Last of the Summer Evenings

Goldfinches feeding on thistledown.

Whitethroat in hawthorn.

 

Autumn hares.

Common darter and swallows.

Yellowhammer and nuthatch.

 

Spoke Too Soon!

 

A brief encore in September. There were two voles last night!

Toad and another Elephant Hawk moth caterpillar.

Nuthatch and an Angle Shades moth.

 Juvenile lizard - the tail is still dark.

Not Many Sightings

Dispersal is taking place so I'm not getting any sightings, but when I leave a camera up, the voles are there.

 

A Trip to Hilbre Island

 

Grey seals on a distant shore.

The egg of a dogfish, ray or skate, sometimes called a mermaid's purse.

It takes about 45 minutes to walk across to the island. Check the tide times before you set off, wear stout or waterproof footwear and take a bottle of water with you. There is a useful car park next to Morrison's on the sea front.

Elegant curlew. There were lots of waders about.

Super-rare Moth!

 

This is the Clifden Nonpareil, sometimes described as the "holy grail" of moth trapping. I never thought I'd see one, so I was hugely excited when I saw the flash of blue underwing - no other moth has this. They are impressively large and shaped like the Old Lady moth, which at first I thought it was.

Three Common Blues.

Below, lizards at Pant and Prees Heath.

Above, Painted Lady. Below, a Wall.

Redstart and a heron.

Caterpillar of an Emperor moth. They can also be green.

Stinkhorn fungus. They smell of rotting meat!

A Green Veined White on the Stiperstones.