Southern Flyers

Common Blues mating, Polyommatus icarus

Another landmark in my recovery.  My last trip to the Lagoon was on Christmas Day- between operations.  We had chicken sandwiches, a flask of tea, and watched the Merganser ducks.   And we went again Wednesday morning - to see more Mergansers. Though that was not what we were looking for- we were hoping to find - er - the Duke of Fritillary of the Duck world (i.e. I can't remember its name) - I am just checking with Captain Butterfly at the next computer - it was the Red-throated Diver duck - confusingly it has a white-throat in winter.

We didn't find them, but nice to see the Mergansers.   And I was able to walk all along the lagoon and back this time, plus do a little bit of bank scrambling.

Yesterday I was out on the field service with a young brother. We had a couple of long chats on the doorsteps, though it was very cold. And my knees still feel very uncomfortable when I have been standing for a while.   We finished our territory and I drove him to one of his regular calls before taking him home.  It was a lovely, if cold, morning.  And of course it was the meeting in the evening. Maggie is back, and I took her the 2015 calendars.

Sand Martin, Riparia riparia

It is a slightly different calendar this year, and we called it "Southern Flyers".  Not every shot is a butterfly, or a moth.  It is the best ever though.