Yellowhammer, Redstarts and telegraph poles.

18th May 2017.

I found a pair of Redstarts nesting in a hole in an old telegraph pole on Bodmin Moor, may have once been used by a Woodpecker?. and on the way home I heard the unmistakeable song of a Yellowhammer which was using a transformer on top of a pole as a song post.

Male Yellowhammer

Power Ballad-Yellowhammer singing

Female Redstart disappearing into nest hole

Male Redstart

Female Redstart 

Male Redstart

18th May 2017
Showy Sedge Warbler taken at Walmsley CBWPS reserve in Cornwall.

Sedge Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Luckett wildlife survey

23rd May

A visit to Luckett in S.E Cornwall to help with a survey of the old mining sites in the area with the Launceston wildlife group, I was listing birds but managed a few photographs of some of the insect life found.

Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa serraticornis)

Wasp Beetle (Clytus arietis) One of many harmless insects that imitates a more dangerous one to protect itself .

Lobster Moth. (Stauropus fagi )One of the many Moths caught in a Moth Trap.

Poplar Hawk Moth (Laothoe populi )

 A Cricket nymph.

Enjoyable day.

Dingy Skipper

22nd May

Joyce and I visited RHS Rosemoor for the day , which was nice, and on the way back passed Meeth DWT reserve , so had a very quick look around to see if we could spot any Butterflies. A few species were on the wing including a couple of these Dingy Skippers, which was a new one for me.

Dingy Skipper

Dingy Skipper

Emperor emerging

20th May 2017

Good to find and witness this Emperor dragonfly emerging from my pond. I donned my waders and spent a bit of time watching and photographing this wonder of nature. Dragonflies and Damselflies go through three stages in their lives, the eggs which are laid in their hundreds on aquatic vegetation or directly into the water, the nymph or larva which are voracious underwater predators and shed their skins a number of times and, depending on the species spend up to four years beneath the surface .Eventually the nymph emerges from the water and climbs up a plant stem where in its final moult the skin splits and an adult Dragonfly is born, this can take from one to three hours to complete. The life of an adult Dragonfly is short, usually between two and four weeks.

Noctule Bat

May 2017

A super little Noctule Bat, Nyctalus noctula. ( being handled by a licensed bat  handler) at a Wildlife Trust reserve.

Noctule