Simon Patient

Only the 6 👍. In the next few days maybe the Grafham record count?

Grafham is certainly the place for inland GND Mark.

White Admiral larva and It’s shrivelled up brown hibernaculum leaf is underneath the larva

Shows how small the larva is still.

Our Colchester garden White Admiral larva is still in situ today. Having made a hibernaculum leaf which later shrivelled up, it has chosen to stay where it is rather than make a new one elsewhere on the branch.

That’s not bad from indoors 😉… very jealous 👍

I do apologise Mel 🤣 🤣, and don’t worry I definitely don’t take them for granted. A dream come true to be fair.

The 2 Firecrests were back in my Colchester garden again today, and showed very well for a few minutes. Also a Redpoll sp flew over #essexbirding

Showing Ivy a Raven that just cronked over our Colchester garden this a’noon. 2 Red Admirals still on our Buddliea. Y’day 4 Crossbills flew over plus a pair of Blackcaps in the garden. #essexbirding

Yes kind of our European equivalent

A nice surprise whilst washing up were 2 Firecrests in our Colchester garden this morning. My first locally this autumn/winter and maybe the same returning pair that overwintered here last year. #essexbirding

A Swift species Common/ Pallid was feeding back and forth over the junction of Warren lane and Maldon road Colchester at 11:00 this morning. I was on the way back from the shops with the kids and had no optics ! I alerted the local birders and wizzed home and back but no sign of it. #essexbirding

A record phone shot of Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon in yesterday’s evening sky. (Just Below centre) #astronomy

This Great White Egret flew E over our Colchester garden today and was a nice garden ✅. Also our first autumn Siskins and y’day 4 Redwings over #essexbirding

10+ Crossbills flew low east over my garden here in Colchester, NE end of Fridaywoods just gone 11am. #essexbirding

Turkestan Shrike with some admirers

Managed to get over and see the Turkestan Shrike y’day at Dunwich. As always with Shrikes an absolute cracker… #rarebirduk

That’s ace 👍. And bird in the landscape photo, for the win.

Thanks John, me too

Wall Brown

Small Heath

Grey Wagtail

2 Clouded Yellows at Gt Wigborough church this morning also 2 Wall Browns, Small Heath and Common Blues still on the wing. 6 + Goldcrests there also. Water levels still dropping at Abberton #essexbirding

I hadn’t check on our garden White Admiral larva for a while, and checking today I noticed its hibernaculum had completely shrivelled up leaving the caterpillar still active outside of it. Hopefully it will make a new one soon.

Nice one Chris 👍

Superb shots Sean. What a cracker. Wonderful orangey legs 👍

Unlucky with the warbler, but with your rare bird finding prowess you’ll strike gold soon.

Thanks Sean. Top find. 👍

Top work Sean. 👍 well done on the find.

A fantastic mad rush to locally twitch the Arctic Warbler in Essex at Great Wigborough church this evening. Initially a no show, i felt a dip coming on and then refound by Stuart. Well done on the finders @snixon66.bsky.social and @chrispoole050.bsky.social. 👍 My 2nd for Essex #essexBirding

This very worn male Brown Argus was briefly in our Colchester garden today. And was a long awaited garden tick. In the last 8 years of living here It becomes garden butterfly species number 28.

Lovely write up Howard.

Thank you. I’m quite enjoying trying to look at as many ’whites’ as I can, considering the recent arrival of SSW into the UK

Going through some photos taken in our Colchester garden from last week and this Small White has recaught my eye. It has an interesting concave outer edge to the wing spot ( Southern Small White like? ) but I’m guessing it’s within range and variation of a late summer Small White.

This Hummingbird Hawk-moth was still around our Colchester garden today. Plus another Willow Emerald Damselfly this time in our conservatory. Plus a Small Heath on our Water Mint.

This Willow Emerald Damselfly was nice to see in our Colchester garden today. ( 1 or 2 annually in last few years ). Plus 2 Hummingbird Hawk-moths together. Our best year by far for this species with almost daily sightings.