Eye-eye Skipper

I’ve not had much time for birding recently as I seem to be spending an inordinate amount of time clearing my old house out in Chester.

Nonetheless, I have made a few much needed sorties to the nearby River Gowges in order to stop going stir crazy and to give my neglected hound a little bit of exercise.

Birding is very quiet at the moment, so it has been an excellent opportunity to watch a few of the smaller critters. Having said that it was still a bird – a humble House Sparrow – that created the most interest this morning.

Crashing through the reeds – I’m sure to the amusement of the local and more dextrous Reed Buntings – I was completely unsure as to what the bird was trying to achieve.

After a few minutes all was revealed as the male passerine emerged from the undergrowth with a Banded Demoiselle. The lure of protein to feed its chicks was obviously enough to compel the Sparrow into making him look like a cumbersome fool!

The spell of hot and sunny weather has been excellent for the local butterflies, so it is no surprise that the last few days has yielded my first Large Skipper and Meadow Brown of the year.

Small Tortoiseshell have been absolutely everywhere and I have had to employ some pretty nifty footwork to avoid stepping on individuals sunbathing on footpaths.

Dragonflies have been less conspicuous with a lone riding male Migrant Hawker having the run of the river near Stamford Bridge.

Until later.