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Hi! Guy, looks like you've found some thing already Goldie

Hello Guy, a welcome back to the UK from me too - just spent a happy afternoon catching up with you. I watched the video of your ride down to the valley and couldn't help thinking I'd want to get the bus back up! Hope all goes well for you, and look forward to seeing what you find. Loved the willow emerald photos!
Janet

Guy, I don't post on your PD much but that doesn't mean I don't look at it. As the season is coming to a close let me just say this. No matter what the subject, Butterflies, Dragonflies, Birds, etc. Your pictures are some of the best.

I see in the absence of Common Blue butterflies you’ve had to settle for their damselfly equivalent?

How’s Minnie getting on by the way? Not seen her in your last few posts.

Thank you Wurzel, Goldie, Janet, Ernie and David - as always - for your kind comments. I'm glad you enjoyed the vicarious ride down to the Valley, Janet! I've done that almost every, weather permitting, for years and years, until the last month or so, obviously. And yes, there is a convenient bus back up!! I don't comment much on others' diaries either, Ernie, except when I have something useful to add. I've been following your thread on wing-rolling, for example, but not had anything to say beyond what was already said.

I've been out most afternoons, photographing dragonflies, the occasional butterfly and more birds, but not seen anything really noteworthy until today. Nor would I have seen this if a birdwatcher wasn't there to point it out to me. Far distant, on a mud island near the other side of the Deben, an osprey was tearing at an enormous fish. The birdwatcher had seen it struggling with it and going down but in all the time we watched it, and throughout my walk back along the sea wall - so probably for over an hour - it never even considered flying. These pictures most certainly do not count, 'among the best', as Ernie kindly described some others of mine!! The bird was much too far away. But it was my first osprey in Woodbridge and so worthy of recording. These are taken from several different locations - the osprey never moved:









On 16th Septmber I photographed this beautifully fresh brown argus, suggesting this species still has time to run this year:



There were plenty of small coppers at the same site.

Guy

Interesting Osprey shots Guy, I've only ever seen them feeding once and that was even more distant than your shots which a much better idea of what it's doing

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Beautiful, fresh Brown Argus, Guy, but for once it has to play a support role to that wonderful Osprey. You must have been in heaven watching that!

Hi! Guy, it's great you've seen an Osprey so close, I've seen them at the Lake District at Foulshaw Moss but only through a Telescope it's the same place where the Large Heath are if you've a chance to visit there any time Goldie

Hi Guy,

Just catching up on your diary, interesting reports from back in the UK but sorry to hear of the circumstances behind your return.

I was watching an Osprey through binoculars at RSPB Arne a couple of weeks ago but it was too far away for any photos with my FZ200, mind you it wasn't doing much, just sitting on top of a dead tree. Apparently it had been seen fishing and feeding earlier in the morning and by the time I saw it I think it was having the raptor equivalent of an afternoon nap

Cheers,

Neil.

Thanks Wurzel, David, Goldie and Neil - and thanks Neil for your sympathies.

The osprey was certainly a wonderful bonus on a rather grim, sometimes wet afternoon on the Deben!

Elsewhere on the Deben, a few days ago, this blue female common blue caught my eye:



And the day before yesterday, as I posted on the September thread, this male clouded yellow put in a brief appearance on the coast:



No significant butterflies today, but the light on the Deben allowed me to catch this little egret having a bad hair day:





It also lit up this curlew rather strikingly:





To help me cope with being away from the Alps, I created a Swiss scenery and butterflies calendar to sell through Lulu. I was waiting to see my own copy before promoting it, in case the printing was rubbish, but I can now confirm the printing and the card quality are both good - so yes, it would make a fine Christmas present for any mountain lovers! With Pete's permission, I've added a link to my signature, below. Or just click here: http://www.guypadfield.com/calendar.html

Guy

I can see why that Blue caught your eye Guy Cracking looking calendar...I'll have to 'accidentally' leave it open on the laptop when my daughter does her homework

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Great that you got to see a Clouded Yellow, Guy, though the birds are pretty impressive too.

At least you won't have far to go to see some winter visitors....and you won't have to endure -10c temperatures!

Thanks, Wurzel and David.

I haven't posted much recently - mostly because I haven't seen many butterflies! Small coppers have been most obvious, though even they have petered out recently, leaving the field to red admirals.

Small copper - one of many photographed on 9th October:



Red admiral on 11th October:



On the Deben, there are still plenty of greenshanks around, offering good photo opportunities. These were taken the day before yesterday:





Little egrets have been performing too. This one was picturesque in its preening:







I think the winter visitors are arriving on the estuary. Here is a grey plover yesterday (a very grey day ...), showing off that black armpit!



The first wigeon are here ...



... as are the first ringed plovers and dunlin:



Guy

Guy, you’re now seeing many of the birds I see on my winter walks down the coast in Essex. There should be plenty of Brent geese, godwits and avocets to look out for in the months to come, so enjoy!

Lovely shots of the Greenshank Guy and the black armpit on the Grey Plover, looks like they need a bath

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Butterflies may be in short supply by you, Guy, but I've a feeling that the winter months are going to provide you with a feast of birds to enjoy.

Thanks Buzzard, Wurzel and David. It's certainly strange for me, running through October and November without butterflies. I'm able to enjoy the birds, though, as you say, and fortunate that Woodbridge, where I now live, lies on such a rich estuary for waders and ducks.

Two or three days ago I headed out to local heathland where small coppers were flying a few weeks ago. Despite very good weather, no coppers. I fear their season is over for 2018.

This morning, a female red admiral was hanging around the garden, obviously with intent to lay:



I left her to continue unobstructed but took a shot of one of her eggs as confirmation:



Also on the nettles this morning were this harlequin ladybird ...



... and a harlequin ladybird larva:



I imagine harlequins eat red admiral larvae and/or eggs.

Guy

EDIT

A further check a little later in the morning produced three more eggs - very sparsely distributed among the nettles - a second red admiral female, a few 7-spot ladybirds and quite a few more harlequins.

This egg was clearly not laid today, as the larva is just visible within:



Here is the second red admiral female:



Here are three more harlequins, all with slightly different ornamentation:




(the same one)





And finally, a 7-spot for comparison:

Hi! Guy, my Daughter lives in Kent and she gets simply loads of Lady Birds in her Bed rooms looking to spend the Winter there
Goldie

Great Red Admiral shots Guy Fingers crossed that the Harlequins don;t find those eggs as they are a part of their diet

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Hi Goldie. Yes, it's that time of year! The windows of our house are getting lined with ladybirds just like those of your daughter in Kent. But whereas in my childhood it was all 7-spot ladybirds, this year the harlequins are definitely in the majority.

Hi Wurzel. I guessed they ate red admiral eggs but didn't know - thanks for the confirmation! Fortunately, the red admirals in my garden have laid very sparsely - one egg at most on any plant, all over the garden - so if the bugs are planning a massacre it's going to take them a lot of flying and crawling.

Here's an egg photographed this afternoon, after Minnie had refused to go for her walkies because of the rain ...



Guy