Wednesday 5 May 2010

Beckett Park Lunchtime Woodland Wander

Yesterday lunchtime the earlier blue skies and sunshine had become slightly overcast so I opted for a nearby woodland walk. Almost immediately I heard the calls of a Nuthatch, as it scoured the nooks and crannies of a tree stump. Blue Tits and Long Tailed Tit zipped around the treetops above and a Robin perched nearby.

With fleeting glimpses of sunshine I headed towards a clearing, hoping for better light and the vague possibility of some butterfly action. Listening to what might have been a Bullfinch I spotted something out of the corner of my eye. It winded its way in my direction and landed nearby, a familiar woodland friend the Speckled Wood, this one identifiable due to two diagonal scars on its upper left forewing.




A second Speckled Wood strayed into its territory and the two set off on a duel, disappearing into the woodland. Moments afterwards the original butterfly returned to settle in almost the same spot presumably content with its victory.



As it flew away again I looked up to see a Blue Tit watching me from above.


On my return another Speckled Wood flew past me shoulder to settle on the right of the path, a notably different Speckled Wood with a more saturated ground colour and much bolder markings.


As I turned and stood I heard a call to my and caught a glimpse of a Treecreeper in the process of working its way up a trunk, another satisfying lunchtime wander.

10 comments:

  1. Hi thanks for visiting my blog and for your comments,
    I came to visit you and so glad I did, I love your blog and all the beautiful photos, added myself as a contact hope that's ok.

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  2. Hello Gypsyrose, thanks for stopping by and for your kind comments. I like your recent mosaic featuring your local lakes, its nice to see areas that fellow bloggers visit and the different ways of presenting those views. Best wishes, Linda

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  3. Lovely compositions of the photos Linda. Especially the birds.

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  4. Just to let you know I'm following your blog with interest Linda and like all the things you say and do with a mutual passion for wildlife in general.

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  5. Nice pair of birds to find Linda, Nuthatch and Treecreeper - plus photo's! Well done.

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  6. Not a bad lunchtime sortie. I particularly like the bottom pic of the Speckled Wood against the Beech leaves

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  7. What a lovely place to take your lunch break, i'm very jealous!
    Pam

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  8. Well captured with the Speckled Woods. There are some round here but they never seem to achieve touch down.

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  9. Hello Dean, thanks for that, I had to do a little bit of cropping and was pleased with the results.

    Thank you Pete that's very nice of you. You can't beat a bit of nature can you.

    Hello Warren, yes they're super woodland birds and luckily for me relatively easy to spot on this patch, although as the foliage becomes more dense I imagine they may become harder to spot.

    Thankyou Citybirdng the Speckled Wood stands out against the vivid green of the Beech leaf doesn't it.

    Hello Pam, its a gem of a spot, the arrival of new foliage has transformed the place into a lush emerald green wonderland and provided the birds with a new source of food.

    Best wishes to you all, not long now til the weekend, Linda

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  10. Wonderful speckled wood and treecreeper, Linda. Thanks for your comments on my lichens - I'll look up your contact.

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Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment.

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