Encounters with birds, butterflies and others
in SW Scotland and NE England
Tuesday, 22 June 2021
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!
Monday, 21 June 2021
The return of my bike after a wheel replacement has led to an increase in cycling activity.
On the 12th June, I took a brief trip up the Waskerley Way, hoping to see some butterfly species that haven't been showing up so far. The only result in that direction was a couple of passing red admirals and a speckled wood. Once up on the moorland, I did find a bank of bilberry not in flower, a good bit of uncut fern and some advanced bird's foot trefoil but no resulting pollinators. Lapwing, curlew and skylark were around but otherwise the most noticeable feature was the impressive view.
Waskerley Way
The most exciting thing was a momentary sighting of a redstart on the path on the way back down, just after I'd had a close up rear view of a red kite.
On Wednesday I set out from Newbiggin to head for East Chevington Pond, where one or two rarities have been spotted.
Going slowly, I again kept a careful eye on the bird's foot trefoil between Lynemouth and Cresswell but again no common blue were seen. What I did see was a collection of what I was fairly confident were linnets around a house just South of the first caravan site. A few turned up later coming back along the dunes but in both cases they didn't hang around. Linnets are nervous birds.
Stopping at the north end of Cresswell Pond, I didn't really expect to see the spoonbill that had been reported a few days earlier. After returning from inspecting the undergrowth and stumbling upon a red admiral, I spoke to a chap who thought he had seen a little egret. However another chap with a telescope confirmed it was indeed the spoonbill and I could pick it out in a field on the other side, snoozing with its beak tucked in. There were some avocets around but I didn't spot them, just a lot of gulls including a little gull.
It was only on the way back in the afternoon that the spoonbill was active and I got a good view of it. Apart from my visit to Minsmere several years ago I hadn't seen them in this country before.
Spoonbill
Little Gull
Compared to that East Chevington pond was a bit of an anticlimax as all I saw beside more gulls was several cormorants. At least I got the chance to check out where the hides and approaches to them are.
On the way back more individual red admirals were around, none of them settling. I counted five by the end of the day. Again there were a lot of skylarks and several meadow pipits around, on a couple of occasions perching quite close.
Unusually I only saw one stonechat but a nice surprise was a whitethroat on a lone bush in the dunes.
Whitethroat
... Or at least I think it's a whitethroat as I'm still not sure when a whitethroat is a lesser whitethroat.
On a fitness ride on Friday, I think I may have seen a meadow brown or two, but very much in the passing.
The morning I left Dumfries, I took a walk along the Nith from Nunholm to see if I could spot any kingfishers. There weren't any but there were good views of sand martins swooping over the river south of the caul.
At home there were a few sporadic visits by woodpeckers (both genders), more invisible greenfinches and equally invisible willow warblers.
One day I spotted was a carpet moth sunning itself upside-down on one of my favourite pots. To be more precise it was a garden carpet. I don't usually have carpets in my garden.
Garden Carpet
We went fishing at Brenkley again the Wednesday after but it was astoundingly quiet on two leger rods and one pole line, until a switch to worm on the pole produced a small perch. Then around 6.00 p.m. there was a strong run on one of the leger rods while I was on my own and I brought in a nice common carp in spite of getting in a tangle with the other rod. It was taken on glugged sweetcorn.
Common Carp
We were fishing off the peninsular and wondered if it was a good swim. There appeared to be a bank of weed about half way across. On the other hand there was no sign of any other carp being taken near us.
We are now debating whether fishing with two rods is a good idea. I think maybe start with one and put up another if no bites result... or maybe start with two and take one in if bites are frequent...
On the Thursday there was another interesting looking bee on the forget-me-nots. On trying to identify it though, I wasn't so sure it's a bee at all. Once again I emailed a friend at the Natural History Society of Northumberland who confirms that it is in fact a Narcissus Bulb Fly.
It's not a bee...
It's a Narcissus Bulb Fly
The forget-me-nots are now past their best and I am starting to see some large carder bees on other flowers around the decking,
This Monday I was out for a short walk along the Tyne from Wylam with my cousin and his wife. We hadn't got very far when we noticed frenetic activity in the trees by a number of blue and great tits. We soon saw they were trying to chase off a young-looking jay that had presumably discovered a nest it was trying to rob.
When we got to Hagg Bank Bridge, I noticed what I thought was a pied wagtail on a rock far beneath us. For some reason I decided to take a photo and it proved in fact to be a common sandpiper.
There weren't many butterflies to be seen fairly early in the day but while looking for them I rather liked the look of some white flowers amongst the campions.
Common Sandpiper
Maid's Violet
We came back over the Spetchells where a few buffish mining bees were still active and one or two orchids are starting to show. The bird's foot trefoil is also coming through but not profuse enough yet to attract the common blue or dingy skipper. Also strangely absent here were the sand martins, apart from a possible couple over the river.
