Saturday 2nd August 2014 - An incredibly close shave

On 26th July 2014, we set off on our annual family, holiday. This year we were visiting Scotland, staying at Boat of Garten. I'd had the previous week off as well, but it was very quiet bird wise. I did manage one trip with CJW to Derbyshire, where we saw Dark Green Fritillary, another one to add to our list.

We also thought we'd had our second tick of the day with Brown Argus...until we got home and CJW pointed out a female Common Blue on the Internet. We're still novices at this game. Next we'll probably be ticking butterflies with green rings on their legs and counting heards only on our list in our desperate quest for the 56!

And so we headed off to Scotland. As we were nearing the Lake District, PLo texted me asking if I knew anything about a Lesser Golden Plover report from Drayton Bassett. As my Internet wasn't working on my phone, I wasn't receiving any news from RBA so I knew nothing. Then I received the report of a possible American Golden Plover there. I relayed the news to CJW and he started posting the news on @Staffsbirdnews. I was hoping, ideally, that nothing came of the report, as I was hurtling northwards on the M6. 

More news started to filter through, and it was finally confirmed as Staffordshire's first ever Pacific Golden Plover. Presumably it was the same bird as at Rutland Water last year, a bird I moaned about at the time saying why can't Staffordshire have birds like that. 

Aghh, not a good start to the holiday. As I ate up the miles, I started to reflect on how lucky I'd been when on my holidays. I hadn't ever really missed anything major, and in fact only last year I relocated the Rudyard Lake Caspian Tern the day before I flew out to Spain. I accepted it was my turn to be unlucky this time.

Another person affected by the holiday tick syndrome was PJ. Last year he went away just before me and on his return he was seen running down the track to Rudyard while still pulling his suitcase behind him, sombrero, beach towel and all. He was most fortunate to see the long staying Caspian Tern, and this year, he managed to return from Greece the day before the PGP turned up. What is it about summer holidays? 

Each morning during my holiday, I waited for news, and each day the PGP remained at Drayton Bassett. Towards the middle of the week, I started to actually think it would remain till the weekend, but I knew it would fly off towards the end of the week.

The weather was alright during our stay, but Friday started off wet, and was forecast to be wet all day. We were due to return on the Saturday anyway, so we made the decision to return home a day early instead. There's not a lot you can do in the rain in Speyside. And, with the PGP still present, it would mean if it stayed, I could go on Saturday instead of Sunday.  

During the journey home, there seemed to be more reports than usual of the PGP during the day, and with this being its 7th day, I just knew it would be it's last. 

We arrived home, and I was up early on Saturday morning. I was unable to sleep. The nerves were getting the better of me. I went to Westport and returned home early as it was my wife's 21st birthday. 

Then, just after 08:00hrs, the news I'd been hoping and praying for the last seven days came on the pager. It was still present for it's 8th day. My wife continued to open her presents.....GAS was not answering his texts. Time stood still. At 09:00hrs he picked me up and we were away. 

A brisk drive took place, and it was pouring down. I was hoping that as we drove east, we would be just in front of the rain. By the time we arrived at Drayton Bassett it was still dry, but as we walked down the canal it started to spit. As we walked along the towpath, I glanced through a gap in the hedge and noticed a group of birders standing by the scrape. A quick scan with my bins and there was the brilliant Pacific Golden Plover standing on the edge of an island. It was a beautiful sight. Eight days of build up. Eight days of nervous tension. And we'd achieved a minor miracle. 

We walked round onto the reserve and enjoyed excellent views until the heavens opened and we retreated back to the car. 

Soaked to the skin, and with suitcases to unpack, we returned home; birding was over for the day. After all, everything else today would be just an anti climax. 

Just phone photo's I'm afraid. My camera malfunctioned just before I went away. Its repaired now.

During the afternoon, our trip during the morning took on extra significance. News started filtering out that there was no sign of it during the afternoon, and by the evening it hadn't been refound. It turned out that at 12:30, just after the torrential downpour had stopped, it took flight.

We'd made it with just two hours to spare. Now that's close. But then again I think back to the SANDHILL CRANE flying off on the Friday afternoon. Yes, you owed me one for that and thank you for making the PGP stay! 

 

A WEEK ON THE GREEK ISLAND OF SKOPELOS

Every year or so Mrs PJ needs her ' Greek fix '!! she loves the Greek Islands and would go every year if she had her way. I agree they are very nice but are a bit ' birdless ' especially in July. Lesbos being the exception but I would imagine thats a bit quiet in mid summer. So as I sat by our pool on the first evening with a cool Mythos & the latest Stephen King I was unaware of the show that was about to start. Our terrace overlooked a valley leading down to the sea, as I looked up I saw a Common Buzzard drifting over, I then spotted a smaller slimmer raptor a bit further away, as it turned and the evening sun caught it I could see that not only was it dark on top but also dark below I immediately knew that it was an Eleonoras Falcon, a bird I had seen in Morocco and on Lesbos but I had never seen a dark morph before. I ran in to get my camera, when I came back out there were 2 of them, then 3 & 4 of both light and dark morphs I didn't know where to look or which direction to point the camera in fact I think I probably panicked. There was no need to panic however because they repeated the show every evening, I had 12 birds all together on the second evening all fly catching some coming really close I even managed a few decent pics, they were brilliant & made my holiday.  

Other birds during the week included Scops Owl, Crag Martin, Pallid Swift, Sardinian Warblers and a single Bonellis Warbler - eastern I would of thought.

