Where's that Pallas'???

C'mon! Gull or Sandgrouse, I don't mind, but Joe's away and that means its mega-grip time!

::Looks up expectantly::

Ahem.

Ok, updates...

Weekend saw a couple of strolls - Pullabrook Wood and a first wander around Mutter's Moor. Pullabrook had juvenile Willow Warblers and a smart Blackcap, a posing Beautiful Demoiselle [didn't have the camera, of course..] and a nice Common Hawker that I actually got to watch for more than 5 seconds :). Mutter's Moor suffered from dodgier weather and hordes of bods - a single flypast Common Hawker, though there were tons of butterflies - but did have lots of singing [well, sub-singing, really] Yellowhammers and a glorious view. Also, on an 'amusing to everyone else' note, while we were having lunch a jasper took a liking to my silly hat and set up camp on it, eventually having to be forcibly evicted when we moved on...

Today I had yet another go at Stover; with more sunshine I had better odonata results, though less fun with the birds. Attempted photos of Common Darter and Keeled Skimmer, and had a wonderful meeting with a male Southern Hawker, who seemed very interested in my shoes... There's now been a clear shift in the population, with only a single Large Red Damselfly, and two 4-spotted Chasers that I could find [though still a fair few Black-tailed Skimmers about], and lots of Emerald Damselfly and Common Darter Dragonfly everywhere. I had a near-miss with what looked very much like a Black Darter [on the species list there, but I don't know if its actually likely, or {as with Ruddy Darter} one was seen there. Once.] but wherever it was perched was well out of view, and in three views it was too distant and quick to get enough to ID for sure [and that's saying something, as male Black Darters are very distinctive!].

No repeat of the Bullfinch and GSW fest of last week, though still nice Marsh Tits at the feeder [and nice to see it being kept stocked]. Two other notable sightings were of a low-flying Chinook, and an even-lower-flying Hornet. 11 definite and 2 probables on the odonata species list [I'm starting to really realise how jammy I was back in June, though it has to be said the weather was perfect and I put in more field time, so maybe only very jammy...]. I think I'm going to have to spend a day up on't Moor soon...

Evening add-on; There was a yellow-y moth that came in my window last night, I found it this evening and tried a photo. If it comes out [and I work out how to post photos on this thing....] I'll give all you moth-fanciers an ID challenge! Heh heh heh.....