Gibside

 Around the middle of last month my wife and I had a short walk around the National Trust property Gibside. The weather was sunny and quite warm which made for a canny walk. I again took loads of photos of the wildlife we saw, and I am struggling to identify a few of the insects so any help (and corrections) would be gratefully received.

The Roe Deer and its fawn calmly walked onto the path unfazed by the visitors walking around.

The female checking me out.

The fawn was a little skittish.

However, it stayed on the path for quite a while.

Forest/Red-legged Shieldbug.

Final instar Common Green Shieldbug.

These next few images are the ones with which I am struggling. They could be Digger Wasps but I’m not sure.

Hoverfly?

7-spot Ladybird.

Another 7-spot.

Damsel Bug.

Orb Web Spider.

Migrant Hawker?

I thought at first Ruddy but looking at the colour of the legs I now think Common Darter.

Little Grebe.

Gibside would not be Gibside if there were no Red Kites flying over.

Buzzard.

Take offs and landings

 29.03.24 NT Gibside with the family on Good Friday for a stroll along the avenue to the Octagon Pond. I have never taken as many pictures of Mallards as I did here, they were fighting, taking off and landing, it was canny to watch.

Female taking off.

Male doing the same

Male coming in to land.

Touch down.

It just makes you want to go weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee doesn’t it (or is that just me).

But no sooner had he landed then he was being attacked

And made to take off again.

A couple of Little Grebe were also on the pond hopefully there might be even littler ones soon.

A couple of distant Buzzards were flying over the estate.

My first butterfly of the year.

Roe Buck. I’m seem to be seeing these everywhere at the moment.

Gibside

 At the end of last month (I’m way behind again) my wife and I had a short walk around Gibside. We have been members of the National Trust for years but don’t use our passes as often as we used to (we will have to put that right). We only went as far as the bird hide but as there was nothing there, we came back to the Octagon Pond. It was fascinating to watch the antics of the Little Grebe and Coots chasing each other around so we were there a while.

The first bird we saw was a Buzzard.

This Little Grebe was after something.

It was another Little Grebe.

Having a shake down.

Then back to calmly swimming about.

We got caught in a downpour however we were standing under a tree so we remained reasonably dry. It didn’t stop the birds doing what they were doing.

I haven’t a clue what this one has dug up from the bottom off the pond.

Little Grebe sitting on a nest they have built which is quite close to the edge of the pond.

The Grebe stood up briefly and I could see at least two eggs in the nest (they probably have chicks by now). I was standing behind the fence which is around the pond and using a 500mm lens so as not to disturb the birds. 

Coot in what I call stealth mode.

Like the Grebes they were chasing each other around having territorial disputes.

Back into stealth mode