The weather has been cold and wet this week and only picked up in the last couple of days. Because of that I didn't get to visit the pond until this morning. When I arrived it was sunny but there was a heavy rain shower as I left. Perhaps not surprisingly I saw no damselflies or dragonflies. There was plenty of birdsong, mostly from birds hidden from sight (including blackcap, chaffinch, yellowhammer, song thrush and blackbird) but I did catch sight of a singing sedge warbler
and a willow warbler. The lens I carry, mainly for dragonflies, isn't ideal for small birds at a distance but at least you can see what they are.
The coot is still sitting on her eggs.
Although there were no damselflies to be seen, plenty of other insects were flying. Butterflies included green veined white
and a female orange tip.
I also saw common carder bees and this early bumblebee (Bombus pratorum).
I have only rarely seen roe deer here although they are around. In several places there is evidence of the bucks rubbing their antlers against the trees, to scrape off their velvet and leave a scent mark. It doesn't do the trees much good.
The forecast for next week is better so I hope there will be more damsels and dragons.
All these photos were taken through my (ground floor) bedroom window this week in the walled garden. Most were expected species, although not always easy to photograph.
This young willow warbler had been tormenting me for days but I eventually managed a distant photo.
Even better was a lesser whitethroat.
And most amazing of all, a sedge warbler, in the sunflowers less than 3m from the bedroom window. A first for the garden.
