Paul's Birding Diary

22nd - 31st July 2016 Roesel's Bush-cricket, Lower Rea, 29/7/16 A post of largely insects from the last couple of weeks starts with this Roesel's Bush-cricket above, found at Lower Rea, Quedgeley, on 29th July whilst looking in vain for Andy's Grasshopper Warbler. Also locally, the highlights of a Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey on 24th at Hardwicke included several Essex Skippers . Essex Skipper, Hardwicke, 24/7/16 Some recent garden hoverflies include those below, including several sightings of the big one, Volucella zonaria , which I have also seen recently along the canal tow-path. Volucella zonaria, garden, 22/7/16 Syritta pipiens, garden, 30/7/16 Eristalis arbustorum, garden, 3/8/16 Myathropa florea, garden, 3/8/16 Other recent Hoverfly sightings include Leucozona glaucia at Edge Common, another distinctive species. Leucozona glaucia, Edge Common, 30/7/16 Helophilus hybridus, NT Lacock Abbey, 31/7/16 Dasysyrphus albostriatus, ...

Saturday 2nd - Sunday 10th July 2016 Puffin with puffling, Bempton Cliffs On Sunday (10th) I went on another West Midland Bird Club field trip with 'Team Kestrel', this time to East Yorkshire. First stop was RSPB Bempton Cliffs, and what a treat. This was my first visit here, and I can't remember how long I have wanted to go. The impressive hard chalk cliffs here are home to nesting Puffins , Gannets (only mainland breeding colony in England I believe), Guillemots , Razorbills , Kittiwakes and Fulmars . It was also nice seeing c10 Tree Sparrows around the visitor centre feeders - they seem to have disappeared from Gloucestershire. I heard a Grasshopper Warbler reeling briefly from long grass near one of the cliff viewpoints, the first of the year for me. Puffin, Bempton Puffin, Bempton Puffin, Bempton Puffin, Bempton Gannets, Bempton Gannet, Bempton Gannet chick, Bempton Guillemots, Bempton Guillemots, Bempton Fulmars, Bempton ...