Monday 20 October 2014

Olive-backed Pipit, Sunderland, County Durham - Saturday 18th October 2014

 Olive-backed Pipit, Roker, Sunderland, Co Durham - 18th October 2014

Olive-backed Pipit had been threatening to become a bogey bird for me. I'd dipped two in the last couple of years, at Flamborough Head and Spurn. Although, on both those occasions I'd travelled to go birding rather than twitching a specific bird, but I still spent many hours vainly trying to conjure an OBP from long grass and leaf litter.

Not this time. The bird showed beautifully from the moment I arrived, although you may doubt that from the quality of my photos... In fact, I got my "eye in" well enough to be the first pick it out several times after its frequent disappearances. Maybe it's true what they say about people who are (like me, practically) deaf: they have improved peripheral vision. Shame I struggle with calls though.

 Olive-backed Pipit, Roker, Sunderland, Co Durham - 18th October 2014

A very attractive pipit. Sleek and slim, and moving with easy grace through the leaf litter, like an otter through water. One of the most striking features where the dark ear-coverts contrasting with the large creamy supercilium behind the eye.  Likewise the creamy-yellow throat and bold black breast-streaks. The lower mandible and legs were very pink, and the mantle were as olive-coloured as the name suggests, with fine streaking on the head becoming more diffuse down the back (see photos below).

 Olive-backed Pipit, Roker, Sunderland, Co Durham - 18th October 2014

After the Pechora Pipit I saw on Shetland last month, I've finally developed an appreciation of pipits. There were all LBJs to me before...



Tuesday 14 October 2014

Dordogne, France, August 2014 - Dragonflies, Moths and Everything Else...

Another follow-up to my earlier posts covering birds  and butterflies from my August holiday in Dordogne.

The place was awash with dragonflies and damselflies, but I only managed to photograph a handful of them well. Moths were in abundance too, especally around the door lamp on the gîte at night, but also day-flying ones. Below are some of the more interesting ones, plus a mixed bag of invertebrates, lizards, and erm a Coypu.

Copper Demoiselle Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis - Gurat, Charante, France - August 2014

Beautiful Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo (female) - Vendoire, Dordogne, France - August 2014
 
Beautiful Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo (male) - Vendoire, Dordogne, France - August 2014

Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura-elegans (immature) - Tourbieres de Vendoire, Dordogne, France - August 2014

Yellow Clubtail Gomphus simillimus - Les Tourbières de la Chapelle-Grésignac, Dordogne - August 2014

 Brimstone Moth - Vendoire, Dordogne, France - August 20014

 Buff Tip and White Plume Moth - Vendoire, Dordogne, France - August 20014

Fox Moth caterpillar - Vendoire, Dordogne, France - August 20014

Jersey Tiger - Vendoire, Dordogne, France - August 20014

 Pyrausta purpuralis - Vendoire, Dordogne, France - August 20014

 White Ermine - Vendoire, Dordogne, France - August 20014

 Orache Moth Trachea atriplicis - Vendoire, Dordogne, France - August 20014

Firebug Pyrrhocoris apterus - Gurat, Charante, France - August 2014

Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina - Vendoire, Dordogne, France - August 20014

Striped Shieldbug Graphosoma lineatum - Plateau d'Argentine, Dordogne, France - August 2014

Pallid-winged Grasshopper Trimerotropis pallidipennis - Plateau d'Argentine, Dordogne, France - August 2014

Meadow Grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus - Les Tourbières de la Chapelle-Grésignac, Dordogne, France - August 2014

Crab Spider Misumena vatia (female) - Les Tourbières de la Chapelle-Grésignac, Dordogne - August 2014


Wasp Spider Argiope bruennichi - Les Tourbières de la Chapelle-Grésignac, Dordogne, France - August 2014
 
Wasp Spider Argiope bruennichi - Vendoire, Dordogne, France - August 2014
 
Wolf Spider (species unknown) - Les Tourbières de la Chapelle-Grésignac, Dordogne - August 2014

Red Swamp Crayfish Procambarus clarki - Les Tourbières de la Chapelle-Grésignac, Dordogne - August 2014

Red Swamp Crayfish Procambarus clarki - Les Tourbières de Vendoire, Dordogne - August 2014



Wall Lizard - Vendoire, Dordogne - August 2014

Marsh Frog - Les Tourbières de Vendoire, Dordogne - August 2014

Coypu - Les Tourbières de Vendoire, Dordogne - August 2014


Dordogne, France, August 2014 - Butterflies

A follow-up to my earlier post covering birds from my August holiday in Dordogne, but this time it's butterflies.

 
Large Skipper - Plateau d'Argentine, Dordogne, France - August 2014

Chalkhill Blue - Plateau d'Argentine, Dordogne, France - August 2014
 
 
 

Common Blue (male) - Vendoire, Dordogne, France - August 2014


 
Common Blue (female) - Vendoire, Dordogne, France - August 2014
 
Holly Blue - Vendoire, Dordogne, France - August 2014

Small Blue (male) - Plateau d'Argentine, Dordogne, France - August 2014

Small Blue (female) - Plateau d'Argentine, Dordogne, France - August 2014

Glanville Fritillary - Vendoire, Dordogne, France - August 2014


Lesser Purple Emperor (male) - Gurat, Charante, France - August 2014

 Lesser Purple Emperor (male) - Vendoire, Dordogne, France - August 2014

 Lesser Purple Emperor (female) - Vendoire, Dordogne, France - August 2014

 Southern White Admiral - Vendoire, Dordogne, France - August 2014

 Gatekeeper - Vendoire, Dordogne, France - August 2014

 Gatekeeper - Les Tourbières de la Chapelle-Grésignac, Dordogne - August 2014
 
Woodland Grayling - Plateau d'Argentine, Dordogne, France - August 2014

Dryad (female) - Plateau d'Argentine, Dordogne, France - August 2014

Speckled Wood (southern form Pararge a. aegeria) - Vendoire, Dordogne, France - August 2014