I've been looking forward to this week for a while. It's the week that we normally get loads of migrating birds passing back through heading south again. So far, it's been a bit of a disappointment. No wrynecks and no whinchats yet. Today we had a common redstart. These are sort-of resident but we see more during migration times. This was the closest she came to the house.

Another buzzard sequence today. These photos were taken through a window so are a bit rubbish. The technique the buzzard used to eat this unfortunate slow worm was:-

1. Tug and bite its head until it comes off
2. Suck the rest in like a string of spaghetti
3. Burp loudly (OK, this bit didn't happen)

The photos show the whole grizzly process.

This copper underwing moth flew in through my office window midway through the afternoon. Its not rare and not particularly interesting, but it was surprising to have it fly into the house in the daytime.

It was a beautiful, warm day today. We were lucky enough to see this female brown hairstreak laying eggs on our plum tree. I collected the branches and now have two eggs which I will keep safe overwinter.

While cutting the field maple yesterday, I collected this Geometrid caterpillar. I've no idea what it is. Hopefully I can get him through to adulthood.

We've heard talk of Swallowtail butterflies being quite common further down the valley, but I didn't really expect to see one in the garden. This nice fresh specimen stayed on the buddleia for a long time and I managed to get some really nice photos. This is definitely the most beautiful butterfly I've ever seen.

It was a colourful day today. Shortly after the swallowtail, this goldfinch came to see how our thistles are doing.

A juvenile red-backed shrike was hunting today.

Once again, a buzzard was perched closed to the house. I got some nice action shots of him landing.

The cows have moved, but the white wagtail was still around, catching insects down by the pond.

It was such nice weather, I decided to put the moth trap out. It wasn't as successful as I'd hoped, but I did get a nice new species for the garden; a tree-lichen beauty. It's not a surprise to find one of these here - tree lichen is one thing we're not short of.

There were a few forest bugs and wasps in the trap. Here's a photo of a forest bug. I didn't bother photographing the wasps.

We haven't seen a nuthatch since January, so it was nice to see this one today.

The female red-backed shrike was hunting close to the house.

A high-brown fritillary visited the buddleia.

As it is approaching the time when the swifts, swallows and house martins leave, I thought I'd practise my photographic technique and try to catch them flying. It isn't easy.

This buzzard was sitting in a tree quite close to the house.

The cows have returned for their second visit of the year. The grass needed trimming and the birds have already started returning now that they can see the insects better. This white wagtail was down by the pond.

We haven't seen a middle-spotted woodpecker for a while. This one has been visiting for the last couple of days but this is the first time I've had my camera to hand.

There's a very nice Rosa rugosa growing on the hill beside our house.

The buddleia is in full flower and attracted this perfect silver-washed fritillary today.

The oregano is also flowering and this speckled wood preferred this to the buddleia.

We have some fine greater burnet flowers too, but these don't seem to attract the insects.

This hazelnut was left on the roof of one of our sheds by a bird or a squirrel. It was gone a bit later, so someone had a nice surprise.

This young male bullfinch visited the garden today. He's just getting his adult colours.

We spent a couple of weeks back in the UK and arrived back today. We were pleased to see that the red-backed shrikes are still about.