Butterflies in Dorset

Whilst on a recent holiday to The Devon/Dorset region of southern England,I took the opportunity of visiting the area of Portland.There is a large area there called Tout quarry which has a good reputation for seeing various species of butterfly.Tout quarry is no longer dug for the famous Portland stone and has reverted back to the wild.Here it forms a wonderful micro climate ideally suited to the sun loving butterflies.One of the numerous species I encountered there was the Grayling.a butterfly thet alights on rocky boulder strewn areas,they are known for closing their wings to prevent predation and were seen basking in the warm sunlight!

On a nice patch of buddleia was one of the few migrant butterflies,the Painted Lady.there were only odd ones spotted throughout my 10 days in Dorset.this individual would probably have flown in from around the desert edges of North Africa and Arabia,where huge numbers emerge in most years.These journey northwards across the Mediterranean reaching some parts of the British Isles every year.It was previously known as the The Thistle,in the 18th century,the Belladonna in Scandanavia La Belle Damme in France and the Bella dama o cadero(beautiful lady of the thistles) in Spain.Indeed a butterfly of many names!

Ringlet butterflies were also present on a woody glade.Apparently a common butterfly often overlooked because of their close resemblance in flight to the Meadow Brown..When settled you notice immediately the distinctive gleaming eyespots whence from it derived its name,other names were the brown eyed butterfly,Brown 7 eyes and in France it is known as Le Tristan (the sorrowful).It was my first sightings of these butterflys and I was glad to get a few on the camera.

A nice adult at rest amongst the nettles.

Again another rather common butterfly was the Large Skipper,pretty non descript really with the adult adopting a chachteristic basking stance,with its forewing and hindwings held apart at different angles.It was also known by the name of `the chequered hog` or `streckt cloudy hog` by early collectors!Usually there is only 1 generation of Skipper a year but these last throughout the whole summer.

The Chalkhill Blue was my favorite butterfly of the day and it was these that I had really come to portland to see and enjoy.A male has stunning milky blue wings and are easily approached with caution.This species as its name implies, inhabits unfertilised chalk and limestone downs,where the caterpillars foodplant`horseshoe vetch`blooms in abundance!I spent a good hour surrounded by these wonderfull creatures,filling my boots ,as the saying goes.they are very colonial in their habits and breed all along the coastal downs and on salisbury plain,up into the Cotswolds,its northern limit!Thanks for dropping by and viewing my blog and I will continue with my Butterfly theme in my next post!!!!!!!!!

Arctic visitors in Lancs!

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Last week I paid a visit to Leighton moss reserve nr Silverdale,I was accompanied by my good friend and fellow photographer Brian Rafferty.News had spread that good numbers of Curlew Sandpiper were present with counts of up to 22 birds seen.Knowing the layout of the lagoons, we were confident that the birds would be well within camera range.Brian had wanted to photograph these birds for a long time and I wasn`t going to miss out on the opportunity too!Arriving at the carpark to find it full, was a good sign that the birds were still around.There are 2 hides at this particular lagoon,the Allen and Morecambe.The first hide we entered was deserted,but there out in front about 20 metres were 5 Juvenile Curlew Sandpiper avidly feeding!Brian couldn`t get his camera out quick enough and was onto them like a shot,firing off volley after volley of shots!On looking across to the other hide we could see scopes and lenses pointing out of nearly all the windows,obviously birds were present there too!After a good 45 mins , we decided to try our luck amongst the crowds at the other hide.Squeezing in with the cameras we enjoyed a good few hrs with other birders admiring what lay before us.I counted 23 Curlew sandpipers,2 spotted redshank, 3 greenshank,numerous Redshank and Dunlin,a handful of Black Tailed Godwit,3 Ruff as well as a Kingfisher which showed briefly.What a display of birds, with many of them being less than 10 metres away.To say we filled our boots was an understatement.A few images of our day are posted below for you to enjoy.As I type this, the Curlew Sands are still present after nearly a week,testimony of the rich feeding grounds which they have found.

Bonellis Eagle at Anarita/ Cyprus

I had the very good fortune of being in the right place at the right time.This pair of Bonellis Eagles had just made a kill literally 100 yds from where I was stood.It was a real coup to be able to watch these magnificent raptors at such close proximity.

The male was the one that had chased what looked like a magpie and had plucked it on some rocks.

Usually they are a distant speck in the sky.thats when you can find them.I met other birders out there who hadn`t come across Bonellis Eagle and they were not very optimistic of seeing them!This one patrolled the ridge quite low down.

Two at once with the smaller male carrying the prey,so priveleged to have witnessed these.

Again a view to die for,less than 40 metres away and captured on camera!

Both birds at rest.The male on the right hand side had chased down a magpie and had it firmly gripped in its talons,the female waits patiently by his side.They showed no sign of eating the kill,but took off with it later maybe to take back to their nest.

I was watching this female Montagues Harrier hunting the slopes when the Bonellis made a guest appearance.Thanks for looking in on my blog and I hope you enjoyed some of my tales from Cyprus!!!!

