Parkgate Dee Estuary - 8th November

Saw both Marsh Harrier and Hen Harrier, both quite distant, together with a Kestrel which came much closer to the road.

Kestrel

Kestrel

Wood Pigeon

Hen Harrier

Marsh Harrier

Combe Haven & Glyne Gap Bexhill - 1st-3rd November

Turnstones on the shingle and grass either side of the promenade. Saw a Marsh Harrier at Combe Haven, although too distant to get a good photo, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker at Glyne Gap where there are always a group of House Sparrows.

male House Sparrow

female House Sparrow

Turnstone

Pied Wagtail

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Parkgate Dee Estuary - 12th & 16th October

The first visits of the autumn to Parkgate on the Dee Estuary resulted in some good views of flocks of Pink-footed Geese and Knot from the roadside.

Knot

Knot

Pink-footed Geese

Horseshoe Plantation - 6th October

It was sunny and reasonably warm so I couldn't resist making one final visit of the year to Horseshoe Plantation to see what would be left in terms of butterflies. A Clouded Yellow was a nice surprise. Apart from that it was a variety of admittedly very worn individuals including Common Blue, Brown Argus, Small Heath, Small Copper, Meadow Brown and Speckled Wood. There was also a very attractive female Stonechat.

Clouded Yellow

male Common Blue

female Brown Argus

Meadow Brown

Small Copper

Small Heath

Speckled Wood

female Stonechat

Rye Harbour & Pett Level - 5th October

A morning trip to Rye Harbour produced some of the expected species including Marsh Harrier, Grey Plover, Little Grebe, Curlew and Greylag Goose.

Curlew

Greylag Goose

Little Grebe

Local Rye Sheep

Grey Plover

Vancouver - 16th-20th September

The first 3 days of this trip were spent in and around the town of Whistler where there are lots of opportunities for long walks around the various lakes and woods. Steller's Jays are common here in the gardens as are Yellow Warblers and Dark-eyed Juncos.

Steller's Jay

Yellow Warbler

Female Dark-eyed Junco

Male Dark-eyed Junco

Thereafter we moved on the Vancouver and used this as a base to explore the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary with back-to-back visits in great weather on the 19th & 20th September (see: https://www.reifelbirdsanctuary.com/birds.html). This is an outstanding place to see a wide range of birds especially waders and ducks but also passerines. Many of the birds are unusually approachable providing excellent photo opportunities. Our list here included Spotted Towhee, Great Blue Heron, Long-billed Dowitcher, Greater & Lesser Yellowlegs, Hairy Woodpecker, Barred Owl, Northern Harrier, Wood Duck, Green-winged Teal, Anna's Hummingbird, American Coot, Hooded Merganser, Red-tailed Hawk and Red-winged Blackbird.

Lesser Yellowlegs

Anna's Hummingbird

Barred Owl

Greater Yellowlegs

Long-billed Dowitcher

Male Wood Duck

Female Green-winged Teal

Female Hooded Merganser

Spotted Towhee

Hairy Woodpecker

Female House Finch

Red-tailed Hawk

Female Red-winged Blackbird

Male Red-winged Blackbird

Great Blue Heron

Insects in Didsbury in Late Summer - 7th-8th September

Some glorious sunshine and warmish weather in early September kept the butterflies and other insects active, particularly on the Buddleia bushes in Fog Lane Park. Plenty of Commas, Painted Ladies, Red Admirals, Small Whites and Speckled Woods.

Comma

Comma

Painted Lady

Red Admiral

Red Admiral

Small White

Speckled Wood

Speckled Wood

There were also various hoverflies and shieldbugs, most of which are beyond my powers of identification currently.

Hairy Shieldbug

Green Shieldbug

Green Shieldbug

The Footballer Hoverfly

Hoverfly

Hoverfly

Hoverfly

Hoverfly

Hoverfly

Hoverfly

Hoverfly