Martin's Bird Blog & Nature Photos

Tag: Butterflies

  • 9th May 2023 – RSPB Ham Wall

    9th May 2023 – RSPB Ham Wall

    I was very pleased to spot the Great Reed Warbler which has been resident at Ham Wall for the last few weeks. I thought I might have difficulty in finding it but its very loud song (and some helpful birders) helped me find it easily.

    The Great Reed Warbler is a rare passage migrant in the UK and so it has generated quite a bit of interest. It’s a hulking warbler that resembles the Eurasian Reed-Warbler in coloration but is far larger with a proportionately more massive head, heavy bill with a dark tip, and a broad, pale eyebrow.

    Great Reed Warbler

    Great Reed Warbler

    Great Reed Warbler

    It had rained all the way down on my journey to Ham Wall but fortunately I didn’t have to wait long before I could get out and about to explore the reserve. There were a few showers but I managed to stay dry before setting off back early afternoon on another wet journey home.

    The highlight was clearly the great reed warbler but there was plenty to enjoy with bitterns booming (and a quick glimpse of one in flight), marsh harriers, a hobby, great white egrets and grey herons, great crested grebes, pochards, gadwall, coots with chick and a decent sized flock of black-tailed godwits.

    Great white egret

    Marsh harrier

    Grey heron

    Great crested grebe

    Great crested grebe

    Gadwall

    Pochard

    Coot with chick

    Black-tailed godwits

    Orange-tip butterfly

    Slideshow of photos from this morning:

  • 26th March 2020 – Self-isolating in Bristol

    26th March 2020 – Self-isolating in Bristol

    We have been self-isolating at home all week. We had a 7 am walk in our local park last Saturday but didn’t feel safe as people, especially runners, came very close to us (even though I often pretended to be looking for a bird in the bushes).  On Sunday we travelled to the Forest of Dean where we managed some exercise in isolation. However, reading what NHS workers had to say, and pleading with us to stay at home, we have remained at home. Neighbours and friends have helped with shopping. It has seemed very strange because it has always been in our nature to help others and now we find we can only help by staying at home.

    To some extent I have enjoyed painting fences, building garden storage, cleaning the patio and so on as the weather has been wonderful for this time of the year. However, I have missed my camera (and nature) and today I self-indulged by taking photos from in and around our tiny urban garden. If I can’t go to nature, I’ll have to let nature come to me. I could see a herring gull, goldfinches, sparrows, dunnocks, wood pigeons and collared doves, jackdaws, crows, starlings, blackbirds, a robin (only heard),  blue tits and great tits (only heard), bees and a peacock butterfly.

    Unfortunately, all of the birds (except the blackbird on the washing line) were outside of the garden and I hope that neighbours don’t think I am being a voyeur with a long lens. I hope my photos are the proof of it.

    DSC04597Goldfinch

    DSC04605-2Dunnock

    DSC04612-2Wood pigeon

    DSC04639

    DSC04694Jackdaw

    DSC04706-2Male sparrow

    DSC04737-2Male sparrow

    DSC04762Magpie

    DSC04779-2Female sparrow

    DSC04784Dunnock

    DSC04790-2Female sparrow

    DSC04853-2Jackdaw

    DSC04875-2Dunnocks

    DSC04881Dunnocks

    DSC04902Dunnocks

    DSC04903Dunnocks

    DSC04922

    DSC04946Female sparrow

    DSC05047Female sparrow

    DSC05115Collared doves

    DSC05513

    DSC05501

    DSC05297Peacock butterfly

    DSC05205

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