With rain forecast for about 11 o'clock Margie and I planned to get up early for our trip out today and we very nearly did!!😏😂 We did at least arrive before 9 o'clock so not all was lost, although me leaving my bins in the car and having to go back for them compounded by Margie looking for her phone, which she'd left at home did delay matters further!😂At least the Sun was still out, though a chill wind wasn't conducive to good displays of Butterflies so expectations were low!!! Lots of Red Admirals and Peacocks on the Buddleia around the Visitor Center! Couple of Margie's pics below.
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| Red Admiral and Peacock! |
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| Peacock |
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| Red Admiral |
We headed down the Zigzags, few Butterflies about mainly Gatekeepers and the odd Meadow Brown, nice display of Fleabane though!
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| Gatekeeper by Margie |
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| Fleabane by Margie |
No time to waste with the skies darkening we headed to West Mead hide, on the way we found a nice display of Fungi, some Swallows were hawking over the grass and from the hide we had a Greenshank and a Green Sandpiper which was nice!!!
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| The Fungi doesn't look much but close up it's quite impressive!! |
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| Swallow |
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| View from West Mead Hide by Margie |
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| Margie also spotted a Heron |
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| Greenshank |
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| Green Sandpiper |
We powered on, the Highland Cows were safely behind a fence, a flock of Goldfinch, including a few youngsters were seen. There were quite a few more Butterflies in the grassland between West Mead and Winpenny Hide, again mainly Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns but I did winkle out a Small Copper!
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| Goldfinch |
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| Small Copper |
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| Highland Cow |
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| Margie amused herself with some flowers |
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| and got arty with some Grass! |
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| Hunk alert!! I know I forgot the C at the front!!😀Would like to point out I am safely on the path here and it's just the angle of the pic that makes it look like I've gone rogue!! |
Winpenny hide was mainly quiet, a few distant Lapwings and an active flock of Starlings pretty much all that was noted, though we were only in there a few minutes!!
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| A view from Winpenny by Margie |
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| A view from Winpenny with a Heron by Margie |
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| Zoomed in Heron by Margie |
We walked around to the Hanger, nice Green-veined White Butterfly on the way, from the Hangar there were a few Waders on the Brooks mainly Black-tailed Godwits, Lapwings and what after much humming and hahing I decided was a Common Redshank!
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| On the way to the Hangar by Margie |
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| Random Flowers |
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| Green-veined White |
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| Not sure, maybe a Meadow Brown |
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| View from the Hangar |
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| The Hanger Robin by Margie |
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| Looking a bit knackered, been a difficult breeding season perhaps!!😂 |
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| Black-tailed Godwit |
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| Redshank, I think |
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| Great Tit also looking a bit worn out |
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| Lapwing! |
With the weather closing in we continued back to the Visitor Center, stopping only when Margie thought she heard a small flock of Long-tailed Tits, very pleased with herself when the birds appeared!!!!
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| Archway by Margie |
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| Meadow Brown by Margie |
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| Webby thing by Margie |
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| Long-tailed Tit |
We made it back by the skin of our teeth, the rain starting as we pulled away in the car!! An enjoyable if a bit rushed walk around!!
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