Bissoe

7th July.
After dropping Joyce and her friend Maggie in Truro for a spot of shopping, thought I may go and have a look at the Cornwall Wildlife Trust reserve at Bissoe, a nice little spot with dragons and damsels in good numbers and a few butterflies, nice sunny day but a shame the wind was fair blowing making macro photography difficult.

Mallow

Mallow with Hoverfly Sphaerophoria scripta

Small Skippers

Azure Damselfly

Dog Rose

Female Common Darter

Blue Tailed Damselfly

Large Red Damselfly

Emerald Damselfly

Slovakia Butterflies ( and other bits and pieces)

Good numbers of Butterflies were in evidence in the Slovakian meadows with the Chequered Skipper easily the most common.

Chequered Skipper

Heath Fritillary

Heath Fritillary

Wood White on Ragged Robin

Scarce Heath

Mazarine ? Blue

Swallowtail

Grizzled Skipper

Forester Moth

Crab Spider on Globe Flower

Seedheads

Slovakia Mammals

Its always nice to see some different mammals on these trips, and here in the High Tatras we were treated to some very close encounters with European Ground Squirrels (Souslik) in the grounds of Spis castle and Chamois and Marmot up in the mountains.

Adult Ground Squirrel

Young Ground squirrels

Young Ground Squirrel

Marmot on the lookout

Chamois enjoying the patch of snow

Chamois

Slovakia birds

1st - 7th June.
A week in the High Tatras region of  Slovakia produced some good birds, and a few opportunities to get some images  .One new bird for me was Nutcracker which I was beginning to think didn't exist after failing to see one on previous trips where I thought they should be. Species I had'nt photographed before were Lesser Spotted Eagle, Icterine Warbler & Common Rosefinch  ( although only record shots but still pleased). A splendid week in lovely scenery and in good company.

Nutcracker yea a lifer.

Icterine Warbler, singing constantly from the treetop near the hotel in Stara Lesna

Icterine Warbler, or Squeaky toy as Dave T called it as it had a wide range of calls.

Lesser Spotted Eagle in a roadside tree

Male Common Rosefinch in a park, looks like its been smoking heavily!

Whitethroat with food for its young, a common bird, but nice to get this chance to photograph it.

Whitethroat nesting near the hotel

Whitethroat

Whitethroat

Female Red Backed Shrike

and a male Red Backed Shrike

A different male Red Backed Shrike

Juvenile Fieldfare ,lots of these around

Nesting Fieldfare

Flyover Black Stork

A White Stork over the mountains of the High tatras

White Stork in meadow

White Stork

Spotted Flycatcher at the nest

Spotted Flycatcher, they seem to be getting fewer over here each year

Spotted Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher-They pose so nicely

Pair of Spotted Flycatchers at the nest

A poor shot of a Honey Buzzard which flew overhead

Male Serin in the hotel grounds

Female Black Redstart at Spis castle

Male Black Redstart

Male Black Redstart at Spis castle- Black Redstarts are common wherever we go abroad, why not here?

Wood Warbler

Kestrel at Spis castle, three pairs had nested in the castle walls.

Yellowhammer with a beakfull of Craneflies.