June 2019 - part 1
6th June 2019 - (Thursday, Csütörtök )
Birds recorded: Golden Oriole, Black Woodpecker, Bee-eaters, Barn Swallows, Tree Sparrows, Red-backed Shrike, Black Bird, Great Tit, and Cuckoo. Two Green Tree Frogs were heard calling, one from the reedbed area, the other from the Acacia hill.
11th June 2019 - (Tuesday, Kedd)
A very hot day - over 30 degs - but not as hot as my temper as the new Lumix camera seems to be fighting me at every step of the way. More homework needed with the manual as I'm still missing vital shots. One shot I missed today was a magnificent male Golden Oriole as it flew across the site towards the gardens of the small houses. The missed shot wasn't because of the camera, but because I only saw this yellow and black beauty at the last moment. I saw my first Marbled White of the year, and missed this photo as I was using the secateurs to cut back some vigorous growth of Bramble ... again, not the fault of the camera! Other butterflies recorded: Large White, Painted Lady, Adonis Blue, Common Blue, Silver-studded Blue, Sloe Hairstreak, Pearly Heath, Common Heath, Chestnut Heath, Essex Skipper, Twin-spot Fritillary, and Marbled Fritillary = 13 species. The water has started to recede, which means that some tadpoles will have been left stranded in the grassy edges. In the Coffee Pool I saw several tadpoles of the Common Spadefoot Toad, many of them with heads the size of my thumb. No Fire-bellied Toads were heard, so it seems that their courting period has ended.
12th June 2019 - (Wednesday, Szerda)
It was at least 32 degs today, and after fighting all afternoon with the new Lumix camera I've decided to revert to the old Nikon for the time being. I'm spending more time fighting with the settings than actually photographing the wildlife. Butterflies recorded today: Essex Skipper (several), Sloe Hairstreak (several), Marbled White (several), Painted Lady (several), Swallowtail, Common Blue, Adonis Blue, Silver-studded Blue, Purple-shot Copper, Large White, Twin-spot Fritillary (several), Marbled Fritillary, Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Chestnut Heath, and Pearly Heath = 16 species. Birds heard were: Cuckoo, Golden Oriole, Yellowhammer, Blackbird, and Tree Sparrows, and a Red-backed Shrike was photographed, as was a Barn Swallow. Several Common Spadefoot Toad tadpoles were seen, and a linked pair of Azure Damselflies were ovipositing in our watery path near the reedbed. The water level and spread are reducing in this relentless heat, but we hope for some good thunderstorms to top-up The Bowl before the situation becomes too drastic.
13th June 2019 - (Thursday, Csütörtök)
Again, the temperature was up around 34 degs, but my disposition was much less fiery as I reverted to the old Nikon camera. Straight away, an air of calmness was evident as, with one touch of the shutter button, the lenses focused on the subject immediately. Many of the shots I obtained would have not happened if I'd kept using the Lumix camera. Butterflies recorded were: Common Blue, Adonis Blue, Reverdin's Blue, Large White, Essex Skipper (several), Small Skipper (only one), Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Pearly Heath, Chestnut Heath, Marbled White (several), Twin-spot Fritillary (several), and Painted Lady (several) = 13 species. As for Odonata: Broad-bodied Chaser (male), Emperor (hunting on airfield road), Azure Damselfly (several), and Large Red Damselfly. I also saw at least one Blue-tailed but couldn't photograph it for identification. A Nightingale was singing, and a Golden Oriole was calling with its 'harsh' call.