Nightingale delight.

Could anyone please confirm if this is an Early Purple Orchid?

Many thanks as not very good with orchid id even after looking in the books.

Garganey
Pied Flycatcher

Siskin

Newts

Escaping to Safety!

Curlew

Dipper

Nest Building

Shoveler

Had a good few sightings in the past few days. Had our first House Martins and a very obliging Garganey at Margrove Ponds and today heard a Nightingale singing at Cowpen Bewley Country Park with a very fleeting glimpse but hearing the song was good enough. We had a run across towards Richmond and Reeth and along the river near the Stang and had Dipper, Redstart and Pied Flycatcher it was a lovely clear, sunny day once you got out of the wind.

Brilliant Weather

Green Hairstreak

Golden Plover

Skylark

Wren

Wheatear

Grey Partridge

Yellow Wagtail

Last week went so quick and back to work now for some of us although Mick is not able to go as he now has shingles and is not very well at all. He looks 'terrible' to say the least. Hope he gets better soon so we can go out and about again. Keep wishing I could be a wildlife guide instead of a Teaching Assistant, not that I don't enjoy my job because I do but I would rather be the other more.

We did manage to go out early in the weekend and found lots of Green Hairstreak on the moors around Reeth, the most we have seen together so far.

The last week

Treecreeper
Two male Redstarts

We were sat on the moors watching for the Redstarts when we heard this continuous 'tap, tap'. We eventually located this Nuthatch basically knocking hell out of this nut. A very determined bird indeed.

Nuthatch
Wheatear

Common Whitethroat

Chiffchaff (I think and not Willow Warbler)

Grasshopper Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Managed to get the wader pictures from Newburn at Seaton Carew.

Turnstone

Dunlin

Ringed Plover

Purple Sandpiper - the bogey bird when I was in Scotland.

Stonechat

Razorbill

Kittiwake

Gannet

Fulmar

Well the weather has been fantastic for this time of year so have tried to spend as much time out of doors as we could. We went to Bempton on Sunday which was a super day although we only managed to see two Puffins on the sea. Plenty of other birds around though along with a shore lark and Yellow Wagtail in the fields. Around the local area there are plenty of Redstart, Whitethroats and lots of warblers including a very vocal Grasshopper Warbler which we sat and watched yesterday for about 15 mins, just singing its head off.

A Brilliant Week

Crested Tit Capercaille

Osprey

Rook

Long Tailed Duck

Sandwich Tern

Red Squirrel

Blue Tit

Found it difficult to get connected to the internet whilst away so will post a few photos now I have returned home. It was a brilliant weeks holiday, met some really friendly people, the guide - Dave Pullan, found us some excellent birds and the weather was excellent. Can thoroughly recommend a holiday with Heatherlea especially for me as I was waited on hand and foot.

My favourite bird was the Crested Tit, although it was difficult to locate but managed it in the end. Next I have to say was the spectacular Capercaille which was brilliant to watch. The only bird we were unable to locate was the Ptarmigan which was not through the lack of trying. We climbed Cairngorm on the Thursday and could not have asked for a better day weather wise, it was actually very warm, especially when you have put so many clothes on thinnking it may be cold. The only bird we did see towards the top was a Ring Ouzle. I can't wait to go back to that area again especially to visit the coastal area of Speyside Bay.