What have you seen

Pleasant wander round the RSPB's Campfield Marsh Nature Reserve this afternoon. Heard ChiffChats and Reed Warblers, spotted a Large Heath Butterfly and a Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly. Lots of other small birds along the walk way but much too quick to be able to identify correctly. Curlews and Buzzards flying over our site this evening.

Superb photos BM and very envious and would to see them, had the golden orioles flying about with the juveniles but not close enough for photos as I was hanging out the washing and last Friday when driving back from our local shopping town there was a hobby on the electricity cable but soon took off but a lovely sight to see, we were away a couple of weeks ago and only 30 minutes from here on a small site in the next department of Aveyron and whilst sitting outside the caravan we had a lot of black and red kites flying around also a lot birds still singing away in the morning and night did hear a nightjar but not able to see it and there were a lot of hornets flying over our pitch but not the Asian ones thankfully.  Friends of our had a nightjar fly over their pool whilst they were having a late evening dip also plenty of swallows but they do get a lot of insects by their pool.

Hi Oneputt according to my book it looks like August onwards for the golden orioles going south and they have been singing again this afternoon.  I have a good buddleja bush near the front door and today it has been covered with butterflies painted ladies commas silver washed fritillary marbled white and huge numbers of great banded graylings what a site but if you get near with a camera they all fly off must try a different idea best sighting of butterflies in any quantities this year which has been not a good one, butterflies is one of my wildlife interests as well as birds also moths and wild flowers and it has been a good year here for orchids had huge numbers of bee orchids on our field.

Not long back from our recent trip and it is wonderful to report that every single day that we have been out walking, and there have been quite a few, we have heard or seen a Skylark.

We reacquainted ourselves with some our neighbours this week. One of them told us not to venture into the woods at the back of us. A popular dog walk and nature learning area for the local primary school. Why, we asked? There's an Adder in it. He came across the snake when walking his dog, the snake was sunbathing. Unperturbed he took a picture of it on his phone. He showed it to us. It's a Grass Snake we both said. Are you sure? Yep! Oh bugger, he said, because I've told the school and they've stopped the kiddies going in. 

He's lived within a mile of his current house for nigh on 80 years and this is the first Snake he's ever seen. He was thrilled. Isn't it wonderful to find something new in nature to be thrilled about at 80?

Have had the young golden orioles flying about later in the evening and early in the mornings the last few days and they have not quite got the adult singing notes yet a bit more of a screech similar to Jays and Magpies. Had a red a squirrel run along the top of our wall the other day shortest route into next field. Not keen on snakes had a whip snake awhile ago go into the wall by the gate not seen it since and they like eating the  lizards and we had one of the bigger green lizards run front of the car got to the side of the road safely, went down the road the other day and had a male stag beetle walking in the middle of the road so got a branch and managed to put it in a tree not sure why it did not fly perhaps it may have only hatched out even made a local stop in his van to see what I was doing and very pleased he did not run over it.

Hi Wherenext just looked up the dates and seems most of France starts September 8th for the hunting season, makes looking for wildlife later in the year a bit more difficult.

We still have the local toads calling at night and it seems not so many about this year as the local LPO unit usually put fences up to stop them crossing the road down by the local wells and sompes with notices warning you about them but not this year. The Orioles are calling again this evening whilst we were out watering the plants.