A fine weekend!

 That made a nice change, a sunny warm interlude in the weather.

On Sunday while most were squinting down the scope into the glare of a Northumberland sun rise for a tropical tern, we played it cool and headed inland to one of our local upland patches for the first time in ages. Our target? Odonata.

A sea of Cotton Grass waving in the wind.

Not another soul did we see.

The Pond.

From the car, there is a walk of about a mile through forestry to get to the best pond. On route it was quiet but we did have Raven, Redpolls and Cuckoo calling while in clearfell a Tree Pipit showed well as it displayed next to the ride.

Displaying Tree Pipit

As the morning warmed we took a sit and wait tactic beside the pond. It was still and bright but it took another hour before it was warm enough for the insects to emerge. Here we had lots of Large Red, Common Blue and Azure Damselflies then the stars appeared. Four spotted Chasers and a beaut of a male Broad bodied Chaser, still not too common up here.

Azure Damsel

A big Broad bodied Chaser. Stunner

Common Blue Damsel

Glittering Four spotted Chasers

Newly emerged Four spotted Chaser.

While we sat, we pondered the Bridled Tern on Coquet Island and half planned to try this tea time but I couldnt make it, so Monday was the day for me...

Of his Time....

 I'm not sure what is going on lately, but things have been a little bit ... well  'meh' or 'pfff' so to speak.

Motivation has been as elusive as a good bird around these parts, but here are a few bits and pieces from over the last two weeks or so.

Maybe my highlight of this period is finally getting around to reading all of Steve Gale's short 1970's memoir of his early birding experiences 'Of my Time'. Steve is a great writer and his diary had me nostalgic for those better times. The anecdotes about his formative birding years around London, Dungeness and the south of England, had me gripped!  

Only one grumble, Steve  - get on with the 80s!

Hedgely North Pit despite looking good for waders on all of the pits, we heard that the farmer drives around the very margins on a Quad each morning to check his stock, thus chasing off any grounded birds!

On Sunday 27th we headed inland to Hedgely and Branton Pits to avoid Bank Holiday on the coast. While we had a pleasant wander in good weather there was little of note other than 9 Little Grebes, 300+ Lesser black backed Gulls inc 2 'intermedius' types with very dark upperparts and long wings. This big flock of gulls were put up by two Marsh Harriers, a female and an imm male who soon drifted off south. Single Greenshank, Wigeon and Kingfisher, a few families of Redpolls, 2 Ravens and a Spotted Flycatcher were the best of the rest. Until I got back home that is....

Mid afternoon I was on our drive when the local Swallows began mobbing something. A scan over the back field revealed a small, spiky, Hobby casually flying away from the hirundines off to the North. Through the bins it looked very grey and was likely an adult or near adult male. Its long swept back wings really did match the 'swift-like' cliche.  

On Bank Holiday Monday we mostly remained around the garden and village where 2 Ravens in the back field, an adult Mediterranean Gull in plough at Cullernose and 2 garden Holly Blues were the highlight, narrowly taking the prize from an off patch Peregrine over the road on our way home from Sainsbury's.

A mid week seawatch for an hour had 26 Manx Shearwaters, 54 Shag, 3 Sandwich, 3 Common and 1 Arctic Tern, 1 Common Scoter and 400 Gannets per hour all N. 

As the forecast was for warm sunshine yesterday we went on a dragonfly search inland at Corby Woods. The first two hours were cool and quiet with not much seen other than for a dozen Crossbills.

flitting around.

Once the sun came out so did the insects with 4+ Common Hawker, 4+ Black Darter and a dozen Emerald Damselflies. The the pine plantation were full of post breeding bird flocks with many Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests seasoned with 1 Treecreeper, 1+ Redstart and 2+ Spotted Flycatchers.

Larch Ladybird, Lesser Willow Sawfly larvae and Spotted Toughshank fungi were all new species for me. Hopefully the autumn will have a word with itself and kick in soon...

Black Darter

Common Hawker

Larch Ladybird

Moors and Moths

 Yesterday was quite eventful in one way or another.

I met John at 7am at the new venue of The Hogs Head Hotel outside Alnwick, like a shady deal being done, where my car was left and off we went in John's. Its usually left at Homebase but we gave this car park a go instead.

Off up to some small quarry pools near Eglingham where we hoped for some odonata to photograph. It was breezy and a bit soon for insects so we left the car and had a breakfast of Greggs vegan rolls and tea while admiring the view. 

