Star Terns!

Monday 30th May: Crimdon Dene

Well, at least that's where we started our wonderful day's birding. Having arrived we were soon chatting to the wardens who monitor the little tern colony. After last year's vandalising [see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-23241488 ] it is to be hoped that young birds fledge successfully. The warden told us where to go to watch the birds and we also chatted more generally.

Barry enquired about burnt tip orchids and that's where we headed first [mainly because we carelessly got ourselves on the wrong side of Crimdon Beck and so decided to carry on and do the terns later]. They weren't going anywhere. The orchids were rumoured to be atop the cliff by the golf course. On our way we saw early purple orchid [flowering finished], twayblade as well as our quarry:

Burnt orchid

We headed back towards the beach. I photographed ringed plover.

Ringed Plover

Ringed Plover

Skylarks were abundant looking for food in the grass to feed their young.

Skylark

Spider!

Skylark

Skylark

Skylark Skylark

Barry meanwhile was down on the dry sand watching the terns on the water's edge.

Little Tern

They were flying back and forth past him from the fenced off shingle nest area. Little Tern

Little Tern

I joined him and turned my attention to the view behind me beyond the fence. Fortunately the fence blurred itself away and it is virtually impossible to detect in the pictures.

Little Tern

Little Tern

Little Tern

Little Tern

Another walk to try to refind some stonechats produced not only stonechats but this meadow pipit on his lookout post. The post where I had seen the stonechat earlier. However I did refind them. First the rather nervous female showed up.

Meadow Pipit Stonechat

I glimpsed the male through a gap in the bushes.

Stonechat

He came nearer.

Stonechat

I saw some dame's violet hesperis matronalis by the beck.

Dame's Violet Hesperis matronalis

Barry was photographing butterflies...

Barry Common Blue

...including wall on wall! Wall

The remains of the day were less photographic but great birding. An icterine warbler at St. Mary's church Hartlepool Headland rewarded us eventually with clear views as did distant bee-eaters [x2] at South Gare. Finally, amazingly, we had woodchat shrike at Hummersea. What a day! Last picture from that day of a singing willow warbler at Hummersea.

Willow Warbler

Back home Sheila had found an amazing insect in the conservatory with a 4cm ovipositor. Rhyssa persuasoria or giant ichneumon, we think.

Rhyssa persuasoria or giant ichneumon

Spurn & Strensall Common - June 1st

An early start and straight to Sammy's point where we eventually saw a golden oriole. Too quick for me to get a flight shot! Here's a whitethroat and a mallard instead!

Whitethroat

Mallard

All was quiet at the Canal Scrape. A swallow came within 4 feet outside the hide. I resorted to the iphone!

Swallow

On to Kilnsea Wetlands and Beacon Ponds. A golden plover [initially mistaken for a grey plover] was present.

Golden Plover

For once an orange tip allowed me to photograph it. Benefit of 400mm lens: I don't think I'd have got near it with a close-up lens.

Orange-tip

Barry spotted a dragonfly - broad-bodied chaser.

Broad-bodied Chaser Broad-bodied Chaser Broad-bodied Chaser

Intially I thought it was a four-spotted chaser but the wing markings are wrong and the body much broader. Compare with this photo from last year of a four-spot with a clear spot in the middle of the wing. Four-spotted Chaser

Beacon Ponds delighted us with the terns. Maybe not as close as at Crimdon, but the images really pleased me. Not as bird photos particularly but in some cases as pure images. I wonder if you can see what I mean? Common Tern

Common Tern Common Tern Common Tern Common Tern Common Tern Common Tern Common Tern

A showy reed bunting was at Beacon Ponds too. Reed Bunting

Reed Bunting

In many ways Spurn was quiet. A seawatch produced little but a few large gulls.

Great Black-backed Gulls

We decided to leave and call at Strensall Common to try for the woodlarks Barry had seen earlier in the week. We didn't see them but it was good to find the shorter route than the very wet one we 'invented' last year. We did see things of interest however.

A new site for me for green hairstreak butterfly... Green Hairstreak

...and this time a four-spot chaser glinting in the sunlight. Broad-bodied Chaser

Finally, a sheep was watching me protectively. Her triplets were nearby. Showing off her new jewellery!! Saltholme Sheep

Cowpen Marsh: June 3rd

Fairly last minute after a family visit in Wakefield, we decided to drive up to Saltholme in the afternoon to try to see the buff-breasted sandpiper on Cowpen Marsh. The directions were pretty clear as long as I could find Holme Fleet car park. I knew it must be one of two places and we found it easily although only two cars were there. I expected more for such a cracking bird. Once Sheila and I had climbed over the fence with some hilarity we set off on the walk - about 500m I think.

We soon saw the bird: great scope views but a bit distant for the camera. However Sheila said I should try. The results are, I think, acceptable. Here's the bird.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

UK 215 2014