28th October - Hot Hot Hot

The newspapers love this weather, headlines scream "Hotter than Greece" or other southern European countries, why we are obsessed with achieving these milestones I don't know.  But it is unseasonably warm and has been for the last few weeks and looks like continuing past the changeover to GMT at the weekend.

There are many implications for this warm weather, not least the appearance of butterflies once again in the garden, nectaring on the buddleia flowers.  Red Admirals have lead the way with four being present at any one time over the last few days.

Today though the Red Admirals were trumped by a pristine Painted Lady.  This summer migrant to our shores was probably one moving back south.

As well as the butterflies there have been numerous bees and bumble bees.

It has been an excellent year for butterflies in the garden and it looks as if this is going to continue into November, not something I can recall before

23rd April - I'm Walking Down Your Street Again

 Having had a great morning's sea watch at Hill Head and then some quality butterflies at Browndown and Noar Hill, I thought with being close it was a good chance to see if I could show Ian Morris in Old Down Wood.  We parked at the pond and walked into the wood where we came across a wonderful bed of Bluebells, with the afternoon sunshine the blue was well enhanced and contrasting with the bark of the fallen silver birch bough.

A Red Admiral settled on the dried path in front of us added to the count of different butterflies through the day.  This had been the first true butterfly day of the year with numbers reaching double figures.

A little further along and there was a Firecrest singing.  I have never had one in this location before which only goes to show how this species is increasing both locally and in the south of England.

Leaving the Firecrest we talked about the one butterfly that we would have expected to have seen today but so far hadn't showed, then of course it did, the Speckled Wood.

Reaching the owl's tree there was plenty of signs that it had been about, but true to form it wasn't there.  Once again it had gone missing and despite a search of teh surrounding trees we were not able to find it.  As we left the area alarm calls rang out and a Buzzard glided past us and up into a branch.

We walked back to the pond where fortunately one of the other specialties showed well for Ian at the back of the pond around the holly trees, the Firecrest.  Here are a few more shots of the pair.

A disappointing end to what had been a really good day, I had hoped the owl would be there, but that is nature I suppose, its not an animal collection that is there for all to see, there is always uncertainty and today it was missing!

10th November - Close My Eyes, Taking Me With You

With the Acers in the garden showing off their beautiful autumn colour I stood in the bedroom over loking the garden with the window open in the hope of catching one of the local Blue Tit in amongst the deep red of the Acer leaves.

The Blue Tits were close to the feeder along with a couple of Goldfinches.  As I willed them to move up the tree to the leaves a dark shape appeared through the branches and all the birds we gone.  The shape dropped and turned and the flew through the tree and up on to the roof of the house at the bottom of the garden.

I knew as it happened it had to be a Sparrowhawk, it was an amazing approach at speed through a gap between the Acers and the Leylandi hedge.  As I raised the camera she turned to look at me with those piercing yellow eyes.

Then she looked away as if embarrassed by her unsuccessful hunt.

Then she turned back to look at me as she heard the camera shutter

Looking away again

The garden was no empty and alarm calls could be heard all around.  I took the opportunity to get a longer lens and get closer.

And again those piercing yellow eyes

She then moved to the apex of the roof.

A better vantage point from here.

Once again the camera shutter catching her attention.

But not enough to distract from ensuring no opportunity was missed as she returned to scanning the garden.

And then she was gone, dropping low over the hedges and trees, alarm calls ringing out once again as she headed off towards Lymington Bottom.  This female has been a regular visitor over the last few years, every so often a pile of feathers us,ually either of a Goldfinch or House Sparrow, are an indicator of a successful hunt, but more often or not an attempt is thwarted due to the many birds that are on the look out, alarm calls ring out and everything scatters.

It was great just to get the chance to see her close up, the Sparrowhawk never fails to impress along as you are not a small bird.

A little later a sense of normality returned to the garden, the feeders were busy with Goldfinches and Blue Tits and while I never managed to get the shot of the Blue Tit in the red leaves I did manage to capture this Goldcrest as it searched for invertebrates amongst the leaves and branches.

It has been unnaturally mild over the last few weeks and when we are graced with the sun it becomes pleasant.  Over the last week a Red Admiral has been about, nectaring on the few buddleia flowers remaining.  When I came out around midday to go out for a walk I managed to see it but it was difficult to see and I only managed a glimpse through the branches and leaves of the buddleia.

When I returned a little later it was much more confiding, nectaring on the flowers.

Then sharing the flower head with a large queen bumblebee.

From the buddleia it moved to the house itself, at first settling on one of the window frames that allowed me to get nice and close.

Finally moving to the brick work to show off the amazing red colours of an impressive butterfly in November.

Hopefully over the next few weeks the weather will become more seasonal and the garden will become more important for the birds, we can hope.