Gibside NT

My wife and I had a great day out at Gibside the other day with a walk along the avenue to the Octagonal Pond then down to the Dragonfly Pond. However, the day started with a walk around the Walled Garden. The gardeners have planted flower beds with wild flowers, some were just past their peak, but they were buzzing with bees and other insects it was fantastic to see so much wildlife, I could have stayed all day just in this garden. At the Octagonal and Dragonfly Ponds there were still good numbers of Dragonfly and a few Damselflies but not as many as I had hoped but, as I said, it was still a great day out. Any help with identification would be much appreciated.

I have never seen a Bee with a blue pollen sack.

White-tailed Bumblebee.

A Mining Bee?

Another Mining Bee?

Buff-tailed Bumblebee.

Hoverfly.

Tachinid Fly.

Red-legged Shieldbug.

Common Green Shieldbug.

Small Copper Butterfly.

A hitchhiker on the Small Copper.

Speckled Wood Butterfly. Still plenty of these around I saw more of these than any other butterfly.

A Flesh Fly blowing bubbles.

Southern Hawker.

In flight.

Unfortunately, this female Southern Hawker has come to her end after laying her eggs.

Trapped in a web an Emerald Damselfly has probably come to its end too.

Migrant Hawker.

In flight.

Ruddy Darter?

Common Darter.

There was slightly…

…more action along the lane at Far Pastures the other day than there was on the pond. Three Buzzards were flying above the fields and Swallows and Sand Martins were hawking across them. Dragonflies and Damselflies were skimming the pond and the resident Little Grebe showed well. I don’t know why but it is still canny to just sit for a couple of hours, at times just watching nothing but the pond. 

One of three Buzzards.

This is a biggish crop as it was too far away for anything decent.

As was this, what looks like, young one.

It was calling loudly.

And hovered a few times.

A rubbish picture of one of the Swallows hawking above the field. Not long now until they migrate to warmer climes.

A wasp enjoying the blackberries.

My first Migrant Hawker of the year. It hovered right in front of the hide and I managed to get onto it with the 500mm + 1.4 converter lens.

It then landed in front of the hide.

Little Grebe. I always take too many pictures of this bird.

One of a couple of Chiffchaff flitting around in the bushes next to the pond.

Emerald Damselfly, same lens.

Far Pastures

 Once again, another visit to Far Pastures and once again no Kingfisher however the few birds that were there put on a canny show.

A Heron sitting in the early afternoon sun.

Unfortunately, the sun didn’t shine all of the time but here is the Heron having a good stretch.

Looking for a late lunch.

A balancing act as it tried to turn around.

Preparing for take-off.

Take-off.

It circled the pond then landed in this tree and as you can see the sun came out again and it was sitting enjoying it.

This Little Grebe came right up to the hide and posed for ages.

Having a preen.

This must be the first time I have seen a Little Grebes tongue it is sticking out (slightly) as it is calling.

A good shake.

Enjoying the sun and it looks as though butter wouldn’t melt.

But it was a feisty little thing as it saw off this Black-headed Gull in no uncertain terms.

Even the Moorhens were keeping an eye on it.

But the Moorhens were also keeping and eye on each other this young one is getting chased by an adult. 

Cragside

My wife and I had our annual pilgrimage to Slipper Tarn at Cragside last week for the Damsels and Dragons. We were only there an hour because, apart from around five minutes, the, weather was dull and overcast and there were few if any Damsels or Dragons. When the sun did shine for that five minutes there were dozens of Black Darters mating and posing and it was these that I concentrated on I still however did not get many shots. 

Male Black Darter.

Nearly every year we go to Slipper Tarn a male Black Darter will land on my wife, here it is on her hand.

Immature male Black Darter.

A mating pair of Black Darter.

Another mating pair.

The same pair in tandem.

Southern Hawker. This is the only one that stayed still long enough for me to get some shots.

I think this is a Sericomyia silentis Hoverfly.