Dragon hunting…

…at Kibblesworth on the 20th. Only one dragon but a few damsels it might still be a bit early “up north“. There were also loads of caterpillar around but not many Butterflies.

Male Broad-bodied Chaser

This Large Red damselfly seems to be struggling to release itself from its larva skin.

A mating pair of Large Reds

A mating pair of Azure Damselflies

Azure Damsel

Azure Damsel

A mating pair of Blue-tail Damselflies

Blue-tail Damselfly

Blue-tail Damselfly

Burnet Moth Caterpillars



Going into the pupa stage

Pupa of a Burnet Moth

Caterpillar

My first Small Heath of the year

My first Orchid of the year

 

Another drive to…

…the Durham Dales the other day to try to photograph Cuckoos but with no luck although I did see at least three. Here are some of the things I did manage to photograph. I have also gone over to the “dark side” and bought a moth trap. I had it in the garden three nights in a row with no luck but on the fourth night I got five moths here’s hoping for a few more in the coming months and years. The hardest part about catching moths is trying to photograph and identify them so if I have any names wrong please don’t hesitate to correct me.

Oystercatcher

Snipe

Red Grouse chick

Lapwing chick

A hiding Hare

Small Angle Shades

Dark Arches or Dusky Brocade

Pale Tussock

Scalloped Hazel

Common Wainscot I think

 

With the Governments…

…lockdown restrictions being eased a little I thought I would take a drive up to the Durham Dales. Now at any other time in the Dales the star of the show would have been Wood Warbler however yesterday there was another star. With the help of Clinton, Rachel and Derek I managed to get a lifer, Dotterel. However, this star bird had a canny supporting cast.

The star of the show but unfortunately, the Dotterel saw me before I saw them so every image has the birds with their backs to me.

Now for the supporting cast starting with Wood Warbler.

Followed by Redstart

Then Pied Flycatcher

This is the only shot I managed of the female Pied Flycatcher

Golden Plover

Great-spotted Woodpecker

This is what it thought of having its picture taken

Meadow Pipit

My first Green Hairstreak of the season