Monday 4 August 2008

Teneral Lee

Dan here.

The title pun refers to my observation that what few common darter dragonflies (c15) I found were a) immature (no ripe and red males noted yet)- and b) in only the most sheltered spots in the breezy conditions.

Other parish odonata seen amounted only to one brown hawker, plus blue-tailed and common blue damselflies.
This week I've been scrutinising the latter species hoping to tick azure damsel for the patch. No luck yet though.

To the birds...

Waders included three freshwater green sandpipers, and a common sandpiper on the saltier pools.
2 whimbrel were also on the marsh. One was seen to be gobbling crabs, their usual quarry at Aldcliffe.

A peregrine, sparrowhawk and raven were soaring overhead.

A few juvenile willow warblers and lesser whitethroats were in the hedges. A juv. and an adult little grebe were seen on the deepest of Freeman's Pools before a number of dogs took a dip!

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