A master of flight, and a fairly commonly spotted dragonfly along many of the small streams at this time of year. Appearance – striking black body with distinctive yellow bands. Green eyes.
Golden Ringed Deagonfly.
nature spots
Common Lizard.
#Wordless Wednesday
Large Herons.
Grey Heron and Great White Egret in competition for the same fishing spot and airspace at Titchfield Haven; after a bit of argy-bargy, they flew off in different directions.
Alone.
I watched a commotion: a mother duck flying at a Herring Gull. It was sad to see her give up, and the gull fly off with a duckling in its mouth. Walking the other side of the pond, I found her again with only one lone duckling trying to keep it in the water lilies for safety.
New Forest ponies taking a drink.
Magpie
Spiders nest.
Looking for Raft Spiders again in the New Forest, we found a good population in the usual place. Some 16 adult spiders along the stream were viewed. along with several nests which were full of baby spiders. The spider in the 1st picture was eating a “Daddy Longlegs”.
Skylark.
Male skylarks will rise almost vertically from grassland, salt marshes and moorland. They hover effortlessly, singing from a great height. Normally, a speck in the sky, but a treat to hear. This bird was keeping its feet on the ground, singing like mad.
UK Conservation status: Red
A different view.
I was watching a Shelduck chick learning to dive, he would dive down, pushing off with his over large feet. He would then stop and just pop up to the surface. I felt it made an interesting sequence of pictures.
Fishing.
Grey Heron Titchfield Haven.
Ruff.
I got to see several male Ruff at Slimbridge Wetland Centre yesterday. There is a small breeding population of ruff in the UK. The Ruff is a large Sandpiper; they get their name from the large ruff of feathers around the males’ neck when in breeding plumage. The colour of the ruff can be white, black or buff. I have seen a few of these birds in non-breeding plumage at the marshes locally to me in Lymington. These birds were fairly plain-looking waders – pale fawn-brown all over, with a paler belly.
Something in the water.
Seals Strumble Head Wales.
