Dorset

Friday 13th - Sunday 15th July 2012
Lulworth Skipper on Marjoram, Corfe Castle
I spent a long weekend in Dorset with Linda staying in Swanage, and although the weather wasn't brilliant, we did get some reasonably bright, even sunny spells. On Friday we visited Lulworth Cove. The well worn popular path to Durdle Dor produced just one butterfly in rather breezy conditions, but it was a good one - a LULWORTH SKIPPER. Clinging on to a thistle flower, it didn't want to go anywhere and was still there on the return walk! I also year-ticked Stonechat here too.
Lulworth Skipper, near Durdle Dor
The Lulworth was almost getting blown off its Thistle
Photography was a challenge in the wind, but a fast shutter speed brought order to the photos!
On Saturday we took the Swanage Railway to Corfe Castle where a Spotted Flycatcher was hawking insects near the path between the village and the visitor centre. At the centre car park, the sun came out for 10 minutes, just long enough to get the butterflies going including another three Lulworth Skippers, also a Small Skipper, eight Marbled Whites, and Ringlets and Meadow Browns.
Lulworth Skipper on Scabious sp. at Corfe Castle car park
Getting these shots wasn't easy on the steep bank still slippery from earlier drizzle 
This first shot at Corfe Castle was taken with the Lumix before I switched to EOS and the macro
On a lovely evening I spent an hour at Durlston Head where a juvenile Peregrine was perched on the cliffs, lit by the sun.
Juvenile Peregrine at Durlston
Old Harry Rocks seen from Durlston
We spent Sunday on the wonderful Brownsea Island. We saw a total of seven Red Squirrels here in various locations on the island, including on the bird feeders at The Villa, in the Dorset Wildlife Trust reserve. From Mac Hide you get fantastic views of the breeding Sandwich and Common Terns and I year ticked Greenshank and Spotted Redshank from the public hide among the Redshanks, Black-tailed Godwits, Oystercatchers and Little Egrets. Bird of the day was a Dartford Warbler at the heath area. It was the Squirrels that stole the show though, what fabulous mammals!
This Red Squirrel was just a few yards away on a bird feeder
Posing in more natural surroundings
So cute!
Adult Sandwich Tern with young, from Mac hide
Common Tern from Mac hide
Common Tern at the quay

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