A short visit to Treskilling Downs this afternoon produced my first opportunity to take pictures of an Osprey. It was being mobbed by Corvids when I first spotted it and was even more distant by the time I got the camera from my car. At least I got record shots. I THINK it was a ringed bird.

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Bird conservation: Alaotra grebe confirmed extinct

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8702000/8702598.stm

I couldn't resist a few more shots today...
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Squacco Heron today at Snowlands Fisheries, Par. Sorry there's so many images, but it's not every day you get a Squacco Heron up the road from where you live, and I have to THANK Ashley for letting me know it was there. I am going to get that iphone Ash! It's a beautiful bird.
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We had a very lively visitor this evening. I grabbed a few shots with the Nikon Coolpix after cooling it down a little, but I didn't like to keep it for too long!

I think it's a Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata), but would appreciate it if anyone can correct me.
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Arial Mating Swifts

Whilst I was in the garden yesterday, looking up at the Swifts I saw something I've not seen before. There were two Swifts in flight together and in a split second one maneuvered itself above the other and they mated. It was all over very quickly. I was amazed, but suspected it would be common. When I mentioned it to Roger today he said that I was lucky to have seen it, so I thought I would look into it a little more. The link below is interesting, with in flight, arial mating shots:-

http://www.commonswift.org/Aerial-mating.html

An unexpected highlight to brighten my day!
I just had to get out this evening. I am so busy at work and with other "stuff" too; I just needed to get away from it all. I intended to do a bit of a tour of the area; Par, Menabilly, Porthpean and maybe even Pontsmill but at the first stop, which was Par I realised it was hopeless. It was just too cold and my condition is pretty severe at present. I can only describe it as like having a ball and chain. The will is there, but it always holds me back.
Enough grumbling!
I gave up at Par quite quickly and said I needed to go home, but Trevor suggested Menabilly and I could just stay in the car, which I didn't of course! On the road to Menabilly we spotted two blobs in a field. We pulled into a gateway and I jumped out to get some shots. (Unbeknown to Trevor) I had wedged his car door against the hedge and stood on the sill, leaning against the door to get some height, as I was not tall enough to focus on the birds above the grass! Anyway, they are over-exposed and I couldn't hold myself steady, let alone the camera, but at least I got some shots!

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