A Local Patch

A walk on one of my local patches was quite welcome.

This was Maiden Castle, the site of an Iron Age Hill Fort. See:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maiden_Castle,_Dorset

I have been  somewhat obstructed by a temporary medical problem recently that is not conducive to nature photography 

Here below are some of the present day residents of Maiden Castle.

It is a good site for butterflies.

Meadow Brown 

Marbled White

Small Tortoiseshell

Small Heath

Here below is a rare sight. 

A Small Heath which I caught with its wings open momentarily.

You won't find this image in many butterfly books.

Although I only had a medium lens attached, this male Stonechat turned up on a nearby post and posed for a short while,

The Forester Moth.

 

Dock Flower

Looking homewards

This was a good spot below for lunch.

I had shown in my last post some fresh Adonis Blue butterflies from this site. I think this is one of the remaining of that species and somewhat worse for wear.

Adonis Sparkle

The Adonis Blue Butterfly.

The sight of an Adonis Blue male is something to experience.

It would soon become apparent once you had seen it, that it was the species and not any other. The bright electric blue of the upper wings flashes as it flies low across the grass.

Finding and photographing the Adonis I would place on a par with that of a Purple Emperor butterfly, which I have experienced.

It prefers South facing chalk down slopes.

 It is difficult to reproduce the exact colouring in a photograph, but I hope I have done it justice.

 

Something Amazing to Witness.

Please note: These images were taken through a window with a long lens and the bird was not disturbed in any way. 

Woodpigeon normally lay two eggs per brood and  normally two  broods per year. I cannot be certain if there are two young on this nest or three. The young (known as Squabs) are covered in down initially and are fed by both parents. The fledgling period is about 37 days.

The young feed on Crop Milk which they get from both parents. Woodpigeon have cells in the throat that produce the milk. It does look rather drastic and unpleasant the way in which the young stick their beaks down the parents open beak. (As shown in the following images.)

A Country Walk

Images taken on a recent local country walk.

A male Chaffinch amongst the apple blossom.

Quite a variety of wild flowers can be found  on the local public footpaths.

A Goldfinch that is building a nest nearby.

The much overlooked House Sparrow has the same idea.

I watched this Chiffchaff taking food to a nearby nest.

The next day I revisited the location and couldn't find it. I assumed that the nestlings had flown from the nest and would continue feeding elsewhere.

Masses of buttercups across this field.

There are still some Primroses to be found.

A Wren was also observed near the Chiffchaff (shown above).

Wild Ferns

A Single Bluebell makes a nice image I think.

Red Campions are very common along the walks.

Another one of my efforts of Riverbed Art.