Nature is only progressing slowly through an extremely wet cool spell.
Reckoning I had tracked down where the mandarin ducks on the Derwent have been appearing, I took a look for them a few weeks ago without success but did manage to identify a buff-tailed bumblebee hunting for somewhere to nest,
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| Buff-tailed Bumblebee Queen |
A few days later it was at last warm enough to sit out in the summerhouse for a while. I didn't take a camera not expecting to see anything but one of a couple of ladybirds trapped inside proved to be a harlequin ladybird. It looked half-dead so I put it down thinking to photograph it later but it obviously moved off while I was finishing a coffee. Apparently they can invade buildings in large numbers.
Meanwhile a chiffchaff had turned up and settled briefly on a plant pot, so it was the only time I have seen my first chiffchaff of the year before hearing one..
There were also a couple of pleasing moments when a comma landed briefly, and another red admiral was disturbed by my passing.
Last Saturday, I took a roundabout bike ride and caught a brief glimpse of a yellowhammer. Stopping briefly at the feeders at Weetslade Country Park, nothing special was visiting but another buff-tailed queen was milling round noisily.
While exploring the woodland areas, and mainly getting lost, I did however come across an early bumblebee nectaring on gorse.
However I did manage to disturb a single red admiral on my way back up Blaydon Burn - so it was my first butterfly sighting of the year (30th March).
Today I decided to visit Rainton Meadows as an identified promising area, as there were no major sightings reported elsewhere.
The ponds were a bit disappointing as views were partially obscured and the ducks as you would have expected and a good way off. One greylag goose looked to be enjoying the sunshine at the pond's edge.
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| Greylag Goose |
While exploring the woodland areas, and mainly getting lost, I did however come across an early bumblebee nectaring on gorse.
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| Early Bumblebee |
There were also a couple of pleasing moments when a comma landed briefly, and another red admiral was disturbed by my passing.
Near Joe's Pond there was a bullfinch rooting in the undergrowth and, best of all on the Coalfield Path, a lovely if brief display by a singing blackcap.
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