Red and Green...

 should never be seen, goes the old adage, indicating that the two colours may clash or indicate Christmas. In the natural world nothing clashes, there is no fashion, only beauty.

It was with this in mind, that on Sunday I was out alone, on to the Alnwick Moors towards Edlingham and Corby to look for Green Hairstreaks and hoping to get a better look at some Redstarts after fleeting glimpses last week.

It was a 50 / 50 day of success, with the Greens showing well, the Reds still not playing ball.

Starting off in a short stream gorge where 2 male Redstarts were singing on territory but despite waiting and watching leafless trees for an hour I still only managed very short glimpses of this upland stunner. I will try them again when by then the females might have them at a nest hole. Also here a Treecreeper took food into a long crack in an oak tree, and a nice male Grey Wagtail showed well in the sunshine.

Moschatel was still in flower while in the background Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler and Chiffchaff song filled the air.

Dreadful phone scoped shot of a Redstart. 

A short drive along the road, maybe a mile, where I stopped at one of our traditional Green Hairstreak Sites. Sadly the birch trees are now closing in but open places can still be found. Here, up to 6 Green Hairstreaks squabbled around bilberry clumps and as the air was quite cool they were easier to approach. While stalking the butterflies, a small single Bee attracted attention. Photos later confirmed that it was a lifer for me, Andrena lapponica Bilberry Mining Bee only discovered in Northumberland in 2020. Speckled Wood butterfly and Common Heath Moth flitted past while the years first Cuckoo was Cuckooing across the road. 5 Redpolls danced over head and several Willow Warblers sang in the scrub.

A grand Morning out.

Above - Bilberry Mining Bee showing its long jaws.

Green Hairstreaks, a tiny jewel of a butterfly.