Stoat, Deeping Lakes LWT, Lincs

I think this is a youngish Stoat (not particularly big) and looks to to be the same wee beastie which was hunting the entrance track at DLLWT a week or so ago. I pished it in!

Otter, Ferry Meadows CP, Cambs

One of three I saw in the park on Friday 13th.

Migrant Hawker

It seems the secret to getting these dragons sharp is to massively underexpose them, which seems to work for me at least...

Willow Emerald damselfly, Ferry Meadows COP, Cambs

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I found these with Chris Park and Chris Rawlinson of the Nene Park, and they are apparently new for the country park, which is pleasing. The males are the skinny ones with the curved, grasping tail-end apparatus and the females are chunkier with more of a stiff ovipoisitor for inserting eggs in the bark of willow.

Young Peregrine scaring Lapwings at BLGP

First-winter male Redstart, Castor Mill

Last Sunday (9 September), Hugh Wright was out with his family, walking the fields down at Castor Mill, near the River Nene, and found a female type Redstart. I came down to check it out and while the Wrights picnicked and paddled in the mill stream, I waited for Hugh's Redstart to come out of hiding by the old windmill. I waited and waited, and then a Redstart appeared. But not Hugh's female but a nice first-summer male. The female did re-emerge for a bit and both came and posed in one of two hawthorns in the horse paddock. A Robin occasionally came and bullied them, especially the young drake. In the evening Don 'Mr Redstart' Gardener and I converged at the spot and after walking the fence line turned up firstly the female, then the young male, as seen here. Great birds! The young male was the fourth Redstart I have found locally, this year (all males) and I have now seen six Redstarts (but no Black Redstarts) in the PBC area in 2019.

Little and Large

There is a remarkable size difference between the two Spoonbills which are currently hanging around at Eldernell, on the Nene Washes, Cambs. The juvenile is a titch, while the adult (on the left of this photo,) which also bears some colour rings, is much larger. Yesterday morning, both, while I was chatting with Andrew Gardener and scanning for birds, from the Eldernell car park, both birds took off from their favoured flooded farmland and thermalled pretty high before returning to said farmland. At one stage, a juvenile Peregrine attacked the smaller bird in a speedy stoop, and nearly clipped it, but the Spoony just evaded the cheeky attempt! I guess these flights were precursors to moving on from the area. Next stop, Ferry Meadows CP?

Male Redstart, Eldernell, Cambs

This beauty of a Redstart was in the classic 'Redstart hedge' alongside Eldernell Pit, yesterday. It is the second male I have found there this year (the first was seen briefly in the spring) and the second seeming adult male I found over the weekend (I also had an apparent adult male along the entrance track by the east pit at Deeping Lakes LWT on 31 August). Additionally, I saw a male at Ferry Meadows CP, that Don Gardener found a couple of weekends back. So, in all, I've seen four Redstarts in the Peterborough area this year (so far), all males and three of which I found myself. The bird above is about as pretty as Redstarts get at this time of year, as the younger and fresher birds tend to have their colours 'masked' by buff feather tips.

Curlews DLLWT

Two of three Curlews on the east pit of Deeping Lakes LWT, the other day. I have only seen a very few Curlews this year locally, so these were a welcome treat. They didn't stay long, though, and soon flew off east.

Grey Partridges, Deeping High Bank, Lincs

That Garganey... again

Little Owls near Deeping St James

Even more Garganey (FMCP) photos...

Bumblebee mimic

This is the hoverfly Eristalis intricarius. It is a bumblebee mimic. Brilliant isn't it? This is a female, photographed at Baston 'wader pit' at the weekend. I think it looks closest to a Tree Bumblebee.

Some recent butterflies

Chalkhill Blue, males, Barnack Hills and Holes

Painted Lady, Barnack Hills and Holes

Silver-washed Fritillary, female probably of ab. confluens, Bedford Purlieus

Peacock, Bedford Purlieus

More FMCP Garganey portraits

Eclipse male Garganey, Ferry Meadows CP, Peterborough

This is only the second Garganey I have ever seen at Ferry Meadows. Like the first (in mid-September 2012), this bird was on the small lake called Lynch Lake. This is the smallest of the three conjoined FMCP lakes, and is often the most attractive to wildfowl, particularly dabbling ducks (it is very shallow), where the ducks are remasrkably tolerant of people. This bird, I believe from the wing pattern is an eclipse male, and it is the most confiding Garganey I have seen around Peterborough (to be frank, they are usually exceptionally shy buggers!). The Garganey was found by Andy Frost yesterday, but I was down at Heathrow picking up my dear son Eddie after his flight back from San Diego, so could hardly dash to see the duck...