Sunday Walkies

 I set off to visit Seaton Pond this morning to have a look at the dragonflies but I got waylaid and didn't make it. The sighting of a Spotted Flycatcher and subsequent watching consumed more time than I realised, but it was worth it.

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Spotted Flycatcher near Wassand car park

The photos are poor quality as I was equipped with my Nikon bridge camera today ready to get photos of dragonflies. The Nikon is great for close up photography but is very  poor for zoomed images. Time to change it I think as I'm done with messing about with technology that doesn't work as it should.

On the way over I stopped off at first field as a couple of Little Ringed Plovers were there again. These photos were taken at the equivalent of an 800mm lens with the Nikon P900, but had I used my Canon DSLR they would have been much better and clearer:

Little Ringed Plovers on first field edge

Can't make out the eye ring which was obvious through bins

 At Ouzel Hedge there were lots of birds flitting around, mostly Reed Buntings, but there were at least 2 Whitethroat and a Garden Warbler with a few Willow Warblers and a Chiff Chaff. I haven't seen or heard Whitethroat at all this month until now so I was pleased with this record.

While I was looking for dragonflies at Wassand I wandered off piste a little and came across a small patch of Fleabane being visited by a few Green-veined White butterflies. They were very worn but still managing to get about OK.

Green-veined White butterfly on fleabane

Male and female Migrant Hawker dragonflies were the only species I managed this morning, but they were plentiful with at least 10 individuals sighted.

In the set aside field I saw Painted Lady butterfly again, having seen my first of the year there yesterday. Just like number 19 buses these butterflies 😂

Painted Lady butterfly

So although I didn't get to my planned destination I had a good morning on all three fronts - a reasonable walk at about 7 miles, fine wildlife and some nice photo opportunities. All this in warm sunny weather, what more could you ask!?