White-legged Damselflies

White-legged Damselfly, Colyton 22/06/2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

WL Damselfly, Colyton, 22/06/2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

I've often wondered if I was missing a trick locally as all these blue damselflies seem a bit tricky to me. I also thought that White-legged Damselflies only occurred on the Axe. This year however I finally looked at a photograph and thought I saw enough to seek confirmation from the 'Insect Nation' (apologies to Bill Bailey). Unfortunately I can't zoom these pictures up as much as I can on Twitter which is a shame. The close-ups revealed a thorax pattern very like WLD and some big fat hindlegs too. The Richard Lewington illustrations seem to be less strikingly blue though and even show greenish tones so I put it out there on Twitter and waited with baited breath for comments. To my great delight several accomplished entomologists immediately said WLD and I knew I'd got a Coly tick and evidence of breeding on my 'home' river. What a fantastic surprise!

White-legged Damselflies mating?, Colyton 22/06/2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

Dipper Encore

Dipper, Colyton area, May/June 2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

Hidden Dipper! (Geddit?) Colyton area, May 2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

Couldn't resist posting some more Dipperpix. They really have been fantastic this year. Long may that continue!

Dippers, Colyton area May/June 2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

Bee Orchids Plus

Orchid sp?, Seaton area, 12/06/2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

I've put the above picture straight on the blog even though I don't know what species it is yet! If anyone wants to save me looking it up please leave a comment!
     Anyhow, I checked out a local Bee Orchid site and wasn't disappointed...

Bee Orchid, Seaton area 12/06/2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

Bee Orchids Plus Various!, Seaton area 12/06/2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

Thanks to Fran Sinclair for the information leading me to the site. I got more than I bargained for, including some fly-over Canada Geese. Here's 2 more pics of that first specimen...

Species TBC, Seaton area 12/06/2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

Species TBC, Seaton area, 12/06/2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

Glossy Ibis

Glossy Ibis, Axe Estuary, 08/06/2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

Glossy Ibis, Axe Estuary, 08/06/2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

Thanks to Mike Blaver for messaging me that there was a Glossy Ibis about. It seemed to have gone when I arrived at Tower Hide but I made do with 2 Dunlin, Lapwing and Whimbrel plus lots of superb hirundines. Fortunately Clive turned up and kept me talking long enough to see the Ibis fly back in. It then walked right in front of the hide (feeding voraciously) before treating us to a flying display. Superb! Thanks also to Kevin Hale for later messages.

Swallow, BHM 08/06/2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

Sedge Warbler, BHM 08/06/2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

Swallow, BHM 08/06/2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

Quiet Weekend

Quick update to mention that the wetlands were relatively quiet at the weekend. A lone Whimbrel on Sunday from Tower hide was best bird. A single Lapwing also remained as did 5 Dunlin. I took some photographs of cygnets though so may post them if nothing much happens with late migrants and suchlike...

Dippers

Dipper, Colyton 27/05/2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

Dipper, Colyton 02/05/2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

Bumping into a Dipper by Umbridge yesterday caused me to blog again with pictures attached! Sorry the blog's been text-only for a while but time has been limited for downloading photographs. Anyway, the Dippers fledged at least 2 chicks as I saw them at various points along the Coly being fed by the adults earlier this month. Hope you like the pics of them.
      Since my last post I have visited Coly Common which was worth doing as 8 Ringed Plovers and a Wheatear were on the scrape. At BHM a Goosander was briefly present but disappeared when I looked away so I don't know where it ended up! Anyhow, the Dippers...

Dipper, Colyton 27/05/2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

Mediterranean Gull 2ndSummer, BHM, Spring 2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

Dipper, Colyton 02/05/2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

Dunlin & Ringed Plovers, BHM, 22/05/2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

Goosander, BHM May 2019 (Copyright T D Wright)

Thought I'd throw in some recent pics while I'm at it! Enjoy...

May the Waders Be With You

     Too much work and other stuff has kept me from blogging lately so I'll probably skip over some recent sightings as they are out of date now! Just last night I got down to Black Hole Marsh and noticed a redhead Goosander on one of the islands. In front of it were 2 Ringed Plover and 17 Dunlin. On the estuary, the male Wigeon was still hanging on after all the others have left. Also, the Greylag Goose could be seen distantly on Bridge Marsh.
     Other sightings since my last post have been Hobby, 2 Knot, Grey Plover, 5 Greenshanks and a Barwit but these I suspect have all moved on now. Colyton has myriad Swifts and the House Martins have been bolstered in number at last. Local Dippers fledged at least 2 chicks as I watched the adults feeding them along the Coly. Let's hope that Spring still has something left to give us.