A Busy Weekend

Decided to go somewhere different this weekend instead of staying local especially as the weather was good.  On Saturday, after finding a pair of Spotted Flycatcher at the stables, we headed off to Mardale to see what was around there.  There were plenty of young Lapwings and Curlew around the moor along with a pair of Whinchat.  Lots of Redstart and a Pied Flycatcher along with a Jay.  We got our first Holly Blue of the year and a fly by of a Brimstone which was good to see but not as many butterflies as we expected.

Today we headed off to Holy Island and could not believe the temp. when we arrived, about 16 deg and foggy!! What had happened to the weather there.  It did however clear into the afternoon and we did manage to get a brief view of the Bluethroat and distant view of the Red Backed Shrike.
We also managed to catch up with White-winged Black Tern on our way home at Saltholme.

Spotted Flycatchers

Swallow

Whinchat

Our third Tawny Owl in a fortnight.

Holly Blue

Speckled Wood

Damselfly

Grey Partridge

Garden Warbler

Lapwing Chick

Curlew Chick

Not sure what this moth is.

Long-billed Dowitcher

Well this is another of Sylvia's must see birds - Turned up at Saltholme this morning and showed at distance during today. Brilliant to see.

Yeterday had a quick walk on the moors and came across good numbers of Green Haistreak butterflies.

Long-billed Dowitcher

Long-billed Dowitcher

Long-billed Dowitcher

Yellow Wagtail

Reed Bunting

Green Haistreak

Hare

Common Tern

Quail (briefly) and the Duke on the moors.

Dashed over to Hartlepool Headland to get a brief view of the Quail as it was flushed from the Croft garden, no pic's but good to see. A trip over the moors later turned up Duke of Burgundy butterfly at Hawnby.

Duke of Burgundy

Common Redstart

Bolton Abbey trip

Had a day out with the local RSPB to Bolton Abbey - lovely place to do a spot of birding. good variety of species which included, Common Sandpiper, Manderin Duck, Gooseander, Pied and Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart, Dipper, Nuthatch and Wood Warbler. Unfortunately we also encountered a mink which was an unwanted find.

Wood Warbler

Manderin Duck

Pied Flycatcher

Nuthatch

Dipper

Mink

Hobby's and Owl

After another late start to our day, we decided to head over to Nosterfield. The highlight of our visit was a fly through by 2 Hobby's which busied themselves trying to catch Hirundines on their way through.

On the way home we drove over towards Codbeck and here we spotted a nice Tawny Owl sat in a roadside tree...................click click!!

Tawny Owl

Hobby  (Very poor record shot)

Nightingale

Tried again for the Nightingale at Cowpen Bewley and was rewarded with brief views and an outstanding vocal rendition. Managed some record shots as it stayed deep in the Hawthorn bushes.

Nightingale

Yellow Wagtail on Seaton Common

Swift at Dormans Pool

Four Seasons (before lunch)

I bet when Vivaldi wrote 'Four Seasons' he didn't expect to get them before lunch in May.

Anyway managed to get out a couple of times looking for an expected fall of rarities which never transpired in the North-east, following the Bluethroat's marvellous showing in the rain!

But anyway if everything in life was predictable then wouldn't it be boring?

Nothing exciting about except our Cowpen Bewley Nightingale (which doesn't want me to get even a record shot of it) and the Spoonbill at Saltholme which remains too distant to photograph.

So I've put some of our more common bird's on the Blog.

Golden Plover

Wheatear

Kittiewake

Dunlin

Sanderling

Sedge Warbler

Little Tern

Swift