Isn't spring brilliant!

Chiffchaff

Redstart - Longframlington

Yesterday, we found a sickly Hedgehog on our drive so I quickly gathered it up and delivered it to a rescue centre at Longframlington ( donating £20 for its upkeep too). On the return journey, a wooded roadside near a bridge over a burn looked tempting so I gave it 10 minutes. A lovely male Redstart was singing from the tree tops, my first of the year and always nice to see.

Today we started off at Newton Pool, but only gave it an hour so we could be off before the bank holiday hoards arrived. Swallows are much in evidence here now with a few singing on territory. The two Ruff were still on the scrapes as was a White Wagtail briefly, but there was no sign of the Avocet that dropped in last night.

Over near the golfcourse, a Lesser Whitethroat played hard to get in the thorn scrub as it rattled its song out, and a Grasshopper Warbler was reeling near the pay car park. While checking the dune cover a nice female Marsh Harrier dropped in for a short visit before gaining hight and flying off south west. Also noted were 1 male Blackcap, several Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers.

Swallow - Low Newton

Marsh Harrier - Newton Pool

From the coast we headed up inland a short way to Ros Castle where the scenery was outstanding. From one spot we could see the Cheviot and Hedgehope, then looking right, Lindisfarne and Ross Back Sands! It was quiet on the bird front, but some Green Tiger Beetles showed well, if a little flighty ( are there any other beetles that fly as readily as these!) and a few wasps on bilberry caught my attention. They have turned out to be Norwegian Wasp Dolichovespula norwegica. I think I'll be looking a wasps a bit closer in the future.

View North West from Ros Castle.

Green Tiger Beetle

Norwegian Wasp