More from Cyprus





A few more pictures from my Cyprus trip above.The Masked Shrike was a bire that I was itching to see and hopefully photograph.Boy did it give me the run around,I only managed to come across it on my very last day and that was from a tip off from a female birdwatcher.It is a slim long tailed shrike and not as auspicious as its close relatives!It uses cover of bushes to hide and then will give good views when hunting,but what a stunning bird with its orangey underparts.
The 2 warblers were nice to come across,the first is a wood warbler that I heard singing in some large trees,its trilling call being unmistakeable.The second warbler being the more common sardinian which seemed to be in every bush!
Sorry for the long delay in posting but will continue at regular intervals now,hope you enjoy the pictures.

Red Footed Falcon/Anarita Park

Long beforeI`d booked my trip to Cyprus,I`d always longed to see the Red Footed Falcon,a bird similar in build and size to a Hobby.I knew that it would be peak migration time for these small raptors to stop off on Cyprus and feed up before continuing North!I couldn`t have timed it any better,for reports were given of up to 50 birds hunting and hawking insects in the Anarita park area.I couldn`t get there quick enough,so next morning I was on the road early in anticipation of some close views.

 Resting up after a long journey.The power lines were a favorite perching place for the falcons!

 Male and female Red Footed Falcon,constantly scanning the ground below for food.

 Male falcon in summer plummage looking stunning against the blue sky!

 They are an opportunist feeder,always on the lookout for food.They are known to hover for short periods and then drop down on their catch,similar to a Kestrel.

 Using this large boulder as cover,I got within 10 metres of this fine looking individual.He was soon away though as I popped my head around the corner.

 Feasting on some large insect this female had caught,they are strictly insectivorous in their diet!

 Unmistakable falcon due to their dark plummage.

 They only pair up for a season at a time,using old corvid nests to breed.They breed colonially with sometimes 10 pairs only metres apart,having taking over old rooks nests.

 Russia,Hungary and Romania are favoured breeding areas, with a few pairs recorded in France, Italy annually.

 Many used these thorny plants as lookout posts.What an experience I had watching these birds.They didn`t stay around too long, as on a subsequent visit only a few birds remained.

Shrikes of Cyprus



Male Red Backed Shrike



The Red Backed Shrike was the most common of the Shrikes  to be found in the shrub and outback of Cyprus.Part of ts Latin name Lanius, means to butcher.This familly of birds are all strong billed,having a toothlike projection.They are notoriously carniverous feeding on small invertebrates,mice and lizards,which they impale on thorney scrubs.The red backed shrike was once to be found in Southern Britain,but disappeared when farming intensified.

 They scan for prey atop trees and shrubs,then drop down to catch them.They always fly close to the ground in order to flush out any rodents or insects!

 Female on the lookout for prey.Another benefit of perching high gives them a good overall view of the surroundings,making them also, quite easy to spot!

 A male in full breeding plummage is a very attractive sight!

 The Woodchat Shrike was quite uncommon to the area.I only encountered a handfull of these birds on my travels.It is a rather skulking medium sized Shrike with its flight being more dashing and direct.It shares the same habitat as the Red Backed without apparent competition.Can be found in semi open spaces with well spaced trees and bushes but occurs in cultivated country too.

 Not too many are known to breed in Cyprus though they are in small numbers.Spain, Portugal,Italy and Greece being major strongholds for these birds.

 Another rather colourfull individual sits on its lookout perch!

Its song is the best developed of the western palearctic species, but usually sings from within the confides of a bush for cover.My next blog will cover the other 2 Shrikes that I saw on my sojourns,thanks again for looking in on my blog and do return shortly!!!

Lowland/Farmland birds..Cyprus

Following on from my last blog,I`ve decided to concentrate on some of the farmland species that I came across on my wanderings.Cyprus supports lots of small owner run farms,with potatoes,citrus fruits,grapes and many olive trees being the mainstay crops,ideal for the lowland birds,also much of the land is left alone to grow naturally.One of the most common birds around was the Corn Bunting which you could hear with its jingling call just about everywere!With agricultural intensification at its lowest,these birds are widespread.


Corn Bunting.



A rather non descript bird

One of the largest buntings in the western palearctic.

Black Headed Bunting, always perched high on a bush,could be heard continually calling.

Unmistakable plummage on this farmland bird.

In a way the equivalent to our Yellowhammer.

Golden Orioles were flitting through and I couldn`t resist the temptation with the camera.

Ortolan Bunting,its significant bright eyering and pale moustacial stripe make this more easy to recognise!

Unfortunately highly prized as a delicacy in Cyprus.I was told the cypriots pickle them inside jars and 6 of them can fetch as much as 80/100 euro.A highly lucrative business!

I hope you`ve enjoyed viewing some images of the birds of Cyprus and will be back soon with a  feature on the  Shrikes that were to be seen and found on my travels around this wonderful area. Thanks for stopping by!!!