Small stuff

A quick run out with PS on Thursday looking for nothing in particular. The sun was shining and it was warm so we thought about bagging some of the small stuff. A nice gathering of 3 Cormorants enjoying the nice drying conditions and a GBB Gull.

A quick look for the juv WT Eagle was an easy pick up as the bird flew over the top of us.

A fly past Peregrine courtesy of the alarm calling Swallows was a nice sighting for the day. When a juv WT Eagle appeared over the ridge we expected to be seeing the bird we'd seen earlier but you can see this bird is mid moult. As this bird moved off the original bird reappeared - good stuff.

We headed off to a sheltered area to see what small stuff was on show. A Small Copper was gorging itself on the heather blooms and allowed a close approach.

Not too far away was this caterpillar that I haven't identified yet (any help appreciated).

The Common Hawkers that were flying around were a lot harder to pin down but I finally managed an alternative angle to photograph this one.

This was a new one for me and well named - Black Darter. Always busy but, conveniently, it returned to the same landing area.

I couldn't find anything to match this one but PS said it was a female Black Darter - that'll do for me unless anyone knows better!

An Elephant Hawk-moth caterpillar was surperb find by the sharp eyed PS.

A couple of well worn Common Blue were flying around and we eventually got a few shots of this one that was feeding on Eyebright. They seem to be savage beasts as every time a Speckled Wood flew by it was keen to see it off! It's a tough life being a butterfly.

This Shield Bug didn't have any of those problems as it ambled along a stalk of dead Bracken.

Finally, one of the Speckled Woods that were flying around annoying the Blue.