Beautiful Brownsea..

Managed a quick trip to a few places today..

First stop was Brownsea for Spoonbill and Avocet for the year list..

Ticks achieved.. and the real attraction of Brownsea is the Red Squirrels.. .

plus took some pics of the graveyard..

A walk around Greenham on the last day of Summer.

Cormorant on the Tern Raft at Lower Farm Gravel Pits.

(Great Crested Grebe in front and Shoveler behind)

Common Sandpiper

Green Woody with Meadow Pipit in front at Greenham Common.

Wheatear.

Stonechat.

Some old shots, rediscovered.

Rooksbury Lakes

Sunflowers in Boxford

A penny for your thoughts?

Morning mist.

No Owls, but some random shots.

Went for a walk.. saw some cows and cars.

not much more to say.. except that I went looking for Tawny Owls.

Hello Deer.

A few pics from a 'works trip' with some kids to Bucklebury Park Farm near Newbury..

The 'top dog' on the right, a 9 year old and the 2 year old contender to the throne on the left.

Down by the river.

Again on holiday, I heard that there was a Dipper on the river that runs through the village I was staying in..

Thinking, hmmm, thats more of a shallow stream than a river, I followed it towards the coast and as it grew in size, so did my expectations..

and then success.. bad pictures, but thats me! But deffo a Dipper sighting..

And in the afternoon, I headed to the village of Beer, well you would, wouldnt you...

Unfortunately no 'Welcome to Beer' signs, but on the Axmouth Estuary were plenty of Curlew.

Apparently the village of Beer is twinned with 'Hangover'.

Portland Bill.

My first ever trip to Portland provided a few new year ticks, Guillemots, Fulmar, Stonechat, Common Scoter and a Rock Pipit, but my favourite shot was this one below.

A female Kestrel that just hung in the sea breeze, looking for rodents on the slopping cliff faces.

What do Guillemots and Cormorants talk about? The price of fish?

Random Poppys.

A poppy field that I snapped on the way to work today,

a bit of sunshine wouldve changed everything

to Bee or not to Bee?

Spent a few minutes in the garden yesterday, trying to get some close up Bee shots..

A lot of pollen on the legs..

Feeding time at the Great Crested.

A few things spotted today at Mapledurham Locks.
A Great Crested Grebe & an Egyptian Goose family. Common Tern and some Kingfishers. etc.

A good day.

The parent was very successful at fishing.

A hobby for some - tea for others.

Sunday afternoon and after working for the last two days in the heat and burning sun, plus a hangover that prevented any decent cycling, decided to go for a walk up Snelsmore via Sainsburys for a proper cooked brekkie!

After Sains decided to hit the Hide in Newbury and see what was there.. before I knew it 2 hours had passed as I sat watching Hobbys take Dragonfly etc. over the lake.

Amazing to watch them fly at high speed then throw their talons at a Dragonfly, sometimes just inches above the water..

The shots are blurred, but im happy with the results... fast and in the distance - but you can see the feet up, just before the catch..

Not a bad afternoon!

Ahhhhh

Snapped this cute family on Greenham Common yesterday.

Where's Woody?

Stumbled across a Great Spotted Woodpecker nest one day at work, so returned with camera and am quite pleased with the results.