July and August...

We're running out of time with this review of the year by instalments thingy, so to quicken the pace here's my equivalent of the Boxing Day sales: two for the price of one. Not sure what I was doing in July, but checking my hard drive it can't have been wildlife photography. Some big gaps between downloads as the birding doldrums set in no doubt. Those barrels which were scraped produced:

Kestrel at Kimmeridge: my photo of the month for July

House Martin in the Lake District - a flying visit to mark my brother's 50th

Collared Pratincole on the Somerset Levels - a short range twitch after work

The Arne café Nightjar - bird of the month for July by virtue of the great views it afforded 

Brown Hairstreak at Alners Gorse - my first in Dorset

August was a bit more productive thanks to a holiday with the family on Dartmoor, a trip to Kent to catch up with my old pal Matt Jones over from New Zealand, a spot of mid-week twitching for a first for Britain and the start of autumn migration on the patch.

Three of us dashed off to Minsmere mid-week for this Western Purple Swamphen - the first record for Britain - which didn't stay until the weekend but later relocated to Lincolnshire. Bird of the month for August

A Silver-spotted Skipper on Fontmell Down was one of the highlights of August

Kingfisher at Grove Ferry in Kent - my photo of the month for August

Goosander on the idyllic River Dart in Devon

Male Redstart on Darmoor

Spotted Flycatcher on Dartmoor

We joined several hundred others at Arne for Hen Harrier Day in August - protesting at the illegal persecution of these rare and remarkable birds of prey

Sedge Warbler at Swineham