Local Widlife

Bearded Tits still on the patch but proving difficult to locate.

Likewise the Bittern can be quite elusive, especially as there are no visible channels for it to feed and be observed.  When the reeds are cleared to enable viewing, it would be more effective if water channels were dug in. This would prevent the new growth spreading too quickly and would allow for the viewing of birds such as the Water Rail and Bittern.

My first Skua of the year and this dark phase Arctic Tern has been lingering in the bay for most of the week.

Grass-of-Parnassus  A beautiful flower showing some amazing detail in the arrangement of the stamen. At first I thought this small area had very few plants, however, they flower late and a subsequent visit proved there to be more than twenty plants.

Field Digger Wasp (I think) carrying Diptera sp? into its nest hole.

Whinchats still arriving on the coast. After seeing none this spring it has been a joy to see so many juveniles.

Little Egret numbers have been extraordinarily high in the last few weeks. I wonder how many will overwinter?

Fumitory sp?

White Water-lily

Curlew Sandpiper but where are the Spotted Redshanks?

Returning Caspian Gull, Amble Harbour

White-rumped Sandpiper with Dunlin

Magpie Moth

 Juvenile Marsh Harrier. The male has returned to the nest site and should undergo a moult soon? It is a very poorly marked bird for a two year old male. (can and is at times mistaken for a female.)

Mixed Bag

Rhynchokinesis

Curlew Sandpiper

Dunlin

(easy ID in Summer Plumage)

Mistle Thrush

Newbiggin Golf Course

Some Stonechat variation to muse over.

Pale female Newbiggin

Bright Male

East Chevington

Male

East Chevington

Not back at Chevington yet. This was one from the Country Park.

Sedge Warbler

A surprise find at Lynemouth

These two having a welcome drink and bathe after their long flight over the Himalayas.

Another Monster Post

This is the quiet period for birding, so they say. Moorland birds are moving to the coast and my highlight was a very spotty Common Redstart. It lingered for several days but never showed well enough for me to catch it on camera. So you'll have to make do with this instead.

Meadow Vetchling

(Lathyrus pratensis)

As you know by now my attention has strayed to the world of plants. I have found that the more I look the less I know. So I'm showing you lots of plants and attempting to identify most of them.

Saw-wort

(Serratula tinctoria)

These flowers are barely 3mm long, easily overlooked.

Hairy Tare

(Vicia Hirsuta)

Woody Nightshade

(Solanum dulcamara)

Grass Vetchling

(Lathyrus nissolia)

These have normally finished flowering by now but this one hasn't read the field guide.

The Bug (and I mean Bug) caused ID problems. The British Bug  guys and the Royal Entomological Society both came up with different answers, largely due to the fact that it is a nymph.This made me happy as I hadn't managed to track it down in my searches but was on the right track.

Take your pick:

Stenodema sp?

 Rhopalid bug, Myrmus miriformis

Not sure about this one ...

Round-leaved Cranesbill

(Geranium rotundifolium)

Again these flowers are tiny 5-8mm

Yellow-wort

(Blackstonia pefoliata)

Sea Plantain

(Plantago maritima)

Devil's Bit Scabious

(Sucissa pratensis)

Hedge Mustard

(Sisymbrium officinale)

Oh My Goodness!

A Bird!

Found a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper at Cresswell which over the course of two days turned into 4.

This is probably the rarest plant I've ever seen. Certain I wouldn't have found it without some expert help. Thanks C.

Long-stalked Orache

Atriplex longipes

Marsh Woundwort

(Stachys palustris)

Knotgrass

(Polygonum aviculare)

Mugwort

(Artemisia vulgaris)

Another Whinchat and a few insects to follow. Tomorrow it is back to birding! Target Greenish Warbler; although I'll settle for Wryneck or Barred W.