Old Lodge

 We decided a nice walk around Old lodge nature reserve on Ashdown Forest would be a good idea today, not sure why, bit late in the year and it was predictably quiet, we arrived Margie early, as opposed to actual early, about quarter to eight😏!!! We headed along the top path, things started as expected with a pair of Bullfinch calling from the trees before flying across the path never to be seen again! A few birds near the dead trees mostly Stonechats, though a Common Whitethroat and several Coal Tits were nice. Think the best thing about Old Lodge at this time of year is the Scenery which Margie captured below.

Hopefully won't be needed

Common Whitethroat

Plenty of Butterflies around, nearly all of them Gatekeepers though there were a few Small Coppers about as well.

Gatekeeper

Gatekeeper by Margie

Small Copper by Margie

About halfway round things started to improve, with some very showy Stonechats, we also heard and had brief glimpses of a couple of  Dartford Warblers.

When everything else is skulking around in the bushes, you can usually rely on Stonechats to give you something to take pictures of!

Female Stonechat, yes I know the bird is out of focus but think it's a pretty picture with the heather in flower!!

The ferocious beasts were chilling under a tree so we were safe!

At this point the star bird of the day appeared or rather I spotted it sat in a tree!! A Hobby!!

Hobby

At this point Margie spotted another Hobby further back on another tree, possibly a juvenile as didn't have the "red trousers" 

Hobby

Down by the Beeches, we ran into a large mixed flock of small birds, it was distant and mostly buried in the bushes,  Predominantly Long-tailed Tits, but got a couple of warblers with it, Chiff/Willows but to far away for pics, there was also a bird deep in the pines, flitting about behaving and looking like a Spotted Flycatcher but at the distance involved and just with me bins difficult to be sure!! The only bird I managed a pic of was a Great Spotted Woodpecker. 

Great Spotted Woodpecker

We walked back up the hill lots of Butterflies again nearly all Gatekeepers, whilst trying to ID a different one, (turned out to be a Small Tortoiseshell) a Dartford called right next to the path, typically no sign in the heather but then it flew out and landed briefly on some gorse! Hurrah!! Was having a bit of difficulty with my glasses steaming up Margie said it could have been because I am hot stuff!!🔥, although I like the Hot Stuff 🔥theory it may have been the humidity!!

Dartford Warbler, still not great but at least it came out!

Back on the high path we checked out the dead trees again, much of the same with the addition of a Dartford that hadn't read the skulk about memo and was showing well in the tree, though the light and distance made things difficult.

Stonechat

Stonechat

Stonechat

Coal Tit

Dartford Warbler

We headed back to the car, lots of Dragonflies about now, but flying about like mad things so difficult to get pics, although one bright green one did land, maybe a Downy Emerald? though I'm not that sure! Was also an interesting moth/butterfly which posed nicely!

Interesting Moth/Butterfly

Possibly a Downy Emerald Dragonfly

Margie's take on the interesting Moth/Butterfly

That was about it, stopped at Weirwood on the way home, water is even further away, got a Green Sandpiper for the year but was very distant thanks to the lady who found it in her scope, couple of Common Sands equally distant and a Black-tailed Godwit the best of it, though a nice Marsh Tit in the tree was a bonus, didn't stay long with no scope it was pretty pointless. finished the morning at Plawhatch organic farm shop where I disgraced myself in the Chocolate Button aisle!!Again!!😂

So, as said predictably quiet, no sign of any Redstarts, Tree Pipits or Woodlarks though didn't really expect them to be on show.😢 Pleasant enough walk around though!!