The holiday abroad to visit relatives in Germany started (as
always) with the Dover-Calais sea crossing, something I’d been looking forward
to for a while. Thanks to the offshore
winds from France, the sea passage was almost non-existent with 3 Common Scoter
and a prob. Bonxie making the highlights.
Even the Gannets decided to stay distant and the sea was too calm for
any shearwater activity.
My brother and I decided to choose Platier d'Oye as a half way stopping point and with
kind consent of the driver (Mum) we had two or three hours to explore the
place. Butterflies were the obvious
high-point with double figures of Painted Lady, 7 Grayling, 2 Clouded Yellow and
something that appeared to resemble the aegeria subspecies of Speckled Wood
(something to check out in more detail on my next visit). Other commoner butterflies included Essex
Skipper and Red Admiral. Southern Emerald Damselfly was another insect I was keen to get record shots of. Unfortunately, after double checking the ID on the pic of the damselfly below, it turns out it is in fact a Blue-tailed Damselfly of the form infuscans.
Blue-tailed Damselfly, form infuscans
Grayling
Painted Lady
Clouded Yellow
It’s probably about time birds got a mention. Unfortunately, not much to report thanks in
part to the hunters prowling the edge of the wetland but we still managed to
clock up a total of 8 Whimbrel, 11 Common Sandpipers, 1 Green Sandpiper and a Snipe. The nature reserve was a little
more productive and held 3 Avocet and 12 Spoonbill whilst 2
Little Terns hunted offshore.
As we pulled up outside my grandma’s house that evening a Black Redstart
was already perched on the overhead wires.
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