Summer Catch Up!

Where have the last 2 months gone!? I can't believe how quickly the Summer seems to race along and before long, we are heading into another exciting Autumn with migrants dotted along the east coast.

This Summer has been particularly busy, mainly due to the Birdfair in mid-August where I again had a highly successful and enjoyable 'Rebecca Nason Photography' stand in the Art marquee. Thanks go to the hundreds of people who popped in to say hello over a mad 3 days and especially those who purchased some of my prints, canvases, framed work & greeting cards!

Before the Birdfair preparations began, in early July, we ringed numerous Swallow chicks locally (now standing at 145 this Summer at one location!) and caught a fine, healthy adult Swift in the roof next door! This was a ringing tick for Phil as we did not ring the injured bird Phil freed from meshing earlier in the Summer (which incidentally after a good feed and a little time, took off and disappeared into the horizon! after we had placed it in a hanging basket in the garden!).

It is not every month I get both a British mammal and butterfly tick - however I saw both during July. I saw a beautiful little Dormouse in Surrey and a stunning White Letter Hairstreak. I found and photographed this uncommon and striking species whilst out walking along a field margin near Bath!

June Bugs

June is always a busy month & this year has been no exception with ecological work in Surrey, moth trapping & bird ringing (lots of pulli) in Woodbridge, gallery photographic work & a book review taking up a lot of time. The tiny garden is once again alive, especially in the evenings with our annual invasion of Stag Beetles cruising over like drone aircraft, a family of Wood Mice that feast during the night & broad daylight on the peanut feeders & of course the nightly moth trapping sessions are now bringing in high numbers of many species. We have also be attempting to lure the much sort after 'Clearwing' moths & have managed to attract 6+ Currant Clearwing at a local small fruit farm on our first go, a great start!

'Tuf' Love . . .

News of a 'Tufted Puffin' in Kent this morning was bitter sweet for the birding community as a whole but euphoria no doubt for the lucky 7. Feelings swayed from total excitement and desperation to see such a dream seabird, to total disappointment as the realization that the bird had gone and was unlikely to be found again (today anyway . .). What a bird ! I decided to console myself with some afternoon birding at Bawdsey - East Lane. The winds were strong, coming right in off the churning sea. I spent a few lame minutes striving to find my own Tufted Puffin, well a Sab's Gull or Leach's Petrel or something . . . but soon gave up after the first few Black-headed Gulls shot by.

A walk along the sheltered lane opposite the first pool saw a smart and very vocal Pied Flycatcher & a good number of Migrant Hawkers hunting in the sheltered sunny rides. The sea wall produced 1 Black Redstart & 3 very approachable young Swallows who sat up on fencing near the car park.