Its been a mixed week or so. Not a great deal to show for it, I will start with a plant. I dont do plants normally but when out looking for dragonflies the other day I saw this Common Spotted Orchid and couldn't resist.
Back to birds, whilst driving around the sticks the other day I saw this House Sparrow coming out of a hole in a sandstone wall. I quite like this picture.
Two more trips to the Blorenge after Marmora's Warbler produced this Whinchat,
and this Tree Pipit.
Over the other side of the hill I found this Skylark.
In the Forest I got these shots of a Redstart pair. They are well photographed and you can see similar shots on Brian Williams's blog which you'll find in my links.
Both birds are looking tired, not surprising with the amount of feeding they are doing, I noticed that the male seemed to be catching a lot of insects on the wing whereas the female was happy to come down for some offerings.
You have to just love them though.
Now I mentioned earlier the Marmora's Warbler. Its a visitor from afar, usually from Corsica or Sardinia. I made 4 visits to see it but couldnt get decent shots. This was my first attempt.
and unfortunately this shot, my best, isnt a lot better.
I'm gonna stick my neck out and say that I cannot quite fathom twitchers. I met people who had travelled from Essex, Nottingham, Manchester, Somerset, and Surrey. Most of them had come armed only with their scopes, nothing to record the fact that they had seen the bird. It seems odd to me. I love birds, love wildlife, but to travel hundreds of miles and have nothing but memories seems odd. But then me trudging around with 8 or 9 kilos of kit on my back just to take a picture will, I don't doubt, seem mad to others.Anyhow, thats it for now, give me a week or two and pop back and see what I've been up to in South Yorkshire.
