Saturday 20th June

Rather quicker than anticipated, I have decided to take up fishing again. I think it's too risky to play cricket this season because of the pandemic and possibly ever, judging by the bad reaction from my left knee when I bowl.

So I have applied to join Big Waters Angling Club and did a couple of trips to start checking out their waters.

Throckley Reigh obviously needs some work doing on it as it's heavily overgrown with weed and you can see where individual anglers have pulled out large swaithes of it.  Some swims look quite attractive but it's also quite a long hike from the nearest road.

A much different story at Dissington Pond, which has been well-tended and looks to have potential for the short pole on the South side.  Other swims have been fished at distance.

A pleasant bonus on the way out at Dissington was seeing a small tortoiseshell plus the first ringlet of the year.  Soon there will be hundreds of them.

Small Tortoiseshell

Lady Woodpecker has been making frequent visits to the garden. There was one occasion this week where there were briefly two, both female so I presumed mother and infant. Then the day after there was a lone male. Happy families?

I was a little surprised to observe this juvenile starling on the fatballs.  I don't think I've seen them so young before. Usually I spot them at the dark and shiny stage.

Lady Woodpecker

Juvenile Starling

Yesterday there were reports of an osprey at Whittle Dene Reservoir so I duly headed out there to take a look.  As I perhaps half-suspected there was no sign, so it was probably a young bird touring around looking for a territory.

It was nice to see kestrel hovering, a crested grebe nesting plus two red admirals and a chimneysweeper moth but otherwise there wasn't much doing.

Great Crested Grebe

I moved on to Bywell Bridge on the Tyne with the specific purpose of seeking out wych elm.  I found quite a few.  The idea is that I'll cycle out there in July to check for white-letter hairstreaks, the only one of the three Northern hairstreaks I've yet to see.