Southern Migrant Hawker!

 I've had a few attempts over the last few years to try and spot a Southern Migrant Hawker, without any luck, so today's trip to RSPB Frampton Marsh finally put this species to bed! As you'll see, however, my photos leave a lot to be desired!! Unfortunately, it didn't perch whilst I was there, but the intense blue of the abdomen and eyes were very clear to see "in the field". 

Southern Migrant Hawker (honestly!!)

Whilst on site, I had a walk around the the Reedbed Trail and saw plenty of Yellow Wagtails (mainly juveniles), Spoonbills (7),  Black-tailed Godwits (200+), Dunlin (30+), Ringed Plover (a great flock of c.30 flying over!), Ruff (10+), Avocet (3 adults), Redshank (20+), Spotted Redshank (4, including a Norwegian-ringed bird, flag CEW), Knot (year tick 176) and heard a Greenshank (year tick 177). I also heard Bearded Tits, Goldfinch, Linnets and Meadow Pipits. Birds of Prey were represented with a male Marsh Harrier, a Kestrel and two sightings of a Hobby (my first sighting of this species here).

Whilst on site, I also recorded a few insects, including included Painted Ladies, Green-veined Whites, Ruddy Darter, my first Willow Emerald Damselflies of the year, and a pair of mating Migrant Hawkers.

Willow Emerald Damselfly

Migrant Hawkers

Rufford Gulls - Old and New

I only had chance to spend half an hour at Rufford yesterday, but, in that short time, I manged to see 8 darvic-ringed Black-headed Gulls and a single metal-ringed bird. Along with this, I also managed to add a possible new breeding record for a damselfly species!

The birds seen were: 258A, 245C, 258C, 279C (a new, 1st-winter bird, ringed on Saturday), 215F (the first sighting since being ringed in October 2024),  217F ( my first sighting since February 2025), 239F (first sighting since January 2025) and 2V10 (my first sighting, since being ringed on 1st February 2025). The metal-ringed bird, a 1st winter, was seen, but not identified, as it flew off before I could read the ring! 

279C

215F

217F

239F

2V10

In addition to the gulls, there were also c100 Canada Geese, 4 Greylag Geese, 1 Kingfisher, 5 Mute Swans (Broken Beak, his partner and 3 cygnets), and 3 Willow Emerald Damselflies, including 1 pair egg laying - my first record here!!!

Willow Emerald Damselflies

RSPB Frampton Marsh - 22nd August 2025

 Every year, at about this time, Jayne and I drive over to RSPB Frampton Marsh to catch up with a few passage waders, that can be seen, at this time of the year. It also gives us a chance to catch up with a damselfly that I haven't yet manged to find in Derbyshire.

This year has been very dry all across the UK, so most of the usual pools at Frampton were dried out. This meant that the birds that were there, were concentrated onto the few, remaining wet areas. We visited one, by the side of the reedbed, where we spotted a very obliging Wood Sandpiper (193) and 2 less obliging Green Sandpiper (194), that flew straight off!! 

Wood Sandpiper

After lunch, we went across to the Reedbed Hide were we spotted c.100 Greylag Geese,  Black-tailed Godwits (c.30), Lapwing, 3 juvenile Shelduck, Ruff (6), Avocet (1), juvenile Little Ringed Plovers and 4 Little Stint (195).

Little Stint

Our final stop was the dragonfly/dipping pool, where we spotted a couple of mating Migrant Hawkers and a pair of Willow Emerald Damselflies (in tandem). Common and Ruddy Darters were also seen, as was a pair of Common Blue Butterflies and a single Small Copper.

Migrant Hawkers

Willow Emerald Damselflies

Suffolk - August 2024

 Last week, Jayne and I had a family holiday down in Suffolk. It was a family holiday, so most of the time was spent on the beach enjoying the 20+ degree heat! We did, however, manage a trip to RSPB Minsmere, where we had fantastic views of Water Vole and Grass Snake.

The Water Vole, a juvenile, was seen feeding from the dipping pond, about 2m away. We watched it for a good 10 minutes, before it suddenly swam off into the vegetation, only for a hunting Grass Snake to appear!

Water Vole

Grass Snake

Whilst at Minsmere, we also saw, amongst others,  the following species: Ringed Plover, Ruff, Redshank, Lapwing, Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Black-headed, Herring and Little Gull, Little and Great White Egret, Stock Dove and Cetti's Warbler. Muntjac Deer were also seen.

One evening we went across to Aldeburgh. Whilst there, I checked to see if last year's ringed Herring Gull, FOMT, was back again. The good news was that it was, sat on exactly the same rooftop as last year! Click on the label for details of where and when, it was ringed.

FOMT

The place we were staying in, in Bramfield, had several ponds, which had Ruddy Darter, Migrant Hawker and a pair of Willow Emerald Damselflies on them. 

Year List Update/RSPB Frampton Marsh

After a trip to RSPB Frampton Marsh yesterday, I realised that it was time to update the blog with my new Year List total. Since my last post, I've added 8 new species, taking this year's British total (so far) to 185 species.

The first three new additions were: Tree Pipit (178) and Nightjar (179), both seen back in June, on uplands near Chesterfield, and Black Tern (180), with one seen at Ogston Reservoir on 14th June.

Yesterday's new additions, at Frampton, were: Greenshank (181), Temminck's Stint (182), Green Sandpiper (183), Spotted Redshank (184) and Curlew Sandpiper (185).

