Stewchat...

Cold and cloudy at first but later on it was a lovely sunny warm summer's day. Wind was a light NNE1.

First thing this morning a female Yellowhammer was feeding below our feeders. 2 Roe Does were in the back field where the bucks were yesterday alongside a Brown Hare. The Lesser Whitethroat was rattling his tonsils out all morning.

While waiting for John to pick me up, a Swift casually glided north over the garden. I had a wander along the lane and was pleased to find a singing Garden Warbler (85) that eventually showed quite well. Adding to the village sylvia collection this morning were 2+ Blackcaps and a Common Whitethroat in song.

We took a visit north and found Holy Island was looking its best in the bright spring sunshine but birds were few and far between. A distant Short eared Owl and 5 Wheatears were the highlights so we turned our attention to the dune flora and insects.



Above - Common Vetch.



Above - Garden Tiger Larvae. They were all over the place.



Above - Burnet Moth Larvae. 20 on a Birds Foot Trefoil. For such a common moth, this is the first time I have seen the caterpillars. I assume they are 6 spots?



Above -A groggy, fresh Cinnabar Moth.

We got back about lunchtime, to find this Swallow, below, in our Kitchen. I retrieved it from the window cill and it was released non the worse for its adventure. Jane had been sitting outside and had not seen it go in!



In the afternoon we potted up some planters outside and I heard that distinctive whistling of Whimbrels. Looking up, 7 birds were heading overhead, north, towards the Heugh. A male Sparrowhawk was hunting in the garden copse and a male Siskin had supper on our feeders at 7pm.