Wheatears at Oxholme

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I received a telephone call from my brother in law this afternoon to say if I wanted to see some wheatears to come over straightaway. He told me he had seen them while planting potatoes, perching on the tree guards on the newly planted embankment of the A14. I jumped in the car and drove the 1 mile down the road to Oxholme Farm.

Sure enough when I walked down to the embankment I spotted a bird perching but it flew off and landed in the adjacent field. I assumed it to be a wheatear but even though I managed to located it in my binoculars it wasnt very clear so I continued walking.

I then saw a male wheatear at a distance which I managed to photograph but walking further I noticed a female quite a bit closer and I crossed the ditch so I could rest my camera on a fence post to photograph it.   It  perched there for quite some time enabling me to take several shots. 

I decided to continue walking to the end of the field and was pleased to see my first swallow of the year flying overhead.   I also noticed a pair of what I think were grey partridges but they were too distant to positively identify - my brother in law confirmed there was a pair about on his farm. 

Turning back to retrace my steps I suddenly spotted something fluttering near the ground just ahead of me. I watched to see where it went and was excited to see it land on the ground just in front of me, it opened its wings and revealed itself to be a small copper butterfly!  One of those butterflies that you cant look for, you just happen to see it. I came home very satisfied with my brief outing.

 male wheatear

 female wheatear


small copper

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