Nature red and Orange-tip surprise

Orange-tip, Anthocharis cardamines

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

On Wednesday I attended an induction session as a video volunteer at Arundel WWT. Five of us will visit regularly and hopefully some of our work will appear in the publicity videos. During our tour the Snake’s Head Fritillaries on a wetland island were pointed out. Later I sat in the Sand Martin Hide and watched a lone duckling swim from right to left. It headed for Gull Island, which was covered in the Black-headed variety. A pair of Herring Gulls were pleased to see it and when it arrived at the island it was plucked from the water, became the subject of a tug of war and was finally downed in one, head first.

As I left the reserve I was delighted to see my first Orange-tip of the year flying around the reed bed. Later at Angmering Woods I spotted another and was able to obtain open wing shots. On Thursday I found a Magpie Ink Cap at the same site.

Black-headed Gulls, Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Snake's Head Fritillaries, Fritillaria meleagris
lurking among the reeds

Cootling, Fulica atra

nesting Coscoroba Swan, Coscoroba coscoroba

Lapwing (Peewit), Vanellus vanellus

Mallard duckling, Anas platyrhynchos, heading for Gull Island

 Herring Gull, Larus argentatus taking duckling

Click here for the full story of the Herring Gull and the duckling

Angmering Woods:

Comma, Polygonia c-album

Orange-tip, Anthocharis cardamines

Magpie Ink Cap, Coprinus picaceus