Monday 4th June

I did finally get out to the Spetchells again last Monday, but only in the evening after the sun finally came out around teatime.  This was after some debate about going after green hairstreaks at Dipton Woods near Corbridge but that will probably need to wait 'til next year now.

Female red-tailed bumble bee

At Spetchells the mining bees were not much in action so presumably they retire early.  I did manage to see three each of speckled wood and dingy skipper as well as a common carpet moth and another single skipper - presumably a large skipper but I would have like a photo as not entirely convinced.

I also checked out a couple of trees I couldn't immediately identify - and still can't... and finally caught up with the female red-tailed bumble bee.

Since then the weather has been unreliable and not much has happened.  I am beginning to worry that the jackdaws are dominating so much in the garden that the more interesting smaller birds are becoming reluctant to visit.

It has struck me meanwhile that the dingy skipper was a first sighting.