In Fridaywoods Colchester this Purple Emperor was having a great time chasing off dragonfly’s, a tit flock and all-comers (at the start of the video a Nuthatch drops out of the way, a good local bird ). This is the 8th year I have know the Purple Emperors to use this exact territory and trees.

This male Marbled White briefly landed on our Buddliea here in Colchester. Yippee do !! And becomes butterfly species number 29 for our house list. Plus an egg laying Small Copper which becomes our 8th species to lay eggs here that I have seen. Plus the Hummingbird-hawk moth is still egg laying.

3 Southern Migrant Hawkers patrolling our Colchester garden today. Plus Gatekeeper my FFY, 3 fresh Peacocks and Purple Hairstreaks also. Female Common Blue Damselfly ( blue form ).

A quick stop at Abberton EWT entrance gates produced this Marbled White briefly today which was nice. An Abberton patch tick for me. With 3/4 seen by other observers at nearby Wigborough church today also, it’s a species spreading in to our area.

One of the Hummingbird-hawk Moth eggs. They blend in so well to the Lady’s Bedstraw flowers. Also a Beautiful Demoiselle here in our Colchester garden.

This Hummingbird-hawk moth was back in our Colchester garden today laying multiple eggs on the Lady’s Bedstraw. Also a male Silver-washed Fritillary through and 2 teneral Southern Migrant Hawkers patrolling overhead.

A couple of Banded Demoiselles hanging around our Colchester garden today.

On a walk around the Cherrytree lane / Berechurch common area of Fridaywoods Colchester this morning I was treated to some great views of this fresh as a daisy male Purple Emperor. Also in the area 3 male Silver-washed Fritillaries. And c30 teneral Southern Migrant Hawkers

A quick walk through the cherry tree lane area of Fridaywoods Colchester produced c15 teneral Southern Migrant Hawkers patrolling the wooded clearings , 2 Silver-washed Fritillaries, White Admiral and White-letter Hairstreaks.

Here in our Colchester garden I just had a female Hummingbird hawk-Moth lay an egg on our Ladies Bedstraw. I specifically planted it in the off chance this would happen which is nice. 2 Male WLH combating plus a female here and White Admiral sneaking low amongst the Honeysuckle 🤞 for some more eggs

2 White-letter Hairstreaks in our Colchester garden today favouring the Elder bush. Plus this Purple Hairstreak my FFY. Also White Admiral through again. Plus Painted lady and Hummingbird-hawk Moth still. Mid summer is definitely my favourite time of year in the garden.

2 FFY here in our Colchester garden, a White Admiral that flicked and glided through also a White-letter Hairstreak that dropped onto our Elder bush. A couple of Painted Ladies also.

Just now in our Colchester garden my daughter says “ Dad there’s a giant creature in my play house “ I take a look, male Stag Beetle! My first this year on the deck. A glorious beast. And well done Ivy, great spottering.

After a storm had passed we had 3 Hummingbird-hawk Moths together in our postage stamp sized front garden here in Colchester. The Red Valerians doing the job.

Enjoyable visit to the in-laws in Deal Kent. The pool NW of the Sandown castle site produced 2-3 Green eyed Hawkers, a few Variable Damselflies and Blue tailed Damselflies #KentDragonflies

Enjoyable visit to the in-laws in Deal Kent. The pool NW of the Sandown castle site produced 2-3 Green eyed Hawkers, a few Variable Damselflies and Blue tailed Damselflies #KentDragonflies

My FFY Stag Beetle a male flew over our Colchester garden this evening. My earliest ever. Also a Comma pupae on Elm and a second Comma caterpillar has just started to hang upside down. Orange tip Caterpillar on Garlic Mustard also.

No surprises given the current weather, a Hummingbird Hawk moth in our Colchester garden today. Also 2 ad Sum Med gulls overhead hawking insects

Our local Carrion Crows are still the best early warning system for spotting approaching Ravens over our Colchester garden. The crows alarm calls make sure I always look up. Also Garden Warbler still singing daily often competing with our Blackcap #essexbirding

It’s been my best year for Garden Warbler locally here in South Colchester. Within half a mile of home in the Fridaywoods / Berechurch common area I have 6 singing males including this one from my garden. And I haven’t check all areas yet. #essexbirding

2 Turtle Doves purring at Fingringhoe Wick EWT this morning. #essexbirding

Thought I would join in with the current Painted Lady arrivals with this one in our Colchester garden today ( I also had 1 fly through Abberton res ). Young Grass Snake in our pond and a Rose Chafer FFY.

