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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · 2d

Menorca - we're back home now, the last few days were quieter for wildlife but still plenty to see. Ended up with 79 bird species & plenty of inverts, plus a few reptiles. Didn't get to see Thekla's Lark, but we were in the wrong area to stand much of a chance....

Male Copper Demoiselle outside our hotel

Cattle Egret - I saw up to 50 close to the hotel

Cylindrical Grasshopper in the dunes. Took a while to get this shot as it would shuffle around the reed stem whenever I tried to get it in view.

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · 6d

Menorca - I had a profitable time wandering slowly round Son Bou today, excellent views of the Swamphens, 2 GW Egret, Sparrowhawk, Osprey, 300+ Swallows feeding up in the evening & a big flock of Starlings (4000+) over the reedbed. Also, a good look at the darters & Keeled Skimmer in the dunes.

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · 6d

Cheers Chris. I had another look today and found at least 4-5, including a female, along the dunes behind the beach at Son Bou.

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · 6d

Menorca - visit to Mahon on Tuesday (by bus) and around Son Bou yesterday. Still lots to see - Garganey, Turtle Doves, Stonechats, Song Thrush, Lapwing & calling Stone Curlew all new for me this week. Also, what I think are Southern Darters (in the dunes) amongst the many other inverts.

Audouin's Gull looking at bit guilty. It had just stolen half a pain au raisin out of Jan's hand!

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · 9d

Prat de Son Bou, Menorca today - Italian Wall Lizards, Hermann's Tortoise, European Pond Terrapins. There were lots of other invertebrates too.

Hermann's Tortoise - i didn't want to disturb it, so couldn't get a head shot!

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · 9d

Prat de Son Bou, Menorca today. Plenty of butterflies & moths including Cleopatra, Clouded Yellow, Bath White, Lang's short-tailed Blue, Long-tailed Blue, Painted Lady, Beet Webworm, Rush Veneer & Beautiful Snout.

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · 9d

Prat de Son Bou, Menorca - lots of odonata today, including hundreds of Broad Scarlets

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · 9d

I had a good walk around Prat de Son Bou, Menorca this morning. Plenty of birds to see including 5 Western Swamphens, Egyptian Vulture, Booted Eagles, Pallid Swifts, a Pintail, Wheatear, 2 Whinchats, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 4 Hoopoes, 2 LR Plovers & Kingfisher.

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · 10d

First full day on Menorca, mostly on the beach! Nonetheless I still saw 12+ Audouin's Gull, Osprey, 9 Gtr Flamingo, 2 BN Grebe, 45 Cattle Egret, Snipe, 2 BW Stilt, Spotted Redshank, Crimson Speckled, Long-tailed Blue & Spurge Hawkmoth caterpillar. No odonata, but it was a mostly dull day

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · 12d

I do indeed know - Jake was added a bit earlier!!

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · 12d

Unexpected trip to The Naze today. Not bad seawatch with a nice Manx north, 4 Arctic Skua, a Guillemot on the sea, 4 Gannet, 3 RT Diver, lots of Brent, Wigeon, Teal & Common Scoter. The bushes were quiet bar a few Chiffs, Lesser & Common Whitethroat, 17 Siskin & a Redwing #essexbirding

Typical Naze view of a Robin on a dull day

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · 13d

I was supposed to be on Lesvos today, but instead popped to Hanningfield Res for a short time. There was an excellent juv Osprey at N end, plus a few skittish waders including Curlew, Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin & 2 Little Stint. Not much else to report but it was a nice start to the day #essexbirding

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · 16d

Today was my last Abberton visit until 10th October & it wasn't bad despite a bit of a clear-out. Glossy Ibis, albeit distant, in Wigborough bay was new and also on site today 8 Curlew Sands, 13 Spot Reds, 3 Dunlin, 31 Spoonbill, 26 Ruff, 3 Hobby, 2 LR Plover & all the usual wildfowl #essexbirding

A Great White Egret reflecting in the early morning light

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · 17d

You're probably right John - I'll never get tired of them though 👍

Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · 18d

The 'island' at the northern end of Hanningfield Res is now out (permit holder only area) - but very few birds on there today apart from Cormorants! Elsewhere on the res Avocet, 4 Ruff, 4 Blackwit, Green & 4 Common Sand, 4 Marsh Harrier, Black Tern, 2 GW Egret, 2 YL Gull & a Wall Brown #essexbirding

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · 20d

First 6 Meadow Pipits & 2 Goldcrests of the autumn at Whetmead NR, Witham today - but otherwise very quiet for birds. Still lots of Migrant Hawkers, Common Darters & Willow Emeralds in the humid weather, plus Red Admiral and 10+ Green-veined Whites #essexbirding

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · 21d

There wasn't much new at Abberton today, but still plenty to see. Wigborough Church had 2 Spot Flies and at the reservoir 35 Curlew Sand, 5 Little Stint, 45 Ruff, 26 Spoonbill, LR Plover, 400 Sand Martin, Hobby, Peregrine & all the expected wildfowl #essexbirding

Hide bay waders, mostly Black-tailed Godwits but a juv Curlew Sandpiper centre of shot

Spoonbills, Black-tailed Godwits, Grey Heron & 2 Curlew Sandpipers

Distant waders & wildfowl in Wigborough bay. Teal, Pintail, Curlew Sandpiper & a Little Stint

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · 23d

It was rough at Abberton today to say the least, but with persistence there were some good birds to see, including a very distant Grey Phalarope in hide bay. Also 50 Spoonbill, 38 Curlew Sandpiper, 7 Little Stint, 7 Greenshank, 32 Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Dunlin, 2 Hobby, 95 Common Tern & Raven.

View looking west from Layer-de-la-Haye causeway, no editing done - this was an approaching shower

Spoonbills & Great White Egrets (mainly)

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · 28d

It was another day full of birds at Abberton today, including 24 Curlew Sands, 6 Little Stint, 13 Black Tern, 2 Whinchat, 3 Spot Reds, 42 Spoonbill, 44 GW Egret, 4 juv Knot, 35 Ruff, 32 Ringed & 3 LR Plover, Garganey, 2 Bittern & a Wall Brown butterfly #essexbirding

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · 29d

It was still very warm for my lunchtime walk round Whetmead NR, Witham today. Not many birds again, though Kingfisher was nice, but lots of odonata with many of both darters, Migrant Hawkers & numerous Willow Emeralds, 2 Brown Hawker and even a Banded Demoiselle. Fewer butterflies now #essexbirding

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · Sep 8

Some of the Coots are standing in the water at N end of Hanningfield Res now, so hopefully the 'wader island' will appear very soon. Today there were 3 Ruff, 2 Blackwit, 4 Common & a Green Sand, Greenshank, 3+ Hobby, 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Wigeon, a Pintail and this inquisitive Badger #essexbirding

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · Sep 6

I don't often see Pied Flycatcher in the Abberton area, in fact I don't remember the last one I saw there. So seeing one at Wigborough Church today was great - and there were 4 Spot Flies too! #essexbirding

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · Sep 6

Your Tufted Ducks are not at Abberton, we only had 362!

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · Sep 6

Cheers Simon. To be honest, quietly watching the Spot Flies, on my own, was reward enough yesterday. Great find by Sean & Chris though.....

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Daryl Rhymes @darylrhymes.bsky.social · Sep 6

Nice find chaps. Shame I didn't get to see it, but watching the Spot Flies on my own for 45 minutes or so was reward enough!

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