Temminck's Stint

Other birds seen included: Ringed and Little Ringed Plover, Redshank, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit (including 2 colour-ringed birds), Dunlin, Snipe, Common Sandpiper (1), Little Grebe, Mallard, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Teal, Wigeon, Greylag and Canada Goose, Mute and Whooper Swan (1), Swallow, Sand Martin, Spoonbill (26!), a possible/probable Merlin, Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Marsh Harrier, Goldfinch, Linnet, Pied and Yellow Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Reed and Sedge Warbler.

There were very few insects about, but 2 Painted Ladies were seen, along with Migrant Hawkers, male Ruddy Darters, and, best of all, a single Eyed Hawkmoth caterpillar, and 3 Willow Emerald Damselflies.

Eyed Hawkmoth

Willow Emerald Damselfly

Lesser Yellowlegs!!!!

 This weekend, Jayne and I went across to RSPB Frampton Marsh to try and see a couple of North American waders, that have been present for a couple of weeks. We dipped one (Semipalmated Sandpiper), but we did manage to get fantastic views of the other species, Lesser Yellowlegs (189 and lifer number 4 of the year) as it fed about 10m away, in front of East Hide. What a fantastic bird to catch up with!

Lesser Yellowlegs

Other birds seen were: Little Stint (190th bird of the year), Curlew Sandpiper, Whooper Swan (1), Peregrine Falcon, Kestrel, Marsh Harrier, Teal, Wigeon, Mallard, Pintail (1fm), Lapwing, Dunlin, Canada, Dark-bellied Brent and Greylag Goose, Mute Swan, Goldfinch and Greenfinch.

There were a few insects flying about, including 1 Red Admiral, 2 Migrant Hawkers, 3 Common Darters, and a very small damselfly, most likely a Willow Emerald Damselfly. 

Rufford Gulls - 7th October 2023

 In a couple of hours at Rufford this afternoon ( in 21 degree heat!!) I had my highest number of Black-headed Gulls this season - with 62 present.

2 ringed birds were present: 293A and 254B. Today's sighting of 293A was my 22nd at Rufford, and it looks like it's settled in for another winter.

293A

254B was a nice surprise, as it was only the second record, since ringing (by me!) in October 2022, and my first since February 2023 (see here). I wonder where it's been over the summer.

254B

As well as the gulls, I also saw c.38 Canada Geese, 30 Greylag Geese, 1 Cormorant, 1 Grey Wagtail and 1 Buzzard.

As the temperature was so high, there were quite a few wasps flying around. I also spotted 1 Red Admiral, 1 Hornet, and, best of all, a male Willow Emerald Damselfly!!! This is my first site record, and very unexpected - great sight!

Willow Emerald Damselfly

Finally, whilst driving down to Rufford, I saw a Swallow flying around Marsh Lane - quite a late record.

RSPB Frampton Marsh

RSPB Frampton Marsh in Lincolnshire is a fantastic reserve that I love to visit several times a year. This time of year is great for waders (and lots more besides!), so Jayne and I had a trip there today.

As I said, there are loads of waders at Frampton at this time of the year, and together we spotted: Ruff (50+), Black-tailed Godwit (100+), Dunlin (c40), Green Sandpiper (1), Spotted Redshank (1, in winter plumage), Wood Sandpiper (1, and my 182nd bird of the year), Avocet (c.100), Lapwing (c50), Ringed Plover (1), and Curlew Sandpiper (1, and my 183rd species of the year). Unfortunately, there was some maintenance work going on whilst we were there, causing some disturbance to the birds, and we didn't manage to connect with Little Stint, Greenshank or the Pectoral Sandpiper, that was reported half an hour after we left!!!

Wood Sandpiper

Other birds seen were: Spoonbill (33!), Little Egret (20), Buzzard (2), Marsh Harrier (1), Kestrel (1), Swallow (3), Long-tailed Tit, Blackbird,  Pintail (3), Mallard, Wigeon (1m), Teal, Pochard (1m), Mute Swan, Whooper Swan (1- presumably an injured bird that hasn't migrated?), Greylag and Canada Geese.

Whilst there, we also spotted several insects: Speckled Wood (6), Common Darter (1m), Migrant Hawker (1fm) and, best of all, a single, male Willow Emerald Damselfly- very nice!

Willow Emerald Damselfly

RSPB Frampton Marsh - 2 Insect Lifers

It's not often that I go to an RSPB reserve and get more insect "lifers"  than birds, but today that is exactly what happened when I visited RSPB Frampton Marsh. To be honest, I'd gone with the intention of seeing the insects in question, so I was very pleased to see them both.

The first insect lifer was a Willow Emerald Damselfly (see here). This damselfly is a relative newcomer to Britain, and has a very limited, but expanding, range. I'd heard they were present here, so, after  getting directions from the Visitors' Centre, I set off to find them. It took a while, but, eventually, I spotted a male perched up on the hedgerow, and got a few photos. Fantastic!

Willow Emerald Damselfly

The second new insect was a Sea Aster Mining Bee (see here). This species also has a limited range, but Frampton is a stronghold. Again, I managed a couple of photos.

Sea Aster Mining Bee

Other insects seen included: Migrant Hawker (male and female), Ruddy Darter (1 male), Common Darter (10s) and a very impressive Wasp Spider.

Wasp Spider

Birds seen were: Peregrine Falcon, Short-eared Owl (1 over the saltmarsh - year tick), Spoonbill (17, including a Dutch-ringed bird), Curlew Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, Knot, Turnstone (4 - a new species for me here), Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit (c.3500!!), Lapwing, Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Teal, Wigeon, Pintail (2), Shoveler, Mallard, Canada and Greylag Geese.

Year List update:
189 – Long-eared Owl (young heard in NE Derbyshire in August)
190 – Short-eared Owl

191 – Spoonbill