A couple of quick visits to Abberton today produced 1 Black Tern from Billets screen, 30+ Swifts in blustery conditions. Also 2 Hobbies hawking insects LB c’way #essexbirding

Enjoyable visit to Abberton Res with the Black Terns being great to watch. Often grouping up high in the sky only to then tumble down low over the water. 49 counted in my photo. Plus Hobby over my FFY #essexbirding

Another one from yesterday in Fridaywoods Colchester, singing Garden Warbler with bursts of Nightingale. So lucky to have these locally #essexbirding

4 Swifts screaming over our Colchester garden this morning #essexbirding

An enjoyable if foggy/ chilly walk into Fridaywoods area this morning at dawn produced Nightingales, Cuckoo and 2 pairs of Garden warbler using the same territories as last year. Here a Nightingale and Garden Warbler are singing together #essexbirding

Today a Holly Blue in our Colchester garden was my FFY. Then at Abberton Res 4+ Green Hairstreaks were showing well between Gwen’s and Island hides

Enjoyed seeing my 4th Adder of the year with this male on Mersea island Essex today. Attempting to climb a sandy cliff face.

This Hummingbird hawk-moth in our Colchester garden today was our 2nd this year. Plus a Small White butterfly our FFY during brief sunny intervals.

Enjoyable day yesterday with the Bonaparte’s gull at Abberton, and the Ring Ouzel on Billets flood fields. Also 2 Cattle Egrets, my first Cuckoo and Common Terns of the year. And great to see lots of familiar faces there #essexbirding

We’ve been having almost daily visits by this Fox. It’s in great condition and generally unfazed by garden life, and here it’s having a snooze. P.s it is in the photo #foxoftheday

Right on cue my FFY Dark-edged bee-fly in our Colchester garden this a’noon, equalling previous years of 2022, and 2024 when my earliest sightings were also on the 18th March.

Abberton this morning. The Drake Canvasback still at Billets screen. and 2 Lesser Scaup (m&f) still from St Andrews church viewpoint. #essexbirding

After getting some more photos of the ringed Lesser Redpoll in our Colchester garden, we have managed to read the number and have found out where it was ringed. It was ringed as a first year bird on the 26/10/25 at non other than just down the road at Abberton Reservoir #essexbirding

The Abberton WTE from this morning unsuccessfully hunting a Herring gull, it caught it twice but it still got away #essexbirding

That was a great morning at Abberton church watching the White tailed Eagle. Always distant but nice to see it hunting (unsuccessfully) for Coot and it even caught a Herring gull which somehow got away. Last seen flying N around midday #essexbirding

4 Redpolls again in our Colchester garden this morning including this ringed bird again ( last seen on 11th Feb) #essexbirding

A visit to Shut Heath woods EWT this morning produced 2-3 Nuthatch, 4 GSWoodpeckers in clouding some drumming but no sight or sound of the hoped for LSWoodpecker. Back home in the sunshine produced Red Admiral and Comma both my FFY #essexbirding

At least one Firecrest is still putting in an appearance in our Colchester garden this week, also 4 Redpolls still, a pair of Blackcaps and c50 Redwings still in the area devouring the Ivy berries. And this low flying Red Kite #essexbirding

Up in Suffolk and Just had these 2 Common Cranes interrupt my breakfast. They flew East over Wenhaston appearing to drop towards Blythburgh at 07:05 this morning @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social #Ukbirding

Bit of a long shot but one of the Redpolls here in Colchester is ringed on its right leg. A single metal ring. Can’t quite make out all of the numbers but there is a ‘K’. The bird has pointed tail feathers so a 2nd cal year. #essexbirding #birdringing #bto I’m hoping to get some clearer shots

We have now got 8 Redpolls coming to our Colchester garden. Here they are still feeding on Stinging Nettle seeds. #essexbirding

A quick wizz to Abberton this morning in the fog produced a Brambling still at the end of Lodge lane with Chaffinches. An Abberton tick for me, number 210. Glossy Ibis still at Copt hall. And returning home a Great white Egret flew E over the garden. Our 2nd record here. #essexbirding

Our Redpoll count has gone up to 3 now in our Colchester garden. With the addition of a female today. Here she was pecking around the buds of our Elder tree. Also the males were feeding on Stinging Nettle seeds that I hadn’t cut back yet. #essexbirding

I’m enjoying sticking my head out of the bathroom window for the Lesser Redpolls. They are feeding on the new buds on our Elder tree #essexbirding

2 Lesser Redpolls enjoying the rain in our Colchester garden again this morning. Plus Blackcap still singing away #essexbirding

A gloomy start to the day here in our Colchester garden. 1 Lesser Redpoll still around and a sign that spring is not too far away, here’s our male Blackcap singing which it’s been doing since Jan 26th. ( my earliest singing bird ) #essexbirding

This Lesser Redpoll dropped down into our Colchester garden early this morning. Only my 3rd that has landed here. Also the Firecrest is still visiting our Holly tree. #essexbirding

This male Blackcap ( one of a pair ) is still feasting on Ivy berries in our Colchester garden today. Also 60+ Redwing have been hanging around also feeding on nearby Ivy berries. In the past couple of days a few Goosanders have flown over SW towards Abberton in the evenings #essexbirding