Flaming June!

 Well, not so much flaming in the heat sense as flaming June in the cold, annoying, sense!

This month has been a downer after that warmer week at the end of May, so here is a catch up.

In late May a Goldfinch built a nest in the apple tree just outside my home office window. We could watch her weaving the structure together with her finely pointed bill and rounding the cup with her body pushing downwards. By 27th May she was sitting, so we looked forward to the family developing. Sadly, that was not to be because after two or three days she just left the nest never to return. At the same time a poorly looking female Goldfinch was in the garden on the other side of the house. It may have been her, who can say.  

Goldfinch on the nest. Its a shoddy image as it is taken through an old cottage window so as not to disturb her.

  At the beginning of June, small numbers of Painted Lady arrived with half a dozen in a morning passing through the garden and with them a couple of Hummingbird Hawk-moths were seen.

Painted Lady looking a bit dishevelled after its flight from Africa.

Hummer on valerian on our drive.

More unusually, unprecedented in fact, was the arrival of Small Mottled Willow. Before this year I had only seen 3 in my life, but 22 have graced the trap so far in last few weeks. Shame there were no Eastern Bordered Straw that deluged as far north as Tynemouth.

Small Mottled Willow

  Insect migration soon dried up as the wind swung back NW with a colder edge and has been there ever since. Other resident garden and village wildlife included -

 

Large Pine Weevil, a lifer for me and randomly was found in our bathroom. I put it on the valerian before identification so I could get a photo.

 

Pammene aurana on verbascum when it should be on Hogweed...

Nemaphora degeerella seems to be having a good season.

We have 5 Mullein caterpillars across three Verbascums in the garden. This was the biggest of them and its enjoying the plant.

The first of the garden Tree Sparrows are out and about now, with adults taking nest material into boxes to refurbish for a second brood. We also have House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail and Blackbirds all with young. 

Pied Wagtail with fledgling .

Tree Sparrow juvs.

Sunny...

A day off today and the sun is shining. A loiter around the garden had a nice Red legged Partridge singing from the back field. I saw it as it ran off over the rise. This is a garden tick for me taking that list to 121 species in almost 6 years. Not bad.

While out, the local Goldfinches were very active today with males singing and swaying side to side for females nearby.I think they look territorial so there might be a breeding attempt in the garden this year?

Female Goldfinch.

Male Goldfinch singing...

Male swinging and swaying his fanned tail...

While the camera was out a Starling looked to good to ignore...

Is that...sunshine?

Yes, a bright sunny day! After 30 days of night this was a pleasant surprise despite the cold SE wind.

I decided to check out the northern end of the patch today taking in Hips Heugh and Craster.

Craster Harbour

On foot from home, it is about a 3 miles circular route over mixed farmland down to the coast. In a set bird food crop planted behind us was large flock of over 200 birds, inc 100+ Goldfinch, 50 Linnet, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Reed Bunting, 20+ Yellowhammers and 3 Grey Partridges. A lone Skylark flushed nearby.

Goldfinches

Grey Partridge

The wooded Arnold Reserve was bird free, but the harbour had a few waders -  6 Purple Sandpipers, 5 Turnstone, 20+ Oystercatcher, 2 Redshank and a single Rock Pipit was new for the list. Eiders, Gulls and Cormorants were offshore.

Boats

Purple Sandpiper

Turnstones

Walking back past the houses a Hebe hedge was in flower! February...

Then I noticed a sea angler just south of the village, fishing into the teeth of a gale from the rock edges. He appeared to be struggling to reel in and I assumed ( as is the case 99.99% of the time) that he was snagged or had a lot of kelp on the end.

What a surprise when he finally lifted up a Cod weighing 6lbs. It was a gravid female with a fat belly full of roe, so he unhooked and released it back into the sea. What a refreshing change from the tossers who kill every mackerel going in the summer. I hope this bloke catches more...

My first addition to the fish year list thanks to angler Mr Rob O'Hagan.

A Snatch of Patch...

Today was my first real bash at the patch, so armed with scope I headed off the have a 'stand and stare' from the high point at the Howick Haven. I arrived to meet a lovely calm sunrise over a mirror flat sea, with a mild very light SW1 blowing. Just the job for listening out for birds flying over.

Dawn at the Haven

As the dawn light increased, new patch species came thick and fast - 3 Purple Sandpipers, 11 Goldeneye, a pair of Red breasted Merganser, Common Scoter and a faint 'peep' alerted me to a nice female Kingfisher sitting on the rocks. Over head, 22 Pink feet flew south while 9 Red throated Divers loafed in the bay.

The view south, this is the south end of my patch.

And the view North towards the Bathing House and Dunstanburgh castle.

Further down to the burn mouth, a male Shelduck was a good find for the time of year being more easily seen in the spring. Another glance seaward added a Guillemot to the total.

Fired up with this boost, I headed around to the Pond Field to see if there were any ducks at all, as there were none on my last visit. As I was the first visitor here this morning at least Mallard, Teal and Little Grebe made a show, with Stock Dove, Greenfinch and a bonus female Blackcap in the woods for good measure.

Back home for a late breakfast, no new species were added, but on the feeders a Siskin was at the niger seed with Goldfinches, 4+ Long tailed Tits fed like animated lollipops on the nuts and at least 10 Tree Sparrows were on the seed feeders.

Goldfinch male. Note the extent of red on the face.

Long tailed Tit.

My first Moth trapping session of the year yielded only a single moth but it was notable, being my earliest Hebrew Character by a full month. 

Hebrew Character, first moth caught of 2013.

If this nice weather holds maybe a few common omissions from the bird list will show themselves...

The running total after today - 71 species ( 77 points). Maybe another 10 to get before the end of January...All on foot and all self found.

A Drive of Activity...

After Friday's Royal Wedding party at our Village Hall it was back to normal today, thank goodness.

Today was nice and warm in the sunshine, but in the nagging easterly breeze it could be very cool. Our drive way at home is nicely sheltered from the east, and the garden wildlife was taking full advantage ...

Above - This is the end of the drive, where I operate the moth trap. As you can see, 'wildness' is actively encouraged and apart from hand pulling clumps of grass and nettles, other plants are left for the wildlife. In here are Buddleia, Ivy and Forsythia, Periwinkle and Elder, while in the hardcore are Mullein, Black Medic, Dandelion, Ivy leaved Toadflax, Willowherbs, Teasel, Clover, Cow Parsley etc. Its a nice sunny spot on a day like today...

These Goldfinches and a pair of Greenfinches have been dandelioning daily and this morning a Tree Sparrow was collecting nesting material...

While above a pair of Swallows are investigating the shed...But the main interest has been from butterflies...

Wall Brown, the first of the year.

Orange Tips, usually too quick to photograph. Never still for a second. At least 3 males have been in the garden.

Small Tortoiseshell on White Dead Nettle.

Green veined Whites, this one on Honesty.

So, it just shows what is around if you neglect a little strip of hardcore!