
Pirate Otter Spider- Pirata piraticus166 viewswhat a cool common name
photographed @ Hay Bridge (members only) Nature Reserve
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Mayfly - don't know what species98 viewsphotographed @ Hay Bridge (members only) Nature Reserve
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Squabbling Little Egrets - shot 8/15132 views& what's likely to have been the cause of the fracas entered the scene
photographed from the Morecambe Hide @ Leighton Moss RSPB reserve
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Hoverfly - female Sphaerophoria species92 viewsphotographed in our garden, Bispham, Blackpool
the females can't be identified any more precisely than this unless examined in a lab - you'd have to really want to know what species it is to go to those lengths
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Hoverfly - female Sphaerophoria species91 viewsphotographed in our garden, Bispham, Blackpool
the females can't be identified any more precisely than this unless examined in a lab - you'd have to really want to know what species it is to go to those lengths
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Greylag Goose - Anser anser125 viewsbattling against the driving rain, what a summer it's been :-(
photographed @ Martin Mere WWT reserve
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Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos119 viewsbattling against the driving rain, what a summer it's been :-(
photographed @ Martin Mere WWT reserve
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possibly a Nursery-web Spider - Pisaura mirabilis153 viewssomewhat different in appearance (& I think missing a leg) to the other Nursery Web spiders I've photo'd @ Devonshire Road Rock Gardens, Blackpool
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Teneral Damselfly (not sure what type)154 viewsphotographed in our garden in Bispham, Blackpool
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Teneral Damselfly (not sure what type)146 viewsphotographed in our garden in Bispham, Blackpool
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Some sort of eggs on base of pond pump?????195 viewsno idea what these are, seen attached to the base of my pond pump when I took it out of the water to clean
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Some sort of eggs on base of pond pump?????243 viewsno idea what these are, seen attached to the base of my pond pump when I took it out of the water to clean
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What chance have the fish got??137 viewsbarely discernable - but there are two Bitterns & two Great Crested Grebes in this shot - looks like the fish @ Mere Sands Wood are in for a tough time!
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Common Redshank - Tringa totanus135 viewsphotographed @ what was North Shore boating lake
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Common Redshank - Tringa totanus129 viewsphotographed @ what was North Shore boating lake
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Purple Sandpiper - Calidris maritima153 viewsthe Sandpiper was the 1st of the waders to start feeding again as the tide dropped
photographed @ what was North Shore boating lake
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Purple Sandpiper - Calidris maritima130 viewsthe Sandpiper was the 1st of the waders to start feeding again as the tide dropped
photographed @ what was North Shore boating lake
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Purple Sandpiper - Calidris maritima136 viewsphotographed @ what was North Shore boating lake
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Purple Sandpiper - Calidris maritima139 viewsphotographed having a stretch @ what was North Shore boating lake
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Purple Sandpiper - Calidris maritima245 viewsphotographed here with Redshanks & Turnstones @ what was North Shore boating lake
Many thanks to Dave M of http://www.lalows.blogspot.com/ for the headsup
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Common Redshank - Tringa totanus134 viewsphotographed @ what was North Shore boating lake
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Turnstone - Arenaria interpres143 viewsphotographed @ what was North Shore boating lake
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They know how to party these Ringed Plovers!153 viewsbut what happens when the pils don't work?
photographed @ Rossall Point, Fleetwood
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dunno what this one is93 viewsphotographed in the Vendee, France
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Dryophilocoris flavoquadrimaculatus149 viewswhat a great name, I wonder what that's worth at scrabble?
a Capsid/Mirid Bug
photographed@the River Brock nr Bilsborrow
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???140 viewsnot sure what this one is?? photographed @ Meathop Moss
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Wood Warbler - Phylloscopus sibilatrix201 viewsa selection of record shots - what a tough bird this was to photograph
Stanley Park, Blackpool
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Wood Warbler - Phylloscopus sibilatrix185 viewsa selection of record shots - what a tough bird this was to photograph
Stanley Park, Blackpool
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Wood Warbler - Phylloscopus sibilatrix193 viewsa selection of record shots - what a tough bird this was to photograph
Stanley Park, Blackpool
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Wood Warbler - Phylloscopus sibilatrix186 viewsa selection of record shots - what a tough bird this was to photograph
Stanley Park, Blackpool
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Wood Warbler - Phylloscopus sibilatrix183 viewsa selection of record shots - what a tough bird this was to photograph
Stanley Park, Blackpool
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Wood Warbler - Phylloscopus sibilatrix197 viewsa selection of record shots - what a tough bird this was to photograph
Stanley Park, Blackpool
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Wood Warbler - Phylloscopus sibilatrix188 viewsa selection of record shots - what a tough bird this was to photograph
Stanley Park, Blackpool
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captive Deer, I know not what type152 viewsphotographed at Parc Zoologique De Clères, Normandy, France
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captive Deer, I know not what type342 viewsphotographed at Parc Zoologique De Clères, Normandy, France
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Starling137 viewsa juvenile with red marks on the plumage around it's belly/neck, dunno what they are?
