St Aidan’s

 Just back from holiday so trying to catch up. If I can I will try to do a relatively local Blog in-dispersed with a holiday Blog. Anyway, at the end of last month my wife and I had a trip down to St Aidan’s just outside of Leeds. The birds were great and so was the weather although this time we unfortunately didn’t see Bittern (we did however hear a few) or Black-necked Grebe it was still a great day out though.

Loads of Sedge Warblers were singing in the reeds.

Reed Warbler.

Shoveler.

Common Tern with Little Ringed Plover.

Common Tern.

Gadwall.

Black-headed Gull with nesting material.

Great Crested Grebe displaying.

Graylag chick.

Blue-tailed Damselfly.

We stopped off at a pub on the way back home and this female Grey Wagtail was taking insects back to its young.

St Aidan’s part three

 The reason my wife and I went to St Aidan’s in the first place was for the Black-necked Grebe and we weren’t disappointed we saw around half a dozen of them around the site not all unfortunately in photographic range.

St Aidan’s/Swilly Ings part one

 My wife and I had a drive down into Yorkshire a few weeks ago to visit RSPB St Aidan’s nature reserve. We were hoping to see the Black-necked Grebe that breed there and we did, however there is so much more to see so over the next few Blogs watch this space. I’m starting with the insects.

Male Orange-tip Butterfly. We saw quite a few of these around the site.

Cassida viridis. Green Tortoise Beetle.

Mining Bee?

Alder leaf beetle.

Chironomus plumosus a large none biting midge.

7-spot Ladybirds.

Gorse Shieldbug.

Tiger Moth caterpillar?