It's not often I have to dash of in the middle of the night to go birding but last night that's exactly what I did. A message on Cambirds from Brendan Doe, late in the evening told of a Savi's Warbler reeling at Wicken. I missed a bird here a couple of years ago that only stayed one evening so I was not going to hang around. An hour or so later, just gone midnight, I was ensconced within the dark, but ever so still, Fen and the electric buzz of Savi's Warbler was insistent across the reeds. My second bird this week (or possibly the same??) and a great experience to hear and see locally. On the local front the Black-winged Stilts did produce young at Welney during the week but were predated very quickly, a great great shame.
With another day of hot weather I took a stroll across the Ely Wildspace and fringes. I was looking for 2 Dragonflies in particular, both doing well in East Anglia and was not to be disappointed.
I found 6 or 7 Hairy Dragonfly along Queen Adelaide Way, Cuckoo Bridge and the Settling Beds.
Along the River a single Scarce Chaser was whizzing back and forth.
Red-eyed Damselflies are abundant on the water lilies and Common Blue Damselfly also seen in large numbers.
I saw a Blue-tailed Damselfly that had a lilac wash that doesn't show so well in the photograph, I think it was the Violacea female form, which can resemble male. Yesterday I saw the rufescens female form with a lovely peach thorax.
There were also quite a few Banded Demoiselle, which are always a joy to watch.
I took some photo's of this blue damselfly as they were mating. Looking closely to identify it I think that this is Variable Damselfly but would seek some guidance from anyone who knows them well.
On one of the narrow boats two falcons were tethered, one may have been the huge falcon that Ben saw across the Settling Beds earlier in the year, a Gyr or strong hybrid? The other was a cracking Peregrine, a really beautiful bird.
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