Not quite the Danube

Yesterday I paid my first visit to Collingham Pits for 15 days. It was nice to see what had changed; not much as it turned out, but the post-breeding Lapwing build-up is already happening, with over 100 on the site (including several juveniles). The Shelducks still had their youngsters, and a new Coot family was on Ferry Lane Lake. There were also 3 newly fledged Kestrels at Mons Pool, and a Green Sandpiper. There were good numbers of butterflies around with frequent Ringlets and Meadow Browns, plus several Small Tortioseshells and Large Skippers, 2 Brimstones and a Common Blue.

Earlier in the day I'd been up to Gamston Wood, first checking the SSSI verges, noting 5 Greater Butterfly Orchids (past their best already); nearby, there was a good display of several hundred Common Spotted Orchids in an adjacent section of Gamston Wood, where I also tracked down the Bird's-nest Orchid in its usual place (rather slug-eaten) and a few Broad-leaved Helleborines, bring my total orchid tally to seven species. 

Gamston & Eaton SSSI verges

Bee Orchid

Common Spotted Orchids

Bird's-nest Orchid