Days of rain.......

So much rain, and the vegetation in Crow wood has gone mad with bracken up to chest height and brambles taking over any cleared ground. The main track into the wood has suffered damage from the sheer volume of water that flows in from the field across the main road and straight under the gate there, scouring away the gravel surface. There has been sunshine too but the dominant theme of this summer has been rain.... so far, that is. The sunny days have brought out a good variety of butterflies all the same  although do numbers look down on previous years. Most birds species have finished nesting with young birds now showing independence but its a difficult time for identifying species by their calls as the youngsters generally have calls of their own. 

The Turtle Dove pair are still in evidence with the male still giving his characteristic "purring" call. I have yet to see any young birds from this pair to prove breeding success but they may still be quietly raising a family. I really hope so. They are such rare breeding birds in the UK now that a pair raising young in Crow Wood would be the icing on this summer's cake. I am providing them with a special feed mix supplied by the RSPB and over several mornings I have managed a 6am stakeout to watch for them. On the last morning a fine Roe Deer buck casually sauntered out onto the track and paused long enough for me to get a shot in.....a real treat as they are very timid, rarely seen, and this was a particularly handsome buck.

 it looks more like a moth but it's a Skipper butterfly

A Small Tortoiseshell butterfly; good to see as a few years ago they were badly affected by parasites and rarely spotted in the South East

A Painted Lady looking very fresh. These are migrants from Southern Europe and North Africa

One of the Turtle Doves, such fine markings

The Roe Deer buck giving me the look over

A wasp species enjoying the sun and not a species I recognise

A recently fledged Spotted Flycatcher in trees outside our wood but very good to see after our own Crow Wood nest was sadly predated. These are now also a rare breeding species.