While having a scan, an oddly flying 'gull' attracted attention - Hen Harrier! A nice grey male too, did a good fly past, a pipit chase then vanished behind a plantation not to be seen again. What a great start to the morning and unexpected in July.

Although the sun warmed things up it was quite windy up here, so there were no dragonflies to see. Flocks of small birds were everywhere along the roads, mostly Meadow Pipits that seemed to have had a good breeding season but also a few Stonechat families and a steady light passage of hirundines and swifts south over head.

Beautiful China Mark, 3+ flushed from pool edges.

Lots of Emerald Damselflies were in the rushes with a few Common Blues, Large Red and Blue tailed.

 We soon filled the morning seeing very little really but it was quiet, no other people at all and great scenery so it was very pleasant indeed.

We had a short chat about, amongst other things, the daft things we do that could so easily be avoided, such as losing keys, or leaving things on the car roof when driving off etc. 

On the way home back down to the A1 as John pulled away, a dull soft thump could be heard? John said something had come off the roof? It looked like a Notebook and he had his. Bugger this was a duel carriageway so if my book had gone the journey only an hour after we discussed doing this very thing, it would have to remain lost.

Then, John said, 'Where have I put my phone?' Followed by some expletives and a sharp stop into a junction. No phone could be found, so we headed a couple of miles back up the road, where John risked life and limb wandering a few hundred metres down the verge where the 'thump' had occurred.

Through the bins, I saw him stoop and retrieve something...

He returned with his phone but it wasn't the way it had been when last seen...

A new Samsung after its hit the A1 at 50 mph then run over by holiday traffic...

It wasn't only the phone that was a road casualty. I was almost home when I noticed this poor Grey Partridge by the roadside... 

One or two interesting moths have turned up at home this weekend too - 

I spent far too long on this Borkhausenia fuscescens than it is worth. Not new, but I always struggle identifying them. Tiny and never sits still... 

Cloaked Minor. This is much better, only my second in the garden. Quite a distinctive little minor.

Cydia splendana 

Northern Spinach, again only my second.

Bank Holiday Weekend.

 As most of the UK basks in some well deserved sunshine and warmth, there is no such luck for us souls on the northeast coast. Friday was nice and clear with blue skies and sun, but since then it has been 100 yard visibility with thick fog, mist, haa all day this side of the A1. Combine that with a blithering south easterly and temperatures struggling into double figures its been a few days for watching Netflix rather than  hunting for wildlife.

Since Bonxie Wednesday birding has been almost non existent but I have been out and about. My notes reflect an apathy about it all.

Saturday 29th May

Cool sea fret all day.

In the Greenhouse were Walnut Orb Weaver and Tetrix denticulata. An Orange Tip, male, was in the garden briefly.

Tetrix denticulata, only my second.

Sunday 30th May

Thick fog at home, but sunny west of Alnwick.

So thats where we went. A Cuckoo showed well on wires and over the road as we arrived while 2 Barn Owls hunted the verges.

It finally warmed a bit at 11am bringing 6+ Green Hairstreaks, 50+ Common Heath moths, 10+ Large Red Damselflies and 1 Small Heath on the wing.

Green Hairstreak

Small Heath

Large Red Damselfly

Bank Holiday Monday 31st May.

At home visibility 100 yards in fog and mist. Windy, cool. We headed inland again to avoid the autumnal weather where it was 19 degrees and sunny.

Hedgley and Branton Pits near Powburn - 

Highlight was a nice picnic in the sun but a few things were noted.

Little Ringed Plover 3, Gadwall several pairs, Four spotted Chaser 2, Saxon Wasp 1 queen gathering wood for its nest, Blue tailed Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Small Copper 2, Orange Tip 1 .

Above - Saxon Wasp Dolichovespula saxonica 

Common Blue Damselfly, teneral I think.

Dove's Foot Cranesbill

Late summer.

Don't fear birders, all will be resumed as August kicks in but while we are in the July doldrums it is insects and other life forms that take the stage.

Yesterday we went back up into the conifer plantations west of Alnwick to see what we could find. It was quieter than last week because it was cooler with a NW breeze and some cloud patches. Still there were things to be found in south facing sun traps.

First of all, we no sooner got into the sunny spot than a scan with the bins on a bank of Climbing Corydalis for hoverflies revealed this stunner -

Golden-ringed Dragonfly

 The Golden-ringed Dragonfly isnt just gorgeous in its Formula 1 livery, it actually behaves like it too. It patrols the ride at knee height at a steady pace then just hits warp drive vertically for some unsuspecting insect. Maybe my favourite odonata, its a while since I've seen one, so it was good to get this local sighting.

