A 'Tern' for the better

Actually went for a quick run over to Saltholme this afternoon! Managed to catch up with the Black Terns that have been here for a couple of days and also managed a distant view of a Little Stint, nothing much else in the area though.

Had an hour at South Gare yesterday, fairly quiet with just Common Terns, Guillemot and a Wheatear here. Did see some Common Blue and Wall Butterflies.

 

 Black Tern

 

Common Blue 

 

 

 Small Copper

 Wall

 

Common Tern 

 Guillemot

Starling 

Turnstone

 

A few days away.

We have just returned from a few nights away staying at Challan Hall in Silverdale which is just a few minutes from Leighton Moss.  We visited Gaitbarrows Nature Reserve which is a wonderful place to walk but just wish we had visited a few weeks earlier as a lot of the summer butterflies were no longer around.  We did however still manage to see what was probably one of the last High Brown Fritillary left this year.  The Green Woodpeckers around Challan Hall were very nosiy!!

Some views around Arnside

 

 

Green Woodpecker

Lesser Whitethroat

 

 

Buzzard

Spotted Redshank

 

Lapwing

Bullfinch

 Nuthatch

 Purple Hairstreak

 High Brown Fritillary

 

 

 

A selection of butterflies.

Not much happening birdwise at the moment so we have been concentrating on the butterflies when weather and time off allow.

We visited Smardale Gill on the 7th August and what a fantastic day that was.  We have never seen so many Scotch Argus as we did that day, to the point one was landing on our feet and another on the camera!  As soon as the sun got out and the heat went up then they came out but later in the day when it clouded over then they disappeared  quickly as though they had never been there.

Dark Green Fritillary

 

 

Scotch Argus

 

 

Small Skipper

Meadow Brown

Peacock

Tortoiseshell

Common Blue

Common Blue

 

Brown Argus

Small Heath

Large White

Green Veined White

Silver Y

And this moth which was also flying through the day

And this little fellow who kept running in and out of his nest.