This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I walked across to Stoke Park this morning before it was too hot and before the light was too bright; so no excuses about the light today.

I was hoping to see a whinchat. My mission was soon accomplished and so I then went in search of other birds and insects.

I was surprised to see a dozen swifts – I thought they had all departed. During the last  week I have seen house martins, swallows and swifts over Duchess Pond.

There was a buzzard over the woods.

Around Duchess Pond a grey heron posed and occasionally flew from one patch to another.

There was a Painted Lady butterfly and several damselflies and dragonflies.

Migrant hawker

The motorway was quite quiet for a change and I could have stayed all morning but, if I had, I would have had to spend the rest of the day editing hundreds of photos. So home I went and faced up to England’s dismal performance in the Test match.