STEVE ASHTON'S WILDLIFE GALLERY

July 2008

Spotted Fly Catcher at Wickhambreaux

I spent most of the day at Wickhambreaux today, with a fair portion of the day in the church yard, photographing the Spotted Fly Catchers, of which I counted at least 8. I also noted Swifts, Swallows and House Martins, with all the common birds visiting the feeders of the gardens that backed onto the church yard. I broke up the day with a walk to where the Black Stork was viewed last Saturday, along the lane at Seaton. I noticed some Grey Wagtails last week, and with patience, sitting on the river bank, a pair of Grey Wagtails landed on the streams edge, allowing a quick burst with the camera, but the noise of the shutter soon scared them off down stream and beyond a fence and out of view. A pair of Goldfinches stopped for a drink from the stream, as did a pair of Collard Doves. There were plenty of Swallows over the meadow, and a pair of Black headed Gulls landed in the middle of the stream. The familiar turquoise of a Kingfisher darted past, and was lost to view around a bend in the stream. I met Mike Gould and Chris Abrahams, at lunch time, and we participated in a pint and a sandwich in the Rose at Wickhambreaux, (The minute steak sandwich is highly recommended) and then we finished of with a walk back to where I photographed the Grey Wagtail earlier, but although we saw 2, they never landed close enough for a picture, and also a juvenile Grey Heron and a Goldcrest were noted. We then returned to the church yard, where the Spotted Fly Catchers were very obliging, even allowing Mike to get a few pictures.