Pitsford Water and Twywell hills and dales

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It dawned bright and sunny but with quite a stiff cool breeze which didn't auger well for butterfly spotting but we decided to make the trip to Pitsford Water anyway.  We obtained a pass from the Fishing Lodge for entry to the nature reserve and to my surprise, within the first 50 yards we spotted a female Common blue butterfly, Small Cooper and small Heath, none of which I had seen this year.  Our walk round part of the reservoir did not reveal any more apart from many speckled wood butterflies and not the Clouded Yellow which had been seen in the area recently.  However I was pleased to add a Little Grebe to my bird list bring my total to 109 this year, my highest ever number recorded. 

We then called in at Twyford Hills and Dales nature reserve in search of a rare Grizzled Skipper butterfly but although we didn't manage to see that, I did see a brown Argus and plenty of male Common Blues and Small Heaths.  

Strangely enough, we met a couple with camera and binoculars but it turned out they were looking for a redstart that was in the area, that would  have been a bonus but although they said they had seen it fly out of a bush it didn't reappear whilst we were there

 

Small Copper
 

Small Heath
 
Small Copper

 Female Common Blue
 

 Speckled Wood
 

 Brown Argus

Male Common Blue

. Male Common Blue

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