16th May. I visited the local country park today to check out rooms for our RSPB group’s 40th anniversary celebrations in June 2009. Although a celebration for group members it is focusing on encouraging families along and offering talks, bird and botanical walks, pond dipping and a host of other events. I couldn’t visit with out a look on the pond and I was rewarded with a good sighting of a pair of Black Necked Grebe which were new ones for the year list. Numbers of Lesser Black Back Gulls were on the water and two Common Terns were on the breeding site. On my walk there I had good sightings of Whitethroat and Long Tailed Tits and found Leopardsbane, two varieties one being Plantain –leaved Leopardsbane D x excelsum I think, growing in hedge (one of which is my new avatar). The Lilac Syringa vugaris was rather good too, and as I understand a few species of butterfly breed on this, it may well explain why this small area is a good one for viewing butterflies.

After taking a shot of Red Campion Silene dioica I was in a cold sweat when I went to my bag for my binoculars had they weren’t there. Definitely though I had said goodbye to them and already working out the cost of a new pair, but eventually found them in the long grass next to the Red Campion

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