Spotted flycatchers, mistle thrushes, damselflies and butterflies

On 2 August 2014, to Gooilust nature reserve. Home, to, eg, this blue-tailed damselfly.

In a ditch marking the border of Gooilust, a grey heron spreading its wings because of the heat. Minutes later, it cleaned its feathers.

Nuthatch sound. A great tit.

A bit further, an Egyptian goose flies, calling.

At the ‘dragonfly pond’, an emperor dragonfly flies around.

Many blue-tailed damselflies; like this couple in love.

Far above them, swifts flying. Soon, they will be on autumn migration to Africa.

Near the Gooilust mansion: two spotted flycatchers on a fence. Every now and then, they take off to catch insects. One of them sits down on a leafless branch; the usual resting spot for flycatchers, before humans made fences.

We arrive at the Gooilust garden. A buzzard flies past.

A recently fledged young mistle thrush is fed by a parent. Mistle thrushes in drenthe: here.

A bit further, a blackbird and a song thrush cross the footpath.

Willow emerald damselflies on the plants along a pond.

On a flower, a red admiral butterfly.

A bit further, a small tortoiseshell and a peacock butterfly on the same butterfly-bush flower; with a red admiral in the background.

Other butterflies: whitish with a bit of greenish: brimstone butterflies.

This is a brimstone butterfly video.

Edible frog sound.

The weather changes fast: from hot and sunny to thunderstorm. We go back. First, we hear the thunder and see the lightning. Then, rain starts. A little rain. Then, very much more rain.

A song thrush on the forest floor.

As thunder, lighting and rain continued, a buzzard took off from Corversbos field.