Rosemary, Lily and The Jack of Hearts

Parked up in the car park at Warkworth Dunes mid morning, thought I'd check the Coquet Estuary. The sound was wonderful, singing birds; Summer visitors seemed loudest, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler and Chiff Chaff as well as some residents, Robin, Dunnock, Reed Bunting, Wren, Skylark and Blackbird.
A group of younger people than myself had made the car park their home for the day and were cooking food and generally wandering around vehicles and tents. Music was playing loudly and competing with the birdsong. The title of this post will give you the idea, I do like Bob Dylan but I wanted to hear the birds, I headed off to the estuary.
 


Old Water

Some good early wild flowers to enjoy now. I love White Dead Nettles, great insect flowers.

 

White Dead Nettles

As I approached the start of the saltmash I could see it was very low tide, not many birds to see, a single drake Gadwall drifted slowly closer to the reed bed as I approached.
The salt marsh was carpetted in the wonderful white flowers of English Scurvy Grass
(I think).

 

 

English Scurvy Grass

I Followed the track along the north shore of the estuary and stopping occasionally to scope the low tide mud flats. Nothing really of interest, a small group of Sandwich Tern were the only birds of note.

 

 

 

 

Common Spotted Orchid flowering

There is a cut that runs through the sand dunes and leads to the north peir, I was wandering through the soft sand and cursing to myself for having brought my telescope, selected wellington boots as the footwear required for this walk and put on a jacket. It really was a warm morning, very pleasant, if I'd not brought my scope and dressed for winter. 

My eye was caught by some butterflies at my feet. Fabulous Green Veined Whites. I counted approximately 12 or so in this area, these superb little butterflies were the highlight of this outing without a doubt. They were fluttering from Dandelion flowers and the light Westerly breeze was blowing then around making photographing them difficult. A couple of surfer dudes walked past me when I was lying on my front in the sand taking a picture, I could tell what they were thinking and I wanted to explain, I said nothing.

 

 

 

Green Veined Whites

I walked to the pier end and then back to Bob Dylan...