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.

Twizell Woods part two

This time it’s all about the dragonflies we saw at Twizell Woods. 

A few Southern Hawkers were hawking around the ponds.

A couple of females were laying eggs

And one or two posed nicely for me.

Dragonfly exuvia.

I saw only one Common Hawker however I did manage to capture it hawking over the ponds

And hanging from a tree.

Common Darter.

In flight.

Emerald Damselfly.

Back to being behind

 And I start with Rainton Meadows last month.

Great White Egret.

It struck

Caught a fish

And ate it.

It stood for a while 

Preened.

Then gave its self a shake.

Snipe.

The back end of the Bittern that was at Rainton Meadows for a while (this unfortunately was the best I got).

Four-spotted Chaser.

Common Darter.

A rubbish shot of a Brown Hawker but this was the best I got.

I was looking for the Small Red-eyed Damselfly but didn’t see any so here is a Blue-tailed Damselfly.

Common Blue Damselfly.