We then just wandered along a 300 mtrs stretch of forest road watching the side ditch flowers for other insects. Several hoverflies were noted, Sericomyia silentis 10+, Chrysotoxum arcuatum 3+ and Xylota segins 2+ A glimpse of what I think was Chrysotoxum bicinctum was frustrating as I couldn't find it again. Something to target next time.

Chrysotoxum arcuatum 

A few butterflies were around, plenty of Small Skippers, Meadow Browns and Ringlets and a decent emergence of Small Tortoiseshells with one patch of thistles  having 9 individuals in a small area. 2 Small Heaths and an odd Red Admiral also noted. At this stage in the morning I messed up my camera settings to all butterfly shots were deleted.

It was quiet for birds. A family party of Buzzards, a few Crossbills, lots of Redpolls, odd phylloscs and pipits and little else.

When we arrived back at the car, a welcome was awaiting...

Notch-horned Cleg Haematopota pluvialis. 

I remember many years ago reading the Chinery Insect Guide and these paragraphs caught my attention...

Remember when in the upland woods, she is out there with silent flight and blade like mouthparts...

Sunday last day of May...

That's spring done, or almost if you are a birder in the North. Some of Northumberland's best birds arrive in the first 10 days of June, so I am keeping fingers crossed.

On Sunday I made the decision to don the binoculars and camera and venture further afield than our village. The first time I have done so on a quest for natural history, since 15th March. My anxiety was through the roof but I had arranged to meet John, not in the usual Homebase car park where we usually head off in one vehicle, but we met up in separate cars at our destination, only a few miles west of Alnwick, not far from the moors.

It is a spot we often explore during good weather for insects, reptiles and birds. It is usually quiet in terms of disturbance from humans and today was no exception. From 7am until 12 noon we saw two men out for a walk and two farmers in vehicles as they passed so social distancing was no problem at all. How these folks head off to crowded tourist spots to fly tip a single use BBQ is beyond me, I want none of that. How I will fare in the event a good bird turns up will need to be evaluated on the day, but I wont be venturing into a scrum situation that's for sure.

We started down a very quiet lane without traffic where a small river runs below a footbridge. Here we hoped to find Banded Demoiselles and we weren't disappointed. These tropical looking damsels are still a novelty to me being relatively new arrivals on the Northumberland scene, but they are to be found on most of our rivers now so it looks like they are here to stay. At this spot there were 6 males and 2 females, all flashy and metallic as they were freshly emerged.

3 male Redstarts sang around the field edges and we were approached by a curious young Brown Hare. Lapwings were already flocked up, well 10 were, in one field. Autumn will be here before we know it.

 Next we drove another three miles back up to our moorland patch for a hunt for more odonata as the weather was wonderful. We don't get too many days like this, so its good to enjoy them.

We were greeted by two Cuckoos flying around and calling to each other, both males. Redpolls danced overhead and a Sparrowhawk dropped from a tree into some birch scrub nearby but I didnt see it leave.

The two small ponds here are contrasting. One is old and edged with several metres of juncus so access is tricky, the other is new, only a few years old and on the side of a forest drive. Both held some nice insects. In total we had 20+ Four spotted and 2 Broad bodied Chasers, several Large Red, Azure and Blue tailed Damselflies, a few Small Heath butterflies and one Peacock looking its age by now.

The new pond.

The old pond.

Above - Adult and teneral Broad bodied Chasers. Nice to prove breeding.

Four-spotted Chaser

Newly emerged Southern Hawker.

Above -  a pair of Large Red Damsels 'in cop'. 

So my first venture back to some semblance of normality went well. I felt fine that no one was being placed at risk, so for the time being at least, this is how we will play it on a Sunday.

The rest as of the day was spent back at home and in the garden. One of the moth trap by catches was a pleasing find, a new spider I have wanted to see since I got the new field guide - Tetrix denticulata.

Tetrix denticulata, a new spider for me.

I also forgot to post a nice new bee for me in the garden the other day, Red tailed Cuckoo Bee, Bombus rupestris, a scarce visitor in VC68....The additional time spent in the garden as a result of COVID enforced home working has really paid dividends this year.

Red tailed Cuckoo Bee, Bomus rupestris.