Baddesley Clinton, Sunday 7th August

OK, this was an unplanned trip out, not because of my leg, but because of various traffic issues around and about.

It was planned to go to Charlecote Park, for a chilled out half day with Mrs PR to celebrate our wedding anniversary. TBH, my wife needs a medal after putting up with me for all this time, but hey-ho, it was not to be Charlecote Park, there was a burst water main on the A46 between Longbridge Island (the M40 junc) and Warwick. Add to that with the Commonwealth Games, Warwick and leamington were closed to traffic for the cycle events, and the only other option was via Southam and Long itchington, which has roads closed for HS2 construction.

So Charlecote Park was a non-event this time.

With all the other road closures around, HS2 related and also a rather large housing estate between us and Birmingham, (I'm beginning to feel a prisoner in my own little environment these days with all the ongoing construction work along with my leg) left one option, Baddesley Clinton.

But wait, its the only available route from Birmingham to Warwick with the A46 closed!

But we chanced it, and damned pleased we did, the traffic was non-existent and added to that, Baddesley was very quiet as well.

Even better, once parked up and we'd entered the courtyard, there was a massive flypast of swallows!

Perfect.

I'd even got the new camera, but left the 2x extender at home.

A very pleasant wander around the grounds, past the moat (Baddesley Clinton is a medieval moated house) down to the lake, and being National Trust, has plenty of benches I could stop and sit to rest my leg.

The lake was generally quiet, apart from common darters chasing each other across the water. Sadly there was too much quick movement for me to photo just yet,  but it was a pleasure for us both to sit and watch.

There were some mallard ducklings, probably a second brood, still very young and fluffy, with some older ones and others close to adult size and plumage and a moorhen perch on a log.

Also lots of bees and butterflies, and they were easy to photograph, even sitting down on one of the benches. I've no idea what the flowers are, other than they're bright, colourful, and the bees and butterflies were loving them.

And the butterflies. At 400mm uncropped on the new R5 with the 100-400 lens, a meadow brown

and cropped using the afore mentioned set up.

Another meadow brown, again cropped and using  the afore mentiond setup.

and the last butterfly, a comma, again cropped as above

And the scoop of the morning before lunch, a swallow family, using the R5 and 100-400 lens.

One of the youngsters stretching its wings then scrambling back into the nest before mum or dad return with food...

All four back in the nest, ready for any food on offer...

In comes the food.....

Off to fetch some more food....

Busy parents, hungry chicks....

A successful morning, then it was off for lunch in the converted stable block before going back home.