Kingfisher: an Unusual Garden Visitor

 

This male kingfisher has been visiting the garden for a week now, taking stickleback from the pond. He only comes in the early morning, as far as we know.

Winter Is Coming

 

Great Grey Shrike - super-rare visitor from Africa!

A late red admiral butterfly, and a kestrel.

Crow and cormorant.

Marsh harrier being hassled by a crow. 

Nuthatches and a marsh tit, at Attinghamn Park.

There are still water vole latrines about.

Far off fallow deer, Attingham.

As usual, this blog will go into semi-hibernation over the winter months. Hoping the water voles will emerge around March. 

Some Waders

 

Three snipe at Venus Pool reserve.

Below, a curlew.

Giant puffball. I thought it was a football at first!

 

Spoonbills! What a surprise! At Parkgate RSPB Reserve, Neston.

Marsh Harrier over Parkgate Estuary.

Red Admiral.

Meadow Pipit.

Common Hawker

Black darter

As the Days Grow Shorter

 

It can be hard to see a Comma butterfly when it closes its wings because it looks like a dead leaf.

However, when its wings open, it's very bright and visible.

Above: toad. Below, Speckled Wood butterfly.

Baby swallows getting ready to leave the next and the UK. And a surprise redstart on Prees Heath!

Below, a Prees Heath family of flycatchers.

A watchful hare and a Migrant Hawker dragonfly.

Three UK Riparian Mammals

 A water vole, a water shrew and a wood mouse, for comparison.

Postcard from the Isle of Wight

 

Whitethroat

Spotted flycatcher

Whinchat above, meadow pipit below.

Jersey Tiger moth

White-tailed Sea Eagle

Green woodpecker

Chalk Hill Blue

And of course, red squirrels!