A Slow Week

Have been doing a spot of decorating at home so have not been out a great deal over the last week. Even when we have been out it still seems extremely quiet.

A Grey Wagtail now feeding young at Hutton Rudby

The Hawthorn is starting to blossom

A Reed Bunting taking in the late sunshine at Sheepwash

A Greater Spotted Woodpecker at Sleddale

A Kestrel at Dandy Beacon with a Lizard for lunch

A Snipe near Commondale

A male Redstart gave great views near Hawnby

Our first Common Whitethroat of the year near to Hawnby .... Also heared our first Cuckoo of the year here.

At last the wild flowers ar starting to bloom

Hare

Peacock Butterfly

The Green Hairstreak are back on the wing

A young Dipper at Helmsley

A female Redstart taking in the sun

A Comma was a nice find

A Brimstone was even better........

Sunday Blues.

A typical Sunday..........full of expectation for a full day out and about, then down comes the rain and the wind picks up. Went over to Nosterfield to try out some new 'Bins' as mine are about past there sell by date. Not much on the reserve Common Sandpiper was about the best bird there. An astonishing amount of hirudines were present ......but no Red-rumped Swallow.

Called in to Foxglove Covert on the way back. The Lesser Redpoll flock was still present with good numbers seen along with an odd Siskin. The highlight yet again was a long staying Brambling which showed very well, all but very briefly.

Brambling

 Lesser Redpoll

 Siskin

What a difference a day makes.

Mick's birthday today so we went out for lunch at Fletchers Farm cafe in Great Ayton.  It is only open on a Saturday and Sunday but the food is great and it is well worth a visit.  By the time we came out the sun had appeared and the sky was clearing so we decided to go and visit the moors again. 

Pied Flycatchers

Redstart

Willow Warbler

Red Legged Partridge

Sun, hail, snow then Flycatchers, all in one day!

Mick finished nights and went straight to South Gare, clear blue sky but unfortunately not many birds.  A few wheatear, Linnet, Ringed Plover and a total lack of seabirds.  We had already decided we would go up onto the moors to see if the Redstart were back when I got in from work but little did we know there would be an almighty hail shower but we still decided to go in case the sky cleared after.  Up onto the moor when it started to snow which turned to rain.  As we parked up the rain began to ease off so we sat in the car and then true to form within 5 mins. a male Pied Flycatcher appeared followed shortly by the female.  We had a glimpse of a Redstart in the same location but it flew and we could not locate it again.  There were however plenty of warbler around too.  All photos taken from the comfort of the car as it was so cold, poor birds they don't know what they have come to!!

Pied Flycatcher

Wheatear

 Meadow Pipit

 Linnet

Shelduck

Garden Tick.

Thursday - eventually caught up with a Blackcap that I had heard but not seen over the last couple of days. This is a first for one of these in our garden.

A quiet weekend.

The weekend has come and gone with little excitement on the migrant front. The numbers of summer birds continues at a trickle but lots of resident birds seen to have evaporated and raptors seem to have disappeared. A run over the Durham moors and a visit to the Barnard Castle area was only steady to say the least.

Grey Wagtail 

Pied Wagtail 

House Martin 

 Swallow

Siskin 

Wheatear 

Oystercatcher 

Red Grouse 

House Sparrow

Nuthatch  

Dipper 

Gooseander