Warm and sunny at last!

Common Toad
Blueberry Farm

Hello

This morning I was treated to a 'behind the scenes' look at some of the wildlife projects at Rutland Water, with an opportunity to examine the relatively new and innovative Sand Martin 'banks' with their open-backed nest-holes and anti-predation baffles, a Swift Tower which houses multiple nest-boxes affixed to a pole and equipped with an audio system to attract passing birds, and three Osprey nests, two of which were active. The site is pretty vast and there are a number of other long-term plans and strategies at play here which would be good to emulate within this fair county of ours!

In the rather sudden warm and sunny conditions which have been a touch scarce this spring, there has a been a bloom of insect activity. The damselflies at Rutland Water were flying in their hundreds and a few dragon-flies included Four Spot Chaser.

At Blueberry Farm this morning, the Quail was audible again in Big Lichfields, and this afternoon there was a pair of Hobby and insects on the wing included Small Heath and Painted Lady butterflies.

Regards

Neil M

Four Spot Chaser
Rutland Water

Underside of Painted Lady
butterfly Blueberry Farm

Small Heath butterfly
Blueberry Farm