What's buzzing or flying near you 2025 ?

Distant but first the Wheatears already on autumn migration on the Dorset coast.
Possibly the longest autumn migration time of all the summer visitors as the can still be seen in early December.

 

Considering they can arrive as early as late February, maybe we should start thinking of them as residents that go on a long winter holiday

 

Moons ago I had a racing pigeon in my garden for several days. I eventually contacted a local enthusiast who told me to forget about it. If it were caught and returned to its owner, it would have its neck rung because it was no good at racing. He took pity on me and agreed to take it, no idea if it survived or not.

This year I have noticed a lot more butterflies in my garden and more recently, quite a few dragonflies zooming around, far more than usual. I can hear the sound of their wings humming as they flyt past. Lovely.

 

ID please :
On the outside of the kitchen window this afternoon Jenny namaste

 

Looks like the same moth lizzie27 had last week - a Jersey Tiger.

 

A Jersey Tiger I think @Jenny namaste

I often see wheatears in spring on the lower slopes of our hills @strongylodon. My foot problems have prevented me being able to get out on them, which is really annoying. Lovely wee birds

 

Yesterday's bird boat round Poole Harbour, cloudy and dull so some poor, hazy photos but a fly past of one of the White Tailed Sea Eagles was a bonus.


Little Egret, Heron and Spoonbill.


Sandwich Terns and (Sinensis) Cormorants, Continental subspecies here for the winter which hunt fish in large flocks unlike our resident ones (Carbo).

 

A big fat bee on the Liatris
..and a wee wasp on the nearby borage too

 

Fleet Lagoon, Ferrybridge. On the low tide there were 200+ Ringed Plovers and a few Sandwich Terns with lots of juveniles. A single Knot was an early winter bird.

 

Had some time out so went to a local nature reserve to sit and watch the butterflies. Well they weren't there! The dry spell for months has stopped the growth of many of the wild flowers and so little we suppose for the insects to feed on. Really sad to see (or not) as this is one place that we can see the blues, marbled whites, painted ladies etc but not today. Did though have a fabulous sighting for a long time of a peregrine and then 4 cranes flew over calling as they do. One buzzard just floating so high up and then 2 house martins.
So not a total disaster but missed seeing the butterflies.

 

Wood pigeon was having a relaxing sit in the bird bath when a feral showed up.


Woody tried to drive the feral away.



But eventually lost the argument



Then they had a long staring match before the feral left!

 

Something made a buzzing sound just after it stung me today! I was running the gauntlet though as cutting Lavender. No stinger left in so guessing not a honey bee.

 

My bed of dahlias is proving very popular at the moment with loads of bees and butterflies. Normally there would be other flowers in bloom but the hot weather has dried out the rest of the garden. I'm not deadheading the pom pom dahlias as when they're going over their stamens are on show and the bees can get to the pollen.






A red admiral

 

I had to do a little wasp wrangling yesterday as one had got stuck inside the little plastic gr'house the toms are in. I eventually got it out, but in the meantime, there was also this little chap at the front. I managed to get him out safely too, and he posed very nicely for a photo
We get them quite often, but I've forgotten what they are - hopefully someone will remind me!


Several red admirals and torties were in the garden again here yesterday @CatDouch but they refused to pose properly for photos. Very inconsiderate of them...