An Everyday Post

It's been a long time since I was last ill - certainly pre-COVID - so the horrible man-flu that clobbered me on Tuesday night was initially a bit unsettling. Thankfully it is man-flu, not COVID, but I've always been very careful when out and about, and cannot think where I might have picked it up. Sobering, because personally I really don't fancy testing the efficacy of my AstraZeneca jabs with a dose of COVID. Anyway, the worst appears to be over, but it has curtailed my birding for the last couple of days. So, before they become too out of date I'll post a few pics from last weekend...

My first 'autumn' Wheatear, at East Bexington on Saturday 24th July

Actually there were two Wheatears, here sharing the beach furniture with a Linnet.

The second bird was a very young juv, still a bit spotty in places.

It's been a while since the last Med Gull photo, so have this 1st-summer bird.

I don't think I've seen Sandwich Terns on the beach here before. An adult pictured with this Common Tern, but there were actually two adults and a juv. The reason their bills are open is not because they're shrieking at me, rather they're panting. It was hot, and photographing birds was a nightmare in the heat-haze.

At West Bexington I made an effort with the butterflies again. I think this Painted Lady looks great on the knapweed.

Skippers appear to like knapweed too. Despite the fact that one has lots of orange under the antennae tips and the other barely any at all, both are Small Skippers.

It made a change to flush a moth that wasn't either a Silver Y or a tiny, tubular micro. Shaded Broad-bar I believe.

Small Skipper again...

...and again

Female Common Blue

A short, straight scent mark on this one: male Essex Skipper

Deserves a better name than Common Blue. What a stunner!

Stomping around West Bex I couldn't help noticing Tor-grass in a few places. The food plant of Lulworth Skipper. I had a good search, but no joy. To be fair there weren't exactly acres of the stuff, but I found it interesting that my recently trained eye picked it out quite easily. 

Okay, that's it, I'm up to date. Onwards and upwards...