What have you seen

Great sights RK. Seems to have been a good year for butterflies.

Have spotted quite a few raptors down here near Welshpool over the last couple of days, the usual Buzzards, several Red Kites and today at Powys Castle a pair of Peregrines. 

We are close to the Montgomery Canal and there is a cygnet fretting for it's parents, that presumably have left it. The poor bird is constantly going back and forward across the canal up against a lock gate, popping it's head through the spaces in it, and calling out for it's parents. It has been there since we arrived on Monday afternoon at least and was still there this morning. The stupid bird has not thought to climb out of the canal onto the towpath and walk round to the lower level where the pair were. It doesn't look to be injured in any way and hisses if approached.

This morning the cygnet had disappeared, thankfully. However we say it again when we went for a walk along the canal, and it was still calling for it's parents who were about 1/2ml further along the canal. Perhaps they've disowned him!!

Red Kites and Buzzards circling above a field where the farmers were getting in the crops, and then this afternoon we spotted 7 Buzzards all together above the woods by the canal.

Our recent meeter and greeter on a Scottish site, a handsome fellow! 

Looks like the place ABM usually hangs his hat and coat before retrieving them after one of his "jokes".

Have been at friends on the other side of the Cele river a lot of cliffs about in that area and the last three days there have been large numbers of crag martins flying about never seen so many before all busy flying around and feeding before they carry on south.

Our friends have been draining their above ground pool as they want to replace with a smaller one and I have been saving moths that have fallen into the water.

I know they are just "normal" birds but they bring such joy to me.

We said goodbye to our resident still singing Chiffchaff this morning and he'll be gone when we get home. We then arrived at our farm CL for the night to be greeted by swooping Swallows still feeding their young on the wing. Our village Swallows have already departed.

So, "normal" birds but soon to be gone until at least March/April. Both are special in their own way.

After setting up the caravan we were able to get in an afternoon stroll along the shore dykes at Freiston. The tide wasn't high enough for good views but a passing flock of about 500 Knot was good recompense. There were a couple of Greenshank and a solitary Spotted Redshank in the gullies. Some incoming Wigeon still in good Summer plummage.

Nice sunny day as well.

500 Knot! I'm surprised you could identify anything at that speed. 

Heard the chiffchaff today again on its way south, also saw our local red squirrel running at the bottom of the wall one way then later came back on the top of the wall a very dark red squirrel maybe a young one as a very slim body when running along but a joy to see we do not have any walnuts on next door's tree also no acorns on all the oak trees around here due to the high temps we have had yet in the Dordogne the other week the oak trees on the site were full of huge acorns, so squirrels and the jays will have to look elsewhere.