Well, it's been quite a while... [Part One]

...but it's that time of year when the Big Lull creeps up on me!

May 31st: The first of two trips to Wykeham and the raptor watchpoint. Not that there were many raptors. All the buzzards were common but there were other things...

Cuckooflower/Lady's Smock cardamine pratensis. Foodplant of orange tip butterfly.

Crossbill

Willow warbler

I got some decent photos on 9th May at Sutton Bank of a garden warbler. The very vocal bird at the raptor watchpoint on the 31st was much more elusive. This is it!!

And this is the tame robin at the same place.

June 2nd: North Duffield

A squacco heron was reported and a long time was spent staring at the area where it was supposed to have landed. I watched a mute swan pass Geoff Smith hide and a common whitethroat. Eventually the squacco was sighted nowhere near where I expected. So far away it's just a shape in the far distance...

Little egret on the left, squacco heron on the right.

I'll zoom in a little!

Supporting cast

June 12th: Blacktoft Sands

Goat willow [I think] produces lots of wool-like down after flowering that contains the seeds.

Birds seen:

There were 9 cygnets although only eight are visible in this photo.

June 19th: Blacktoft again

Common blue butterfly, spotted redshank, green sandpiper and lapwing

More photos

June21st: Seaton Carew

Another visit to the little terns. 

But this is a young ringed plover!

How many little tern chicks can you spot?

187 UK 2023