Non-invertebrate holiday update

 Our week by the sea is coming to an end and before I bore (many of) you with pictures of butterflies here is a final non invertebrate update.

Jr and I had another nocturnal trip but I have to accept that her interest is more in the mammals that we spot than the birds. We added badger and hare to our list so we were definitely doing better on the mammal than bird front. We did see the Nightjars from the car again and this time had a male and female flying together. It is rather cool to be able to stop the car, wind down the windows and have this mystical nocturnal creature right outside.

The Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers left the nest over the course of a couple of days amd the young have been noisily begging for food and following the parents around in the forest. The first White Wagtail young are out of the nest and interestingly I have seen three different males feeding just a single youngster each.

I discovered another Red-backed Shrike territory but just two is a bad showing in this area.

A Smooth Snake (slettsnok) by the cabin was a cool find and allowed a close picture with my phone but when I returned with the bazooka it shot off.

The 5 young Spotted Flycatchers in the nest in cabin gutter are now looking more their parents who are having no problems bringing a steady supply of food.

A smooth snake (slettsnok). Only my second sighting ever and both are from the same spot

Young Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (dvergspett) this presumably a female as it lacks red on head unlike the one photographed previously in nest

Young Great Spotted Woodpecker (flaggspett)

A female Red-backed Shrike (tornskate) - an old female that resembles a male

The same young LSW

The young LSW begging and an adult flying off after having delivered food

Young GSW waiting for food

The 5 young Spotted Flycatchers (gråfluesnapper) are developing nicely