Garden Tick followed by a Patch Tick (30th July)

Instead of braving the rain today I set the scope up and pointed it at the garden feeders.  The usual garden birds were hanging around when I came to the gradual realisation that one of the tits was infact a MARSH TIT!  This was an incredible record for this neck of my local patch as I have never seen or heard Marsh Tit in and around Kings Langley Woods despite birding it for 4-5 years!  The closest population that I know of is approximately a mile away as the tit flies so the chances of one straying this far is not short of remarkable in terms of the standard of KL Woods!  A while later, as the rain persisted, I realised a second bird must be visiting as it had a wider bib and cleaner plumage.  This was confirmed when eventually both birds arrived at the feeder simultaneously, brilliant!  I'm very hopeful a breeding population will settle in KL Woods as the conditions are promising and after a long absence it would be great to have a bird in serious decline breeding close to home again, here's hoping!

Marsh Tit garden tick!

pointed tail feather ends suggest this may be a 1st year bird dispersing

The afternoon dog walk was my responsibility so I decided to head in the direction of Scatterdells Woods instead of the farmland behind the RSSKL for change of scenery.  Gulls are on the slight increase with 22 Black-headed Gulls and 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the playing field of the KL School.  2 Whitethroats, 3 Skylarks and 1 Yellowhammer completed the bird scene but by far the highlight was another patch first in Scatterdells Wood.

I'd forgotten about my target species that I was hoping to find here but after working my way through the overgrown footpath, I suddenly stumbled on exactly what I was looking for, a female SILVER-WASHED FRITILLARY!!  A welcome patch first for myself and a stunning show of too.  She landed a couple inches from my leg and too frightened to spook her I reached for my phone hoping to get a quick picture.  Unfortunately, she flew but after a short disappearance I was treated to more prolonged views and a great opportunity to photograph her.

female Silver-washed Fritillary