Hummingbird Moth

My second trip to France this year enabled me to get some pictures of the Hummingbird Moth. There were plenty of these strange-looking things feeding on the flowers in the garden of our friends, who own the Holiday Cottage in Perassay that we stay at. If you're thinking of a birding holiday in France or just want some peace and quiet you would struggle to find a better place than this.

Bretton Update

A pleasant Sunday morning motivated me just enough to get out of bed early and head down to Bretton Lakes. The hide is usually empty at this hour but I could see at least two people in there as I approached, so I turned around and made for my spot in the open by the lakeside.

August is usually a very quiet time and this morning was no different. I sat there for almost an hour with only an inquisitive Great Tit for company. It landed in a bush at the side of me to check out what I was doing. Perhaps he/she had seen me leave the area at the back of the hide without leaving some seed as I would normally and had come to give me a nagging?

It chattered away for a few minutes before returning to the area by the hide.

Eventually a solitary Kingfisher arrived.

It stayed around for over half an hour. Hopping from perch to perch, it went fishing many times and caught at least seven fish.

Before swallowing the fish it first shakes it and smacks it against the branch to kill it.