Tuesday 2 May 2017

Bank Holiday Business

The weekend has been cool and breezy but I have had three days work free, not including gardening mind but that doesn't count. Moth trapping has been typically slow with nigh time temperatures a little on the low side still. I have still had some interesting moths though, Streamer, Muslin Moth being the highlights.

Streamer
Muslin Moth
A large queen Tree Bumblebee was floundering on my lawn just as I was about to give it a cut, managed a snap before it buzzed off..


Tree Bumblebee
I even managed a snap of a Common Frog in the garden pond, it allowed me to get really close.




Visited to a couple of favourite inland sites, Hedgeley and Ingram Valley, I wasn't the only one visiting Ingram, its a popular area when the weather is reasonable, a nice Whinchat, Common Sandpiper and hundreds of Sand Martins made the short visit worthwhile.

Sunday morning was my only proper outing of the weekend, coastal watching. Met up with Stewart and headed to Beadnell, a brief seawatch was unproductive, Gannets, Kittiwake, distant Terns and groups of Auks offshore. There were a couple of Common Sandpiper in sheltered bay to the north of the point. A cracking Wheatear posed for us in Beadnell Bay as we headed back to the car.
Wheatear
Monks House Pool was quiet, we ended up at Low Newton for our first brew of the day, the small wood by the tin church at Newton seemed to have a fair few migrants in.. male and female Blackcap, Chiff Chaff and Willow Warbler. The only photo I managed though was a singing Wren. Newton Pool and the flooded fields had a very obliging Grey Heron, Sedge Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Grasshopper Warbler, Blackcap and a couple of superb White Wagtails.


Singing Wren


Grey Heron
Finished the morning at a site near Alnwick here we have had Green Hairstreak previously, one of my favourite of all things.. no luck, to early, to cold or to windy, or even.. no Green Hairstreaks anymore. A lovely piece of moist and sweet apple cake, provided by Stewart courtesy of Howick Village Hall,  with our final cup of tea was a bonus but no consolation..

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