A little holiday update

I eventually found up to 9 breeding pairs of Red-backed Shrikes (5 pairs plus single birds at 4 sites) plus Wrynecks at 2 sites so these two species may well have an OK year after all. One of the pairs of Wrynecks had 3 young already out of the nest and I heard their begging call for the first time – a call which can be confused with the song of Firecrest! One of the pairs of Red-backed Shrikes also had young which had just flown out of the nest and which were much shyer than their parents and kept in the depth of bushes most of the time. Raptors were very scarce with just local breeding Common Buzzard and Sparrowhawk – I had expected to find Honey Buzzards.

Butterflies continued to be my main focus. I added eight new species:

22.    Grayling / kystringvinge

23.    Holly Blue / vårblåvinge – a very rare second generation adult

24.    Small White / liten kålsommerfugl

25.    Common Blue / tiriltungeblåvinge

26.    Small Copper / ildgullvinge

27.    Comma / hivt C

28.    Heath Fritillary /marimjellerutevinge

29.    Swallowtail/svalestjert – Sara found a caterpillar which we looked after for a few days

I also managed my first ever picture of the Pearly Heath and managed to see from a picture the spine on the front leg of the male Silver-studded Blue which confirmed my suspicion that the smaller blue butterflies I were seeing were this species and not Idas Blue although as these two species can fly together I could well have seen both.

Dark Green Fritillary /aglajperlemorvinge  

Dark Green Fritillary /aglajperlemorvinge 

Heath Fritillary /marimjellerutevinge 

Heath Fritillary /marimjellerutevinge

Queen of Spain Fritillary / sølvkåpe 

Silver washed fritillary / keiserkåpe 

Silver washed fritillary / keiserkåpe 

High Brown Fritillary /adippeperlemorvinge 

High Brown Fritillary /adippeperlemorvinge  

High Brown Fritillary /adippeperlemorvinge  

Silver-studded Blue/argusblåvinge This shows, I believe the spur on the front leg 

same butterfly and the spur can be seen!

another assumed Silver-studded Blue/argusblåvinge 

same individual. Here a forward pointing spur can be seen on the middle leg but this is apparantly also seen in Idas

same individual

Common Blue / tiriltungeblåvinge

 Holly Blue / vårblåvinge – a very rare second generation adult 

Brimstone

Grayling / kystringvinge 

Swallowtail caterpillar

it sticks this out as a defense mechanism and it emits a foul smell (although we didn't detect the smell)

Common Buzzard (musvåk)

a very unexpected mid summer Pink-footed Goose (kortneggbås)

a very well marked old female Red-backed Shrike (tornskate)

a more normally marked female

another more normally marked female

and another boldly marked old female who I also saw with a bird in her beak

who was mother to this youngster

and paired with this male

Wryneck (vendehals) with a beak full of ant larvae which it was taking to fledged youngsters

Slow worm (stålorm)

this year seems to have been very god for breeding Swallows and there are many youngsters on the wing

Norways royal yacht