :) 

(Hobby)

(Hobby)

(Hobby)

Red-eyed Damselfly

(Large Red Damselfly)

(Red Kite)

Also really enjoyed my Insects this weekend I just love nature, amazing how many different species there are I thought Crane Fly's were just Crane Fly's but theres lot's of different types and its the same with all Insects there Just Fascinating :) 

I just love being out with the Birds, Butterflys, Moths and Insects and even the Flowers love it all :) 

Bank Holiday Weekend Birds

Also over the Bank Holiday we picked up some good Year Ticks and Migrants, Garden Warbler, Garganey and Whichat had my best views of Whinchat such lovely little birds I managed to get a record shot.
Also great views of Swifts there was loads at Middleton must of been 50+ :)
Also had nice views of Lesser Whitethroat and Cetti's Warbler even though I didn't realise intill it was too late lol he was showing of in the same tree as the Lesser Whitethroat managed to get a quick record shot but not very clear.
We also had a nice hour at Marsh Lane, the Black-tailed Godwit was still present but distant but my highlight was the Sand Martins perched up on the wire outside and viewable from hide there amazing birds love them :) Nice views of Redshank, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Commom terns and Mediterranean Gull.

Pied Flycatcher's - Ladywalk Nature Reserve and Seeswood Pool

What an Amazing couple of days on the Saturday we went for the Female Pied Flycatcher at Ladywalk, we walked up and down a few times before it was located but then had amazing views brief but nice views, such a pretty bird and a Warwickshire tick for me, always special when it's a local tick, even more special was the next day the Female Pied Flycatcher was still at Ladywalk
(Thankyou to Chris Doyle who put the news out that it was still present), so we decided to go for it again, had lovely views and got a record shot which was really nice, Dave had left his camera in the car I felt really bad hate getting a photo when he can't from now on i'm making sure he takes it with him lol
You would think the day couldn't get any better than this but then Dave got a message saying that there was a Male Pied Flycatcher at Seeswood pool, Daves Local Patch :)
We had been out all day and I was dying for a wee lol so we decided to go and have a quick check then go home, we checked all round but couldn't locate it so we headed home.
I went to the loo and then made coffees but didn't even get half way through my cuppa when Dave got a call of Steve Haynes saying he had found it, boots and coat back on and we rushed back to Seeswood, was quite distant at first but then it flew towards us and landed on the fence and fence posts and was going up and down the fence for awhile this was just amazing two Pied Flycatchers in one day and just a dream to see a Female and then a Male and have lovely views of both :)
I managed to get a record shot of the Male but it was late by this time and the light had gone so it hasn't come out well at all but just over the moon to have seen them :)
Big thank you to Danny Simmonds who found the Male Pied Flycatcher on Seeswood and also a big thank you to Steve Haynes who relocated it :)