An Hour Out

Just an hour out today, spent between Shibdon Pond & Far Pastures. No sign of the Green Sandpiper or Godwits this morning at Shibdon but Lapwing and Redshank numbers had grown and the Terns were still catching fish. Nothing exciting at Far Pastures where the only thing of note was a family of Little Grebe.

Redshank

I haven’t a clue what this Lesser Black-backed Gull is trying to eat

Common Tern

Common Tern were still catching fish

Little Little Grebe

Little Little Grebe

Big Little Grebe

Little Grebe

 

Shibdon Ponds

I spent an hour at Shibdon Ponds this morning. The weather was miserable as was the light but it was still an enjoyable hour. A Green Sandpiper (edited) was feeding in front of the hide along with a few Redshank. A few Common Tern were on the pontoons while others were on the posts. Grey and Pied Wagtails hunted small insects on the mud, as did Lapwings. Four Black-tailed Godwits showed briefly to the left of the hide then flew off towards the A1. I only stayed a little longer after they flew off but while I was there, they did not return.

A pair? of Common Tern. If bringing the fish was a courting gesture it did not work.

Another Tern tried, this time without a fish.

The previous Tern did catch a fish a little later but ate it its self

Black-tailed Godwit

Black-tailed Godwit

Black-tailed Godwit

I thought this was a Common Sandpiper but it’s a Green Sandpiper according to BirdGuides.

Green Sandpiper

Redshank

Grey Wagtail

Grey Wagtail

Grey Wagtail

Pied Wagtail

Lapwing

 

Kibblesworth

A trip to Kibblesworth brick works today. It was nice to meet up with Michael and have a good crack. Loads of Common Darter and Four-spotted Chaser as well good numbers of Damselflies but the star of the show was a female Black-tailed Skimmer that dropped right in front of me to eat its lunch. A male Black-tailed Skimmer seemed to be skirmishing with the Four-spotted Chasers and landed briefly.

Female Black-tailed Skimmer with lunch.

A rubbish shot of a male Black-tailed Skimmer but it was all I could get.

Four-spotted Chaser

Common Darter

Emerald Damselfly

Damselfly

Damselfly

Mating Flies

This is probably the worst shot you are ever likely to see of a Purple Hairstreak (it might have been a little better had I set the camera correctly)

Micro Moth

 

White Letter Day

A search for White-letter Hairstreak proved unsuccessful at Winlaton Mill today however, it did prove successful at another site with two found. On the way to Clockburn Lake Small Tortoiseshell, Small Skipper, Coma and Meadow Brown were on the wing and once again there were plenty of Ringlet. Damselflies of various colours were perched enabling photos but I only saw one Darter.

White-letter Hairstreak

Small Tortoiseshell

Damselfly

Damselfly

Damselfly

Common Darter

Common Darter

Small Skipper

Small Skipper

Meadow Brown

Comma

I managed to get a shot of a Hoverfly doing exactly what it says on the tin

Scorpion Fly

Fly ?

Fly ?

Aphid ?

This Blackbird, which had just fledged, was in our garden

Heron at Far Pastures a few days ago