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Great Crested Grebes displaying - Podiceps cristatus142 viewsa pair of Grebes performing the "weed dance", with a gob full of leaves rather than some nice greener. What a fantastic spectacle to watch, photographed @ Stanley Park, Blackpool
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Great Crested Grebes displaying - Podiceps cristatus126 viewsa pair of Grebes performing the "weed dance", with a gob full of leaves rather than some nice greener. What a fantastic spectacle to watch, photographed @ Stanley Park, Blackpool
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Great Crested Grebes122 viewsa pair of Grebes performing the "weed dance", with a gob full of leaves rather than some nice greener. What a fantastic spectacle to watch, photographed @ Stanley Park, Blackpool
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Great Crested Grebes displaying136 viewsa pair of Grebes performing the "weed dance", with a gob full of leaves rather than some nice greener. What a fantastic spectacle to watch
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Humphrey the Blue Tit193 viewsI keep bumping into this guy, who's got what looks like a deformed spine, photographed @ Stanley Park Blackpool © Cliff Raby
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Humphrey the Blue Tit - seen here with a Great Tit188 viewsI keep bumping into this guy, who's got what looks like a deformed spine, photographed @ Stanley Park Blackpool © Cliff Raby
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Humphrey the Blue Tit185 viewsI keep bumping into this guy, who's got what looks like a deformed spine, photographed @ Stanley Park Blackpool © Cliff Raby
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Not sure what caterpillar this is112 viewsany thoughts appreciated, photographed @ Todderstaffe Hall near Singleton
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Common Scoter143 viewswell once again I mistook a female Common Scoter for a female Ruddy Duck - on this occasion a post on a birding website by a local birder (Stephen Dunstan) mentioned there being a Scoter on the Mere & he went onto confirm that's what I'd photographed.
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Black headed Gull146 viewssomewhat bizarrely, this Black headed Gull seems to be perched on some sort of camera that's stuck in the reedbed at Marton Mere nature reserve, Blackpool
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Mute Swans135 viewsWhat I think were two male Swans fighting over three female Swans that were close by, photographed @ Marton Mere nature reserve Blackpool
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Mute Swans144 viewsWhat I think were two male Swans fighting over three female Swans that were close by, photographed @ Marton Mere nature reserve Blackpool
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White ducks (I know not what type?)137 viewsphotographed @ Martin Mere WWT reserve
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Caddisfly Larva123 viewscomplete with it's mobile home, made from in this case what looks like peices of reed stems, the Caddisfly use their own glue to make cases out of sand grains or pieces of plants, which they then carry around with them & duck inside for protection. Photographed at the dipping ponds @ Leighton Moss RSPB reserve
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Dragonfly Larva Leighton Moss RSPB reserve116 viewstaken at the dipping ponds, I've no idea what type of Dragonfly it'll grow up to be though
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Dragonfly Larva120 viewstaken at the dipping ponds, I've no idea what type of Dragonfly it'll grow up to be though.
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Pipit - I've no idea what type?133 viewsphotographed from Lower Hide @ Leighton Moss RSPB reserve
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Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula Leighton Moss RSPB reserve128 viewsTufted Duck with young photographed where the channel crosses the causeway @ Leighton Moss RSPB reserve. What gorgeous little ducklings they are.
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Osprey193 viewsphotographed from a layby overlooking Leighton Moss RSPB reserve - what an absolute thrill & a privilege it was to see this majestic bird, to get some photographs was the icing on the cake.
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Cormorant151 viewsI noticed this Cormorant was ringed, so I brought the photo to the attention of Pete Marsh of LDBWS, a few emails later I was advised the Cormorant was "ringed as Pullus, Puffin Island, Anglesey 13/07/2008". Knowing something about the history of the bird makes what was otherwise just a record shot much more interesting.
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Whooper Swan132 viewswhat a beautiful looking Swan
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Whooper Swan138 viewsthe girl from the RSPCA asked me to come with her to Pilling Sands so that when she released the Swan if it was unable to fly I could help her re-catch it. I agreed of course, but what I didn't count on was how fast it could run, it shot off towards the estuary with little chance of us catching it.
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Whooper Swan166 viewstime for a firm hand. With the swan restrained she checked it's wings for breaks, the Swan was trying to flap both wings so she concluded it was unlikely it had a broken wing. Apparently they sometimes think roads are rivers & land on them by mistake, stunning themselves, which is maybe what happened to this bird.
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Noisy bugger159 viewsI don't know what type of fighter plane this is, but there are always plenty of them flying overhead at Newton Marsh as they fly in & out of the BAE airfield at nearby Warton.
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Goose188 viewsI've no idea what this one is
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Grey Heron with breakfast236 viewsThis Heron was swallowing what looks like a young Coot or Moorhen maybe. Not a great shot as it was tucked away in the gloom.
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American Mink676 viewsIn spring 2007 I was stood photographing the Grey Herons, when suddenly the whole Heronry went wild, making a real racket, it was soon clear what had agitated them when this Mink appeared from the undergrowth & quietly slipped into the water & swam away. It was a fantastic sighting & they're a beautiful animal, what a shame they're such a menace.
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American Mink Mustela vison Stanley Park Blackpool565 viewsIn spring 2007 I was stood photographing the Grey Herons, when suddenly the whole Heronry went wild, making a real racket, it was soon clear what had agitated them when this Mink appeared from the undergrowth & quietly slipped into the water & swam away. It was a fantastic sighting & they're a beautiful animal, what a shame they're such a menace.
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Brown Rat520 viewsThe park, somewhat worryingly, had a thriving population of rats up until 2007. They had a series of tunnels at one corner of the lake where it was believed they were breeding. In 2007 the Council destroyed their tunnels & poisoned the rats & I've not seen one since.
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Gull (not sure what type?)195 viewsMarton Mere nature reserve Blackpool
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