What's on the menu?

Mmmm.  Which to choose?  Can't decide whether to have the dove (see yesterday's post) or the squirrel.  In the end it had both, although this was the only photo triggered.  Below is a photo from last year of a fox (possibly the same one) with another squirrel.

Missed breakfast

I looked out first thing this morning to see a lot of feathers on the drive.  When I went out to feed the pheasant I found a freshly killed stock dove.  A sparrowhawk must have been disturbed before it could eat its breakfast.  Amongst the feathers was a lot of beechmast which must have been the dove's breakfast as there are no beech trees in the garden.

Still darting around

This was probably my last dragonfly hunt of the year.  I saw no hawkers or damsels but there were still plenty of darters around, some so battle-scarred it is a wonder they can fly.

Birds of the week - On the new bird table

I made a new bird table this week with photography in mind.  The birds get the food and I get the photos.  Here are a few of my first visitors.  No doubt there will be many more to follow over the winter.

Morning exercises

I spent an hour or so in the Pearce hide at Gosforth Park before joining the willow-coppicing work party in the reed beds.  This heron was there when I opened the shutters and was still there when I left.  It was stretching, scratching, preening, picking up sticks and generally doing its exercises and enjoying the morning sun.

Lunchtime for a four-spot orb-weaver

Araneus quadrates eating lunch, perhaps a crane fly.

Fly agaric

Amanita muscaria

Bird of the week - Robin

There seem to be robins all over the garden this week.  This one is my companion in the kitchen garden - I do all the work while he sits on the fence and watches, regularly bursting into song.  There are not many birds singing at the moment but this fellow is.  It is a sure sign of the turning season when he starts his autumn song.  He seems to like having his photo taken and certainly brightens up a dull drizzly day.

Brimstone

Taking advantage of the warm weather last week but they'll be hibernating soon.  Part of the name Gonepteryx rhamnii comes from the fact that the caterpillars feed on buckthorn (Rhamnus).  Their amazing long tongues can be used for both deep and open flowers.

Hawkers in Norfolk

Unfortunately not Norfolk Hawkers but these are a few shots of male Migrant Hawkers at Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire and Titchwell Marsh, Norfolk last week.