Although the pace of events has slowed since I got back from holiday, I achieved a successful twitch last week. A purple heron had appeared at Gosforth Nature Reserve and has been there for some while now. People have waited for up to five hours to see it as it spends most of the time behind the reed beds, only emerging for a quick fly around and then disappearing again.
By extraordinary luck, I entered the hide ten minutes before one of its fly pasts and got a pretty good view. Unfortunately there was no chance of a photo as I was in the second row of twitchers who were snapping away on burst setting. Afterwards most of them promptly left having achieved their 'job done' stickers so I hung around for a bit but it didn't reappear.
At another hide there was a great crested grebe on the nest and a rather grumpy-looking duck (perhaps a juvenile) I couldn't identify and a couple of butterflies (literally just a couple.)
 | | Great Crested Grebe |
|  | | Grumpy Duck |
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 | | Speckled Wood |
|  | | Red Admiral |
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The other thing I noticed while waiting for the purple heron was that there were splashes in the lake every time a swallow flew low over the water. I realised there must be a lot of small fish in the water.
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| Fish splashing... |
At home the buddleia is now out at the front and, as in previous years the first visitor observed was a small tortoiseshell.
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| Small Tortoiseshell |
Always a pleasurable moment!
I've also noticed one or two interestingly coloured small flies or gnats around the garden. One on the fence looked metallic green and brown and another similar one ended up in my tea.
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| Waiter, waiter!... |
I couldn't identify it but the tea was Tetley's English Breakfast.
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