Plants and Inverts on Axe Cliff and Seaton Marshes Plus Sparrowhawk Attack.

I've been collecting photos again so this is going to be a long one. I've paid a couple of visits to the Axe Cliff area in the last few weeks, once to complete a count for the Big Butterfly Count and again to look for Autumn Lady's Tresses. I've visited Seaton Marshes quite a few times too especially seeing as it's only a short walk away. So firstly here's a few bits 'n' bobs from the Axe Cliff area.

Clouded Yellow

 Painted Lady

 There were lots a Walls about, it's been a good year for them.

I've never managed a good photo of one yet!

Small Skipper egg-laying on a grass stem. 

 Tansy -  Tanacetum vulgare

 

 Musk Mallow - Malva moschata

Ploughman's Spikenard - Inula conzyae

Blue Fleabane -  Erigeron acris

Common Calamint - Clinopodium ascendens

 

  

Autumn Lady's Tresses - Spiranthes spiralis

With Red Ant - Myrmica sp. (don't ask me which one though!)

Seaton Marshes

Common Darter - Sympetrum striolatum

Migrant Hawker - Aeshna mixta

Common Blue - Polyommatus icaru. 

 Nectaring on Common Fleabane - Pulicaria dysenterica.

 A Wasp, not sure which species, collecting wood fibres from a fence.

 Purple Loosetrife - Lythrum salicaria

 

Gypsywort - Lycopus europaeus

Common Hemp-nettle - Galeopsis tetrahit

I saw this white form of the flower at Black Hole Marsh.

My small flock of Feral/Racing Pigeons is one bird lighter as of Thursday when one of the local Sparrowhawks struck. A Pigeon kill nearly always involves a slow death and hence can be rather gruesome but I'd rather that than it take yet another Blackbird or House Sparrow. I was at work at the time but Rob saw it from the kitchen window and grabbed my camera to get a few shots of it and seeing as he'd never really used my DSLR before they came out very well. I won't say it shows that the camera's foolproof.... Whoops I just did! I'll show a few of the less gruesome ones...

Female Sparrowhawk - Accipiter nisus

 Shielding her prey when she spotted Rob looking at her.