False Spring.

 After a week of false spring, normal Northumberland spring has arrived. Its 4 degrees with a northerly wind and hail. This should be around until June give or take an odd glitch away. 

Still during the better weather although bird migrants remained elusive on the patch, a few moths, bees and plants sparked some interest.

Not being a plantsman, even common species can be lifers, so I was pleased with this Hairy Violet in the dunes south of Amble last week. It is very like Sweet Violet so I had to go back on Sunday for some confirmation pics after I knew what to look for.

Hairy Violet Viola hirsuta 

Those green things holding the flower are sepals. They are rounded making it either Sweet or Hairy. ( How many hits will that get me!) At the top of those are the sepal appendages (flaps, another hit counter gem). They are folded up to the stem not pointing away making this a Hairy Violet. It also had very hairy leaf stems. 

Another lifer, this time a likely first for Northumberland, was even more bizarre. On Sunday, I was photographing some small Moschatel plants on the alluvial deposits on the banks of the River Aln near Greenrigg when I noticed that one or two leaves had a distinctly mangy look to them. They were covered in spore like brown specks. I took photos of this feature and wondered if it was a smut or a rust of some kind, a small fungi related organism. Sure enough it is the parasitic host specific Moschatel Rust Puccinia adoxae. Probably no wonder it hasn't been recorded here before....who would!

Moschatel showing Moschatel Rust Puccinia adoxae on the leaves. 

Meanwhile, the moth traps have been reasonable. The Robinson in the garden has been out performed by the little bucket LED battery trap in the woods. Woods are best at this time of year while my garden is a bit exposed.

A bucket trap in the wood.

The catch.

Early Tooth Striped

Emmelina monodactyla

Shoulder Stripe 

On the plus side, the Bempton Black browed Albatross is back today. After last years dip, I hope it settles into a routine...

Contrasts.

 Thursday was our warmest day of the year so far at 25 degrees, not bad for Northumberland. Then on Friday it had dropped by 14 degrees to 11 with a northerly wind and rain. Saturday was pretty much the same. Grim. Then yesterday was meant to be cloudy but fair so we headed to Boulmer as there would probably be not much invert activity inland. How wrong could we be? It was another warm and sunny day as if the previous two had never happened.

Boulmer was 'June quiet' except for visitors. There was a 100km challenge 'Race to the Castle' from Whitley Bay to Seahouses taking place over three days. This provided a constant trail of able and not so able participants along our route. There was one unusual thing we noted. Out of hundreds of people seen and heard in the morning, only 6 others apart from ourselves had county accents. By sound alone we could easily have been on holiday.

Birds were less noticeable - Common Scoter 20 N , Manx Shearwater 10 N, Puffin 20+N, Turnstone 30+, Dunlin,, 10+, Ringed Plover 10+ and the first 2 returning Redshank after a few blank weeks for them. On the rocks were 5 Golden Plover, 33 Curlew and 4 Bar tailed Godwit, 1 in full summer plumage flew N. 4 fw Goosanders were in the haven.

At a loose end, we milled around the car park and beach. The car park Stonechats had brood 2 on the wing. A few day trippers stopped to look at what all the 'tacking' was about as they passed the breeding site to the beach. Flowers were quite interesting too - 

Henbane, a scarce plant in the county that I have only seen once before, on Holy Island.

Dwarf Mallow, a new species for me and it too seems scarce this far north?

A nice orange form of Birds Foot Trefoil really stood out.

Hedgerow Cranesbill

Sea Rocket

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