Grizzled Skippers

A few hours spent working Collingham and Besthorpe this morning didn't produce anything spectacular, however it was great just walking around the sun and relative warmth, listening to the birds sing. There was a single Dunlin on Carlton Ferry Farm Pit, with a Peregine flashing over here to the south. Another raptor came in the form of a Hobby at Mons Pool, where I recounted the Cormorant nests, this time coming up with 86 (90 was my previous tally - I think a couple which were previously visible may now have been obscured by foliage). There was also a Little Egret here, with another on the Silt Lagoon.

As there were several butterflies on the wing, including Brimstones and Orangetips, I decided to have a look for Grizzled Skippers. A couple have been seen in Notts this week, and Carl had one at Kilvington yesterday, but I'd had two failed attempts to see them at Staunton Quarry so far. However, today proved to be third time lucky, as I found two in the small meadow area just inside the entrance. I also had a Willow Tit calling.

Grizzled Skipper at Staunton Quarry

A bit of a walk at Kilvington failed to turn up an more skippers, but there were single Dunlin and Common Sand on the West Lake.