Playing Catch-up!

Computer disaster led to reinstalling Windows and everything else. Fortunately all photos and precious stuff were safe elsewhere....

So, where was I? Oh yes, June 11th at Fen Bog hoping for a butterfly or two! A Class 37 diesel came by on time on the NYMR.  Class 37 Fen Bog

Whilst butterflies are running late this year. I did eventually find a small copper and a small heath. They posed in the cool wind.

Small Copper Small Heath

Next stop Blacktoft on June 14th with Barry. All quiet on the East Yorkshire front in terms of new birds but there was stuff happening. Like black-headed gull youngsters having a swim...

Black-headed Gull chick

...or avocets showing that they really should be called exocets. They weren't just flying around you know...

Avocet

Avocet

...coming back after an anti-harrier sortie...

Avocet

...and then back up again. Attack!

Avocet with Marsh Harrier

Later I took a lot of photos of a marsh harrier food pass but somehow never caught the actual pass.

Marsh Harriers Marsh Harriers

Black on white - with a dash of pink!

Coot & Little Egret

Back to Fen Bog on 15th June. Nothing to report. A lousewort was in flower - parasitic relative of broomrapes.

Lousewort

I moved on to Ellerburn Bank. Orchids surprised me and lifted the day. If you don't know Ellerburn Bank, turn off just before the Dalby Forest Drive pay toll [west end] and park at the side of the timber yard. Then walk along the track for about 500m. Some timber for you!

Timber Timber

Ellerburn Bank had fly orchid, marsh orchid and butterfly orchid - and in that order here they are!

Fly orchid Marsh Orchid Butterfly Orchid Butterfly Orchid

Next trip was on the 16th to Blacktoft and then Crowle Moors. A ring-necked duck was at Blacktoft but its bill was constantly covered in mud. You can see the cinnamon neck ring - just! Ring-necked Duck

A sedge warbler posed nicely.

Sedge Warbler

A Blacktoft spider's web.

Spider's web

Crowle Moors proved to be Crowle Waste of time - it's called Crowle Waste on OS maps: good name. All I saw were some goats.

Goat Siamese goats?

Goats

On Thursday 18th a squacco heron was reported at Saltholme. I went up straightaway which was a good idea as it had gone by the following morning.

Squacco Heron Squacco Heron Squacco Heron

Nearly there! On Father's Day I enjoyed a seawatch where along with all the usual suspects I saw 3 of the pomarine skuas that have been hanging around Flamborough Head plus a few manx shearwaters one of which came in quite close. A marsh orchid was snapped by my Nikon Coolpix because I'd forgotten to charge the DSLR battery!

Marsh orchid, Flamborough