OUT IN THE SUNSHINE.

The sun was shining on Friday morning so after I'd done some household chores I grabbed the camera and headed out.I went to the local place where I'd found a pair of Spotted Flycatchers earlier in the week hoping to improve on the so so pics I'd taken.

This was going to be easy because I knew where they liked to perch and I knew roughly where the nest was.So was it easy ? No it wasn't. Far from it.I couldn't find them at all.After an hour of being patient they didn't show.Had they gone ?

I gave up and decided to head over to Brandon Marsh that was not that far away.Ended up quite quickly at the Newlands screens getting there at just after 10.00 AM.There was no one there and there were no Hobbies on show.I wasn't too worried because I knew these chaps usually arrived at 10.30 AM and true to form two turned up at 10.35 AM.

I stayed there till 1.00 PM and during this period there were at least one showing and up to four on a couple of occasions.As on my previous visits they stayed to the south of the screens hopeless for shots due to the sun.During my stay six togs paid a visit most left quite quickly because the Hobbies weren't paying ball and when one of the Hobbies did fly past the screens to near the dead tree there were three of us there to rattle of some shots.

There was much swearing as we all struggled to get the Hobby in focus.I managed a few decent shots including a sequence of it feeding.  

I then went to to the cafe for a cup of tea but it's not the same there now since the film star waitress has left.It was like spending some time on a Hollywood film set but now it's just a cafe.

After lunch I teamed up with old friend Jeff Rankin who was in macro mode and helped him search for a Dingy Skipper near the wind pump.I had no idea what they were like so was no help and when Jeff found one I was amazed how small it was.Quite rare at Brandon apparently.

I spent the next hour with Jeff and he pointed out various Damson and Dragonflies to me.I struggled to get decent shots with my 400 lens and I've forgotten what they are called except the last one which I believe is a Four Spotted Chaser.Good fun.