A Good Day for the Butterflies.

Horseriding on a glorious day, what more can one ask for.  A walk on the moors - even better on such a lovely day.  Enjoyed my lunch at the car park at sheepwash and sure enough the cuckoo soared across the moor into one of its favourite trees, being mobbed by the smaller birds.  Then up and over the top to find lots of Green Hairstreaks.  Through the woods and down to the reservoir produced speckled woods and Green Veined and Small White, whilst the goslings are much bigger than the last time I saw them.  Home to clean the car for the long haul to Scotland tomorrow, cant wait.  Watch this space.

Green Veined White

Small White

Speckled Wood

The Little Hedgies have made it through the bad weather in my garden.  I love them they are so cute.

(Ambition No. 1  -  Meet Will I Am - he is so funny.
"              No. 2  -  Be able to sing - that will never happen!
Can you tell I have been watching the Voice on tv.
Ambition No. 3  -  See Killer Whales in British waters.
Ambition No. 4  -  Move to Mull.)



Thrush Nightingale

Visited the Thrush Nightingale today for some better pictures, although the light was poor I was happier with the results.

One of those special days!

Every now and then you get one of those days when birds turn up and a new bird is added to your life list. Today was another of those days.....................the weather was grey and cold but the birds brighten up an otherwise drab day. A late start and a run over to Hartlepool Headland to see the Thrush Nightingale a 'lifer' for both of us, also there was a Lesser Whitethroat.

A stop of at the Zinc Works road gave us our first Whinchat of the year.

Then we travelled down to South Gare to catch up with several Red-backed Shrike that were there. Also in the same area was a Red-breasted Flycatcher and the Wryneck was still in residence, brilliant.

Thrush Nightingale

Lesser Whitethroat

Whinchat

Wryneck

Red-backed Shrike (male)

Red-backed Shrike (female)

Wryneck in the sunshine.

Caught up with the Wryneck again on Thursday - gave exceptional views. A passing weasel took a fancy to it but luckily the bird was too quick for it.

South Gare Comes Alive

A late and brief visit to South Gare this evening produced a Wryneck and possible Marsh Warbler but we failed to find the Bluethroat which others had seen when we got there.

 Wryneck

Marsh Warbler?

Red-backed Shrike drops in.

A cracking female Red-backed Shrike showed up at the Zinc Works Road at Seaton Common this morning, although it spent the majority of the time out of camera distance it did have a brief sortie closer to the road and allowed some reasonable images.............great to see.

 Red-backed Shrike (female)

 Eating lunch (Bee)

Going Cuckoo

Our local Cuckoo's have made it back to Sheepwash, managed a few record shots in the poor light and rain.

Wood Sandpiper - shows well.

Made the trip to Saltholme today to see what was about ............nothing new but the Wood Sandpiper gave some nice close views, although in poor light, it is still a stunning bird. The Temminck's Stint came a little bit closer but still to distant for photo's.



 A few pictures of the Wood Sandpiper

 My first Swift of the year

 Couldn't resist a picture of a Sedge Warbler again,

 The Temminck's Stint............if you can find it!!

p.s. the Avocets are still on the Saline Lagoon.

Last day of Spring???

The weather forecast is for a return to colder, windy and possibly wet weather tomorrow. Couldn't really be bothered to go birding as we had to take the old car into the garage and it looked like it's on it's last legs.

As the forecast wasn't good for tomorrow I thought I would just nip out for an hour or so ......glad I did as Temmincks Stint and Wood Sandpiper gave some distant views during my visit to the Saltholme area ....but no pic's. Caught up with Sedge Warbler, Common and Lesser Whitethroat, Common Tern and Yellow Wagtail. Not a bad a couple of hours.

 Common Whitethroat

 Sedge Warbler

 Yellow Wagtail

Lesser Whitethroat