Reed Bunting Collecting Food for the Brood

You go looking for one species and end up finding another.

I went to a location by a river bank where I expected to find Reed Warblers.

I found a pair, but they mostly remained deep in tall reeds, emerging only a few times at speed flying across the river and disappearing in the thick bush on the other side.

All was not lost as on the other side of the river I observed a male Reed Bunting, which was collecting food and flying into the foliage on the bank. 

Fortunately it pitched in the open each time before disappearing into the well hidden nest.

Small Flutters

Three 'First Brood' small species of butterfly I found this week.

All of which you are likely to find in the same general area of unimproved rough grassland.

Brown Argus

Common Blue

Small Heath

Dingy Skipper

If you like a challenge then finding and tracking a Dingy Skipper butterfly to enable you to take a few photographs of it is something you should try.

They remain close to the ground in open spaces and when disturbed fly off at speed. 

With only a wingspan of 29mm and their dull brown colouring they are then difficult to follow.

Whitethroat Collecting Food for the Brood

The best time to shoot images of the Common Whitethroat is when they are searching for food for the brood on the nest. 

I could hear the revealing chattering that gave away the general location of the parent birds. I waited a short period and sure enough they both turned up with food that was destined for the nest. I fired off a few images and then left the area. 

Its always best not to hang around very long when you observe such activity.

Yellowhammer

Always a pleasure to see one of our more colourful resident species.