Summer moves on, at Blashford on Sunday I saw my first gatekeeper of the year, oddly a little later than in some years, most other butterflies have been merging a little earlier than usual, so I am not sure why they alone are later.
The first gatekeeper at the year
It was also the first day I had seen brown hawker dragonfly, although I would guess they have been flying for a couple of days. The first common tern chicks also flew, even if a little tentatively, hopefully we will see over seventy fledge this year. Another first for the year was Essex skipper, they at every like small skipper, but tend to fly a couple of weeks later.
Essex skipper on yellow rattle
At least I think it is an Essex skipper!
I had another go at getting a flight shot of a hoverfly, a very frustrating thing to try, this was my best attempt.
hoverfly
I went on a walk down the Dockens Water to check where we will need to go Himalayan balsam pulling and if we have missed any plants. I found a few, but also a number of native marshland plants.
marsh bedstraw
water forget-me-not
Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve 
I saw my first Marsh Bedstraw on the forest last week, its very delicate and pretty isnt it. Nice to know you too have trouble telling between the Essex and the Small Skipper 😉
I got a few of the dragonflies etc on Sunday afternoon and a flying one! it isn’t bad.. sort of passable 😉 I will email them in for you to see and I got a fab shot of the Common Terns when they were feeding their chicks.. one with fish in bill .. 🙂 and the icing on the cake I also managed to get a male Kingfisher on my lens from Ivy North hide 🙂 x