When You Can't Seawatch.. Pt.1, Not Butterflies

Mid-May is a bit early for Marsh Fritillaries.

Well, at least up on t'Moor. Elsewhere in the country, the chalkland MFs and so on, that's another matter, but up on the rhos in Dartmoor vallies, you're looking at June, really.

 

But it'd been a warm year [funny that] so I figured what the what, worth a look and you never know what else might be about..??

Granite rarely proves

elusive.

Different clickbait, just for a change.

I found no Marsh Frits at my usual Place for them, though the orchids are coming out nicely,

Heath Spotted Orchids.

Come in various shades.

Bogbean,

this sadly without a

Narrow-bordered Bee Hawkmoth

[arg]

Broad-bodied Chaser

Dragons, dragons at last!

Bog Beacon

Sericomyia silentis

Common Heath

I went up high, did some skywatching, then stopped off at a spot I like on my way back. I'm being a bit evasive about exactly where due to it being that time of year and nesting birds [or possibly nesting birds] need some circumspection.

Yes, even Wheatears.

Wheatear with Fox Moth [I think]

No zoom, female at

maybe 4m

You just sit quietly, you see.

Mipit

Sitting in the lee of a wall, watching the sky, then one of these came shooting past about a metre from my left ear, with a raptor in hot pursuit!! Mipit got to a Gorse bush and the vexed raptor peeled off low, contouring and showing itself to be a 2cy Sprawk [I'd thought for a sec..] The whirr of the Mipit and the whoosh of the Sprawk [very different to the tearing silk of a Peg] were worth the effort of getting up there all by themselves  😄

Looking a bit up

Buzzard

Buzzard's mate.

Of interest to events earlier in the year, note the large dark carpal patches and white outer primary bases, mostly pale secondary coverts.. contrasting with dark secondaries and inner primaries.

First bird has paler inner primary and secondary bases, but darker coverts and body [and less evenly dark carpal patches].

For those less obsessed; Buzzards are VERY variable. [But they don't soar with kinked wings*]

Ahem.

Far worse photos ensue;

ID that raptor?

To paraphrase The Boss..

"C'mon, it's obvious from

flight action alone"

Heh heh heh..

[Another 2cy, btw]

Let's have something better;

"Yes, I am gorgeous"

Seven-spot Ladybird

Burning bright...

If you find yourself shrunk and in the long grass, that'd be the last thing you see [yikes]

And on that cheery note, I shall

Be Seeing You...

[[*No, not dropping it.]]