Meanwhile there has been some interesting bird activity at home.

Young birds have fledged and a series of them have been visiting the garden with their parents to be fed.  Tits often do this and this year the blue tits have been particularly brave, regularly feeding their babies in the plum tree while I am sitting on the decking no more than three yards away.

A new development has been mother and baby woodpecker doing the same thing while I watched from the kitchen.

Woodpeckers

Then the latest was a whole family of greenfinches that turned up on the lawn, as many as five or six at one point.

Greenfinches

On a day trip to meet with family in Boroughbridge, I was interested to note that there is a day fishing ticket on the River Ure.  Someone landed what looked like a pike while we were there.  Further on we happened to see another whitethroat.

Back in the garden the foxgloves are out and attracting bumblebees.  As I suspected, these turned out to be garden bumblebees, the first I have positively identified.  They are keen on foxgloves and have long tongues to reach the pollen inside.

Whitethroat

Garden Bumblebee

This morning while making breakfast, the jay turned up in the garden again and was showing well close to the tree.  I was tempted to run for the camera but would have burned my food!

Sunday 2nd September

Drove to Mill Loch to check out fishing possibilities. North side flooded and not much getting caught.  West end is getting silted up.  An area where I once caught a pike is unfishable.

Went on to Kelhead to see if any better.  Almost unrecognisable from the time I last fished there four or five years ago.  Most of the quarry inaccessible.  Pipe swim approach completely flooded.  New trees all over next to bank.  Two blokes fishing at corner but only two other swims further up accessible. Typography of the bankside almost unrecognisable.  Think I'll go for Mill Loch if at all, as at least the water seems to be running off well.  Did see a few willow warblers around Mill Loch and a greater spotted woodpecker at Kelhead.

On a brighter note there is now a glut of peacock butterflies on the buddleia, so at least one butterfly has done well.  Unfortunately Jennifer's cat has eaten a couple.  Also a good few small tortoiseshells but still no red admiral.