Distant Dots and Beautiful Butterflies

Me and Mark went South yesterday morning to Thornton Reservoir near Leicester where a sub adult Night Heron has been showing for a week or more, it was still present but only viewable over a stretch of water so was a bit distant, it had been closer in the week but thats just the luck of the draw I suppose, fairly quiet otherwise Green Woodpecker, Green Sandpiper and Kingfisher being the best of the rest, we watched the Heron not doing much for a while but it didn’t look like moving any time soon so we headed off for the Ouse Washes RSPB reserve. We called off at Barnack Hills and Holes on the way just off the A1 near Stamford, a good site for Flowers and Butterflies, we've been to this site before but earlier in the year when it was alive with Brown Argus and Essex Skippers but this time the target species was Chalkhill Blue, we soon located a pair as we entered the reserve and as we walked further in they became very numerous, a good selection of other Butterflies and a few Silver Y Moths were present as well, unfortunately we were too late for the Plant specialities which included Fragrant and Man Orchids. Ouse Washes wasn’t easy, everything was so distant but the eclipse Blue Winged Teal was eventually found in front of Stockdale Hide along with three or four Garganey, a few Waders were also present including a winter plumaged Spotted Redshank and several Hobbies hunted over the reserve but the three Common Cranes that were there remained hidden. Not a bad day all in all, Green Woodpecker was seen at all three sites and Red Kite and Marsh Harrier were seen as we moved between sites.

the distant and half hidden Night Heron

the Butterflies showed better, male

and female Brimstone

the stars of the show, Chalkhill Blues

female

with Six spot Burnet Moth

some interesting plants, Clustered Bellflower

Dwarf Thistle, a species we don't get up North

Field Bindweed

the Chalkhills Common cousin

a couple of Migrant Hawkers were around

a nice fresh Painted Lady

and Speckled Wood

and finally the very distant Blue Winged Teal (you'll have to take my word for it)