Red Hind.

Thank goodness for some warm weather at long last. After a lack of photo opportunities during the last few weeks I seem to have amassed over 500 images in the last two days to sort through so here is just a taster of  one of today's wildlife encounters.

f/9: 1/500: ISO 400 using 70-300 lens and cropped.

 An inquisitive Red Hind keeping an eye on the 'watcher'.

f/10: 1/400: ISO 400 using 70-300 lens and cropped.

For a taste of some of the other wildlife seen please check out the Demoiselle, Damsel and Dragon post on FABirding.

Wherever you are have a glorious wildlife watching weekend.  FAB. 

Linking to:
Saturday's Critters
Through My Lens
image-in-ing

Fence, Flutters and Flowers.

A recent wander below the slopes at Denbies Hillside provided another opportunity to grab some shots for this week's edition of  'Good Fences' of the original iron Estate fence with its ornate fittings.

Wild flowers abound alongside the track including Oxeye Daisy, Bird's-foot-trefoil (with attendant female Five-spot Burnet), Honeysuckle, Buttercup and Crane's-bill.

A male Common Blue on Bird's-foot-trefoil, one of the caterpillar's food plants.

A well camouflaged Green Hairstreak deep within the grassy sword.

While back at home the trellis fencing supports two roses; 'Mme Alfred Carrière' and 'Compassion' with 'Mum in a Million' in a pot nearby; all currently producing an abundance of fragrant blooms.

Elsewhere in the garden the recent rain and sunshine has helped the central border to flourish with a varied collection of hardy Geraniums, the first flower on Clematis 'Scartho Gem' planted last year, the dainty red spray of a Heuchera, the ever spreading Aquilegia 'William Guiness' plus the drooping fragrant bunches of Lilac flowers.

Linking to:
Good Fences
Today's Flowers
Floral Friday Photos

Blue Tits: Fledging Update.

After the young Blue Tits fledged the nest box on 28 May (see previous post) the weather changed dramatically with lower temperatures and plenty of rain. Whilst there were occasional sightings of the parents visiting the feeders we had no idea where the family were roosting and we didn't see the youngsters again until they revisited the garden in bright sunshine during this last weekend. 

 

Most of the time they stayed hidden in the dense cover of the Hawthorn tree or in one of the nearby tall shrubs waiting patiently for mum or dad to provide some food. 

When they did venture partially into the open the lighting conditions were very harsh but here is a record shot of one of the youngsters getting fed. 

On Sunday one or two of the four youngsters occasionally popped out into the open allowing a closer inspection of their development.

With the heavy rain having washed many invertebrates off the leaves the adults (see below) topped up their own diet and that of their charges by visiting the fat feeder. Hopefully as the days pass we will see the juveniles feeding for themselves.

Linking to:
Nature Notes (# 366)
Wild Bird Wednesday