Long wander

A walk from the town via Hadham Hall back to home, some 6 miles this morning. B irds remained few and far between apart from at Hadham Hall lagoon where there must have been in excess of 25 willow warblers and chiffchaffs. Photo 1 an opportune split second photo as the 2nd shot was just a blur of wings. Also at the lagoon were plenty of common blue butterflies, many emerging from pupa in the long grass. (Pics 2 and 3.) A small tortoishell butterfly shot past me (4) before settling (5) but mainly I was after the dragon and damselflies. Plenty of azure and common blue damsels but also many common (6) and ruddy darters (7.) Many of these were ovipositing (egg laying) such as this tandem pair of common darters (8) and brown hawker (9)
On my way through footpaths behind the school field more butterflÍes, with a comma (10) and, most pleasingly, a male brimstone in very good condition (11). Finally a member of the Tachinidae family, order Diptera (true flies); a Tachina fera (12.) These flies are parasitoids with their larvae growing inside other insects. A good I'd guide to this family is that the 4th vein turns at right angles, or at least sharply, towards the wing tip, as shown in the photo.
In all a good walk with both a moulting kestrel (13) and sparrowhawk (14) seen that helped make a list of 25 bird sp and 7 butterfly species.
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