17 Aug 17

Church Ope Cove

A very windy day, but at long last some sunshine. My usual walk missing out the wet sticky quarries. Main highlights today were two Wall Lizards on the walls alongside Rufus Castle.

Also about were a pair of Kestrels, I've only ever seen the female here, so it was good to see her mate. Also recorded were 2 Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, Blue Tit, Wren, Carrion Crow and House Sparrow.

Only a handful of butterflies with just 2 Red Admirals, 1 Speckled Wood, 1 Gatekeeper, 1 Meadow Brown and 1 Large White seen.

There were a pair of what I believe were Migrant Hawkers (Aeshna mixta) feeding around the grounds of St Andrews Church, where I also came across a Hornet Mimic Hoverfly, (Volucella zonaria).

Here are a few images from this afternoon.

Rufus Castle

A Kestrel drops down on its quarry.

Here she rests up on the cliffs next to Rufus Castle.

In the walls of Rufus Castle a Wall Lizard.

And another, this time one with a new tail, judging by the colour of it.

A tatty Red Admiral.........

.....and a tatty Gatekeeper.

The two white spots of a Gatekeeper.

A Speckled Wood

And here is a Hornet Mimic Hoverfly

If I've got this right, this is my first ever photograph of a Migrant Hawker.