Butterflies and Birds

At last some Butterflies are out on the North Yorkshire Moors, with Green Hairstreak, Dukes and a Dingy Skipper located. Bonus birds were the returning Turtle Doves - really pleased they made it back and avoided the onslaught of the shooters in the Med.

The Holly Blue made a return visit to our garden tonight and 'roosted' in our conifer tonight

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday at Smardale

Had a trip to Smardale Gill on Sunday - a pleasant day out, with Spotted Flycatcher,Redstart, Raven showing along with Common Lizard.

 

 

Red-spotted Bluethroat and Dotterel

 

A nice weekend for some special birds. A Red-spotted Bluethroat turned up at Hartlepool on Friday and gave some spectacular views, we also caught up with the Dotterel at Danby Beacon which hadn't turned up in such numbers for quite a few years with up to 16 showing well this year.

 

 

 



Bolton Abbey

A Trip to Bolton Abbey near Skipton was a nice day out with good weather and some decent birding.

 

 The Abbey

 Some good terrain

 

 Redstarts were common place

 Only a couple of Common Sandpiper seen/heard.

 Young Dipper out and about.

 Mandarin

 Mandarin female

 Nuthatch

 Pied Flycatcher

 Spotted Flycatcher

 Wood Warbler

 

Called in at Saltholme on the way back and caught up with some of the 14 Black Terns and Whiskered Tern that had turned up !!



Things are warming up - at last.

The weather has started to improve at last and this has given us the chance to catch up with some of our local and not so local birds.

 

With the change in weather a change in the skies.

 At last the Lapwing chicks have started to hatch.

A little Owl at Great Ayton

 A Little Ringed Plover on Seaton Common

 Skylark

.Our first Whinchat of the year.

 A Stunning Barn Owl at the roadside at Faceby