Breney Common

15th June 2017.

A super little nature reserve near Bodmin in Cornwall, an area of wetland, heath and scrub. I spent a morning here recently looking for the Marsh Fritillary Butterflies, no joy with these , but there were a few Small Bordered Fritillary on the wing, a widespread species in Cornwall, still always nice to see. Also quite a few Dragons and Damsels encountered, only managed photos of the Large Red Damselfly, a very common species , separated from the Small Red Damselfly by its black legs as opposed to the Smalls red legs.

Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary

Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary.

Large Red Damselfly.

Reed Bunting

21st June 2017.

I found this pair of Reed Buntings feeding young at nearby Roadford Lake. A bird we often overlook but a real cracker.

Male Reed Bunting

Female Reed Bunting

Male Reed Bunting

Swallows drinking

16th June 2017.
An attempt to try and photograph the Swallows as they come into my pond for a drink, all a bit trial and error but getting there.

Swallow coming into the pond

Swallow

Swallow

Bastreet-Bodmin Moor.

4th June 2017
A day out with the Launceston Wildlife group on Bodmin Moor, looking for Marsh Fritillary Butterflies and whatever else we may stumble across. The weather wasn't great but managed to find a small number of the Fritillaries low in the grass. Also quite a lot of Heath Spotted Orchid which were just coming into flower. Not really a photography day but took a few record shots anyway. A pity I didn't have my big lens and converter with me as a Cuckoo was sat on a post being mobbed by Pipits and Stonechats, which may have made a great shot but still nice to see.

Marsh Fritillary

Marsh Fritillary

Heath Spotted Orchid.

Heath Spotted Orchid

Roadford Lake

31st May & 13th June 2017.
Spent a couple of evenings at nearby Roadford Lake recently in some nice evening sunlight. The Orchids were still flowering and the first of the Common Blue Butterflies were on the wing...and hardly anyone else around...great.

Orchid..not sure which species.Marsh?

Orchid

Common Blue

Common Blue (& boker..is that how you spell it ?)

Backlit Common Blue

Somerset Levels

29th May 2017
A day out on the Somerset levels, hoping to find some good species to photograph, the weather was against us with some very heavy showers, but we timed our visits to the hides well and managed to stay dry. Highlights were  a female Red footed Falcon ( a lifer in Britain for me though very distant)and a male Little Bittern ( which I saw briefly but didn't manage a photo). Other notable birds were Great White Egret, Great Bittern, and Garganey.

Female Red Footed Falcon (if you look Closely!)

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Marsh Harrier

Drake Garganey

Pair of Cormorants in the rain

This young Great Crested Grebe struggled with its large fish supper

But managed to get it down in the enf

Great Crested Grebe in a downpour.

Master builders at work.

21st May 2017.

Lots of building work going on in the village, with the Swallows and House Martins busy collecting mud for their nest construction. I simply pulled my car up alongside this muddy puddle and photographed them from the open window using a beanbag to rest my lens on..

Swallow collecting mud.

Swallow collecting mud.

House Martin collecting mud.