August 2025
After a minor op in mid July the camera was on hold for a while and since then photo opportunities seem to to have been distinclty limited but here are a meagre few additions to the annual challenge - hopefully better to come in September
some Common Blue butterflies from a lovely evening at Wild wren
different takes on the sunset butterfly
all with the Canon RF 100-500 lens and Canon R6II
juvenile Greenshank 161 on the challenge list - thus far it has been abysmal locally for passage waders
and in some nice coloured water
a trip to the coast during a near gale produced very little but a small gathering of Sandwich terns made it to 162
black and white version
a fly by male Hobby on the local pits
never tire of encounters with the Hobby
a stunning sunrise one day last week taken with the 200-800 lens
some serious rubbish at a huge distance the moulting adult Pectoral Sandpiper at Alkborough - maybe better later in the autumn but 163 for now
Curlew and crab - the battle was short lived before it went down
juvenile Common Sandpiper
164 a somewhat boring portrait of a juvenile Ruff but the light has been so dire of late its hard to make anything look decent
Ruff and Common Sandpiper together or sort of
a rather more suitable Ruff image - flying juvenile
A trip to the Lincs coast was to say the least badly timed for seabirds with zero seen not even a Gannet but a few invertebrates were partial compensation with my first Clouded Yellow for several years
My first Emerald Damselfly of the year
The very odd sight of a Dune Roberfly flying around carrying a Blue-tailed Damselfly
and a couple of Wasp Spiders
always impressive
a juvenile Chiffchaff in a reedbed - reedbeds are good for warblers in autumn but this year has been appalling locally with so few warblers in August -
One of seven juvenile Blackbirds that have been frequenting the garden of late (now down to six mrs accipter nisus) only two appeared to be from same brood all other different ages and stages of post juvenile moult
juvenile Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit
I had not added Avocet to the annual challenge so here are a few 165
and a few more including juvenile Blue flag CP and AT
Blue flag CP - looks like they are Lancashire birds photographed here on the Humber at North Killingholme
166 juvenile Common Gull
167 juvenile Black-winged Pratincole - not a bird I expected but a bird only 22 miles from home at Kirton Lindsey was too good to miss - my first juvenile and although never close it provided good bins views in flight and scope views on the ground
preparing a post on pratincoles with more images of this bird and a few other Lincolnshire individuals
Willow Emerald last weekend
male Migrant Hawker - feel obliged to take the odd mixta every year when they perform
male Migrant Hawker hanging in a hedge
local Avocet on a beautiful evening
Buzzard wondering what the wet stuff was that suddenly drenched it - maybe its first taste of wetness
Hobby - I have been doing a lot of searching but so far only found adults - has it been a poor season?
juvenile Kestrel - they seem to have done well locally with lots of fledged juveniles wandering about - counted 20 in one short stretch of the Ancholme Valley one day
a high key shot of a juvenile Kestrel heading down
sunset on the Wolds -
juvenile Spotted Flycatcher my first on the local patch this year - a species O do not even see annually now - only 10 years ago there were 2-3 pairs in the local park every year but the rapid decline has seen us loose this species as a breeding bird and this year Tree Sparow and Corn Bunting have followed - sad times
Swallow in a cow shed
a few juvenile warblers round the local pits with this smart Lesser Whitethroat about the pick
juvenile Reed Warblers spend a lot of time feeding in willows and other bushes - a good learning curve for autumnal vagrants
subtle plumage tones change with sun and shade