Seeking out Suntraps

I start with a picture sent in to me by Simon Woolley which manages to catch a downy emerald in flight, I have only just got as far as getting a picture of one at rest! This brilliant shot was taken at the weekend, in addition he also saw the first and perhaps only sanderling of the spring on Ibsley Water.
Today started breezy but sunny, always a good combination for finding insects as they will congregate anywhere that is in the sun but out of the wind. One such spot this morning was outside the Ivy South hide where there were lots of damselflies including common blue, azure, large red, red-eyed, blue-tailed and several beautiful demoiselle, like the one below.

I ate my lunch on the Tern hide where the lapwing were intent on tidying themselves, one was bathing and then spent several minutes preening in the sunshine.

Having had a wash and brush up, they then stood about looking fine.

I was working out on the shore of Mockbeggar Lake again today where the insects were again concentrated into the sheltered sunny spots. Most notable were at least four recently emerged scarce chaser dragonflies, I got one shot of one of them. The yellowish wing bases show very well from this angle even if not much else can be seen.

Also using the same suntraps were a number of butterflies including my first brown argus of the year.

There were also several common blue, although I only saw males.

Birds today were few, I saw 3 Egyptian goose being chased by a shelduck and there were good numbers of swift about over Ibsley Water. A young roe buck and a fox were seen from the Tern hide, the later rather unwelcome as the lapwing sitting near there is due to hatch any day now.

A Snake in the Grass

Despite promising weather conditions it was another quiet day for migrants, a single dunlin was all that I saw. As I opened up the Tern hide 2 drake goosander were showing well on the small shingle island to the east of the hide. Both were showing some brown feathering on the forehead, I assume the start of moult into eclipse plumage already.
The moth trap was out last night and fortunately the great tit had not reduced the catch too much, the highlight was a fine eyed hawk-moth.

On Ivy Lake the mute swan sits on by the North hide and at the South hide the great crested grebe pair still have two of their chicks, now growing fast and getting a fair size.

Also for the South hide I reckoned there are now thirteen pairs of common tern established on the rafts, a few possibly now have eggs as well.

I was on the western side of Mockbeggar lake in the afternoon and came across a fine adder moving rapidly through the grass, I just managed to get a picture of it, although it was not going to stop for anything, I just got it to slow down briefly.

I did see my first scarce chaser dragonfly of the year today and also several common blue butterflies, also my first ones.