Butterflys were everywhere, some I've still got to identify but the more obvious ones included Southern White Admiral, Swallowtails & Scarce Swallowtails & Cleopatras.

Above - Cleopatra

Two Southern White Admirals

A Swallowtail

We also had a Praying Mantis on the table one evening, there's something unnerving about an insect that actually turns its head and follows you around the room !!

6th July 2014 - Fermyn Woods, Northants Part 2

Following four hours of walking round Fermyn Woods in Northants witnessing an excellent viewing of Purple Emperors, we finally headed back to the car. We had been discussing an attempt at photographing all the 56 breeding butterflies in Britain, and today we realised how hard it will be to photograph the Hairstreaks. We had only seen Purple Hairstreaks at the tops of the trees and briefly perched, and the White-lettered Hairstreaks did stay still and show...at the tops of the trees again. We did talk about bringing a scope next time to try and digiscope them. 

As we walked off, Paul Brewster shouted us back. We walked back and there at eye level was a pristine White-lettered Hairstreak. We couldn't believe our eyes. It was sitting there sunning itself and then it started to move along the branches. We slowly edged forward and we soon were watching it quite closely. It was a fabulous way to end the day.

at first it was a bit hidden

but then came out to sun itself

 

 

and we managed to get closer

 

 

and it moved towards us

 

 

and eventually it showed quite well

6th July 2014 - Fermyn Woods, Northants Part 1

We'd promised PJ that we would accompany him on a trip to Fermyn Woods this year to see PURPLE EMPERORS and WHITE ADMIRAL. Amazingly, for a change, we did actually manage to find a suitable weekend and suitable weather and it also tied in with the butterflies being on the wing. (Maybe one year we will finally go and see the Norfolk SWALLOWTAILS after planning to do so for probably ten years now!).

Following a quick visit to Westport, we headed down to Northamptonshire and arrived at the woods at 08:30hrs. Now the forecast was alright, dry but with cloud, so we knew the conditions weren't absolutely spot on. There was though a glimmer of sunshine forecast for later. 

Our first walk through the wood was a little bit disappointing. We were probably the first people to arrive we were that early. It was dull, cool, and all we saw were large areas of trampled grass where people had been standing. At least we knew where to stand. We did see a few Ringlets and Meadow Browns in the fields between the two woods. 

We started wandering back to the car, and we started passing more people walking thru the wood. We started asking if they had seen anything and if they had any advice. Some were first time visitors like ourselves, one was a birder from Preston. Then we met a local butterfly expert. He told us everything we needed to know. But best of all, he told us to go back to the car and leave it an hour. So we did. 

It was 10:00hrs and we started to eat our dinner. It was still dull, but more and more butterers were arriving. PJ started to get itchy feet and after about ten mins had passed (of the hour back at the car), he decided it was best to head back down. We stopped at the first "viewing area with trampled grass" and spoke to a few butterers. 

Then, amazingly, the sun came out. It was incredible because the second it did, we had two Purple Hairstreaks fluttering around the top of a tree. Then, a probable PURPLE EMPEROR flew overhead and a White Admiral was sunning itself on the path.

the first White Admiral was very showy on the path but a bit tatty

the next White Admiral was in better shape

With the sun staying out, it was a totally different wood now, and there were butterflies everywhere. We carried on down the path to where the birder from Preston was standing, pointing his camera at the ground. Bingo! It was a Purple Emperor on the path. This was the moment we were waiting for. Soon there was a crowd gathered round, all cameras snapping away. It wasn't flushed tho by anyone trying to get too close! These butterers are a bit different to photographers who appear at twitches.

 

Purple Emperor on the deck. Great views but not very purple

so we moved angle slightly and.....

and some purple appeared....

and at the right angle, it was very purple......incredible

We walked down to the next wood, seeing two White-lettered Hairstreaks at the top of a tree, plus Comma and Large Skipper

Large Skipper

Comma

In the next wood, we were told there were some SILVER-WASHED FRITILLERIES. We did have just the one fly past us, but we never saw one perched. Down on the track though, there were more Purple Emperors. So much for arriving early to see them on the ground. It was midday now and they were everywhere.

Small Skipper or some sort of alien creature?

Two Purple Emperors on the ground in the shade

at the right angle they are quite something 

and the underwing is quite nice too

PJ showing a Purple Emperor his new phone

and this Comma liked CJW's trousers a lot

After nearly four hours of walking through the two woods, we strolled back to the car. We saw a perched White-lettered Hairstreak again in the same tree and managed to see our 16th species of Butterfly for the day - a Small Heath. 

But as we came to the first viewing area again, we met Dr Paul Brewster from Focalpoint. We stood and chatted, saw the White Admiral again and then wandered back to the car. Then he shouted us back. And we witnessed something that almost took the prize for moment of the day. But more in the next blog.....  

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The rest of June 2014

Well things certainly settled down following the excitement of the first two weekends in June and it became a more normal summer month, resulting in very little bird activity and ideas for trips lacking.

I did manage to see one of these in June and it makes you wonder how many more years will they continue to visit us.

I also bumped into this female Broad-bodied Chaser and it posed very nicely for me. I initially thought it was some giant hornet flying down the hedgerow

On one quiet Saturday, we decided to head to the Chase to look for Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary. It wasn't ideal conditions, but we did manage to find just one, plus several Ringlets.

Finally, a trip to the Void saw a Small Heath and Six-spotted Burnett.

And so following a manic few days at the beginning of the month, June simply petered out. Possibly the best bird news was the sudden acceptance of this beauty from last year. Most unexpected.