Friday, 17 July 2026

16th July Thursday - Sunny, 26C, light NE

 Bittesby Country Park; afternoon.

A walk here primarily to check for Butterflies, these were in abundance, I spotted 14 species. Most pleasing was my first Clouded Yellow of the year, also a long time (years) since last seen along the old railway track at this site.


I was also treated to the great flight of a Hummingbird Hawk Moth, which you should be able to spot in the photo below. 


Birds were sheltering mostly, except Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls 'hawking' insects above.  I could here a Spotted Flycatcher, but it remained in the trees out of view.

Stanford Reservoir; evening

A look here this evening, c35 Pied Wagtails and three Common Sandpipers on the dam.

The female Ruddy Shelduck was spotted swimming past the hide in mid distance, when I got closer it had decided to take a rest in the willow stumps.  It's been a regular a few years now, staying around the Whitwick area mostly.

I also spotted the Black-necked Grebe in the middle of the water, busily washing and preening, that has been here a couple of days now.


A mid-distant photo through the heat haze of the Ruddy Shelduck.





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