Simon Patient

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.

Photo from 27.7.25 WA larva with newly constructed hibernaculum

Photo from today 17.08.25

The WA feeding leaf is in foreground blurred and the hibernaculum was made on the next set of leaves along.

On the 27th July our garden White Admiral larva had already made its hibernaculum. First photo. The leaf cut off squarely and symmetrically folded over and joined by silk. I believe it started hibernating soon after. Today’s photo shows it all still intact. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

30 years ago this week, that was Mark 😳

Nice shots Jon 👍

Digi Binned photo of the smart and very showy Juv Wood Sand at Abberton this morning. NE corner of LDLH c’way. Typically i left my camera at home on this morning’s visit there with the kids. #essexbirding

And now a Jersey Tiger in our Colchester garden just now. My 2nd garden record.

Yes will be interesting to see what happens.

My first Jersey Tiger of the year unexpectedly alighted on my daughters head on a visit to Colchester zoo just now.

White Admiral larva number 1

White Admiral larva number 1

White Admiral larva number 2’s latrine? Leaf mostly eaten

White Admiral larva number 2 photo from Thursday, still present on Saturday

Today one of our White Admiral larva in our Colchester garden was still present whilst the second one has gone AWOL. Its leaf mostly eaten with what maybe its latrine left behind in silk? Maybe wandered off to find a new leaf, I did have a look but still can’t find it. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

Really enjoying these updates. Incredible stuff 👍

White Admiral larvae

White Admiral larvae

White Admiral larvae

Some better shots of our garden White Admiral larvae here in Colchester. 2 caterpillars found so far. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social @ukbutterflies.bsky.social

Just found larvae number 2. Both only 1 ft above the ground in partial shade