River Ivel and Rookery

This morning we walked a short distance along the River Ivel at Biggleswade (or Bugleweed, as it is known if you trust Microsoft Outlook's spellchecker)

Common Blue Damselflies, up to no good

Black-tailed Skimmer

Common Tern

Dog-rose

Small Heath

Then on to Rookery pit

Common Blue (butterfly) on Eggs and Bacon (or Bird's Foot Trefoil)

Hobbies. No Red-footed Falcon(s) for us...

photos taken with Canon EOS 30D, EF 300mm f/4L IS USM

There's not much in them there hills...

Yearning for Ring Ouzels and suchlike, we headed for the hills this morning. This is Deacon Hill, near Pegsdon in Bedfordshire:




Regrettably, there were no ouzels, no redstarts of any variety and no Wheatears. Our best bird was a fly-over Curlew. There was a nice view from the top (Sandy transmitter and Little Barford power station visible through binoculars - a distance of 18 miles), but not much to see on the way up and the way down.

We also dropped in at Sharpenhoe Clappers, but there was even less to see there.

After discarding our crampons and oxygen cylinders, we stopped off at Rookery pit, where we failed to see three Ruff. 'Best' bird was what looked like an Argentine Bluebill, which, in case you're unaware, has (in proportion to body size) the biggest penis of any bird (20cm!). And no, we didn't see it.

Good storm-clouds, though

A whole new ecosystem in a bit of discarded carpet

photos taken with Canon Powershot A640