From Bonaparte to Great Crested Fish!

- including what I consider is my photo of the year so far...

A really early start  on Saturday June 4th took me up north of Newcastle to the River Wansbeck estuary. Research suggested I ignore the Castle Island birders and head along a footpath on the opposite northern bank from the Old Colliery downstream and east of the A189 flyover. After much scanning I spotted a good possible...

Bonaparte's Gull Bonaparte's Gull Bonaparte's Gull Bonaparte's Gull Landing on black-headed gull's head!

Bonaparte's Gull Bonaparte's Gull Bonaparte's Gull

Above: fishing boat reflection.

Bonaparte's Gull Whilst walking back I flushed a butterfly from the grass [I was trying to clean beach mud off my shoes!] It crashed back down in the grass. The temperature was about 10 degrees. I spotted and was surprised to see my first painted lady of the year.

Painted Lady

I saw 6 more at Druridge  - of which more later.

QEII country park just on the off-chance...

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull Iceland Gull

Iceland Gull Iceland Gull Garganey and spoonbill at Druridge Pools but distant. A marsh orchid and garden tiger caterpillar. Marsh Orchid

Garden Tiger caterpillar

The ladies were very nice...

Painted Lady Painted Lady

I headed south intending to reach Appleton-le-Moors in the NY Moors by about 2p.m. to try once again for a pearl-bordered fritillary. A lifer butterfly for me I was thrilled to see just one. It was nice and warm but surprisingly windy.

Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Pearl-bordered Fritillary Sunday June 5th took Barry and me to Bolton Abbey. Dipper including an attempt at a swimming shot!

Dipper Dipper

Dipper

A pair of redstarts were active just before the woodland.

Redstart

Redstart

Redstart

Pied and spotted flycatchers were seen plus a green woodpecker [not photographed as it hurtled downstream]. Pied Flycatcher

Pied Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher

This great spotted woodpecker posed by the half-way shelter.

Great-spotted Woodpecker

Hesperis matronalisor sweet rocket plus  ajuga reptans bugle were seen.

Sweet Rocket

Ajuga reptans Bugle

A spotfly posed on the aqueduct bridge, just catching the sunshine.

Spotted Flycatcher

We headed about a dozen miles north to Kilnsey Park's SSSI to see the lady's slipper orchids. I glimpsed a tiny brown argus butterfly.

Northern Brown Argus

Lady's Slipper Orchid Narrow-leaved marsh orchid [we were informed] and bird's eye primrose.

Narrow-leaved Marsh Orchid

Bird's Eye Primrose

Barry photographing the bird's eye.

Barry with Bird's Eye primrose Final stop was my third visit to Farnham so Barry could meet the small blues. I'm thinking of selling this as a very difficult jigsaw puzzle!! Can you spot the butterfly?

Small Blue Cropped view!

Small Blue

Monday evening 6th June we went on a visit to a private reserve near Goole. As we waited for some others to arrive a buzzard was mobbed overhead. Perhaps the best buzzard photos I've ever got.

Buzzard

Buzzard

Buzzard Buzzard

Southern marsh orchid, common blue butterfly, blue-tailed damselfly...

Marsh Orchid

Common Blue Common Blue Blue-tailed Damselfly

...and a little egret.

Little Egret However the main reason for our visit was the possibility of seeing turtle doves. We spotted something on the path ahead. Turtle Dove We soon had turtles in the air around us.

Turtle Dove Turtle Dove Turtle Dove On Tuesday I went at short notice to Blacktoft for a red-necked phalarope at Ousefleet. Very distant, cue a true cuckoo photo [as I call shots of birds ridiculously far away!] The phalarope is that tiny lump to the right of the spoonbills and just left of a gadwall.

Red-necked Phalarope!! Next daft idea was to go to Old Moor in order not to see a little bittern. Spent an hour and a half staring at reedbed. Bird did show 2.25 hours after I left! Oh well, that's birding. I photographed a great crested grebe lunching on a perch. Not perched on a perch just lunching on one! Great Crested Grebe Great Crested Grebe I nearly forgot. My best photo of the year so far? A turtle dove. Nice one!

Turtle Dove

226 UK 2016