On the last full day of my visit (27th May) the UK weather forecast was for bright and sunny weather from the outset. Not so however in the Burgh of Dumfries where it remained overcast until late morning. I hung around a bit and did some minor shopping, then I left the bicycle at the B&B and drove to Mabie Forest for a butterfly walk around the brown track, arriving around 11.15.
Shortly after I started out I was greeted by the ninth incidence of a cuckoo calling over the three days, proving my observation that they are more common in Dumfries and Galloway than in the North East.
Then before I even reached the key area for butterflies, the sun came out and I saw what I had been looking for - three pearl-bordered fritillaries. This increased to double that as I reached the start of the south facing slope on the way to Craigsbill Hill, which is where most butterflies are seen,
Unfortunately the sun went in again around midday and I spent at least another hour sitting round and having lunch before I walked the full length of the path,
Pearl-bordered fritillaries proved to be the dominant species and I was still seeing them later on the way back to the car park, amassing a conservative count of 38 in total and discounting extra sightings on a stretch I walked twice.
I kept taking photographs of some when possible just to check that none were small pearl-bordered fritillaries as a chap who was doing a transect survey reckoned the latter could just about be on the wing for the first time. However all the ones I observed or captured with the camera were pearl-bordered.
Pearl-bordered fritillary
Pearl-bordered fritillary (underwing)
While waiting for the sun to come out, I noticed several small orange moths flying but none were settling. Once the sun was out, this changed and they could be seen to be clouded yellow moths.
Clouded Yellow Moth
Further along the path, as I'd half expected there were four or five small heath and the smallest small copper I have ever seen. It really looked quite curiously stunted, with wing movements that vaguely ressembled a skipper. Apparently however, small coppers are subject to considerable variations - perhaps another result of the poor weather..
Small Heath
Small Copper
As well as a good few green-veined white and orange tip, there was I couple of large white I spotted on the wing, the first I have seen this year. Lastly there was a bumblebee that I really could not identify and am awaiting clarification on. It looks like it might just be another cuckoo!
Another Cuckoo?
Passing a hovering kestrel at the viewpoint on the hill, I decided I was too tired to look for a Whinchat at Kirkconnell Flow and the trip was over.
The search for birds continued, similar weather to Day 1 with slightly less wind again largely ruling out the possibility of butterflies and bees.
I did an old trick and drove the bike to Ken Dee marshes enabling me to forage further West. The first target was the Laurieston area where I have heard cuckoos a couple of times before. However my progress was quickly interrupted on the road over when I could clearly hear a cuckoo calling from a conifer spread in the middle distance.
Annoyingly again, I couldn't catch sight of it but stopped at the very next field where about three red kites were performing acrobatics. By the time I got off the bike, removed two layers of gloves and got the camera out they had moved on.
I was just about to do the same when the cuckoo flew right by the road, hotly pursued by two smaller birds - an impressive view. It settled in a small tree along the road but soon retired some distance away. I did not know that cuckoos get mobbed but I suppose it makes sense if the pipits etc have worked out what they are up to.
I rode on amongst a chorus of willow warblers and chaffinches and spent time in a certain area where a golden eagle is reported to pass by. Needless to say there was no sign, nor indeed of any other bird of prey which was a little surprising. There were just plenty of pipits and the odd skylark singing.
Things remained quiet until heading towards Girthon I heard exactly the same insistent chattering from a hawthorn bush as I encountered yesterday. This bird was even more invisible. I wondered about lesser whitethroat but it was only when I replayed the video I attempted that I realised it was a sedge warbler.
Must be a sedge warbler in there somewhere!
This was rather annoying as I have heard sedge warblers before and should have recognised it. Perhaps I eliminated it on the basis that there was no marshland nearby though on reflection there was a small stream as was the case the day before.
At this point I realised I was quite a way behind schedule and pedalled on at some speed for a late lunch at Kirkcudbright. This was a bit of a pity as I passed through some interesting territory and someone told me the day after he had seen grayling at Carrick. I wish I had known that in advance.
The idea was to cycle back slowly to Laurieston from Ringford but a sudden shower sapped the enthusiasm and I did not pay much attention to the cuckoo calling north of Ringford, nor the one south of Laurieston.
After Laurieston I had warmed up a bit and was considering a quick run round the reserve at Ken Dee Marshes to check for peid flycatchers and wood warblers. But just past the spot where I saw the cuckoo that morning I stopped to inspect the undergrowth and spotted a cuckoo in a tree further along. I just managed to get a mediocre shot of it before it flew on further to a telegraph pole and started singing.
Before I could get a better shot peering through the trees it bolted up the valley, singing all the time, and made itself scarce. It was probably the same bird as earlier.
Cuckoo
Thus was a minor ambition achieved in the very last mile or so of the expedition. By the time I reached the car, it was too late for further escapades and I headed back to the B&B.
I took a trip to my former home area to catch up with friends and with some nature-related objectives.
The two main ones were to give myself a chance of photographing a cuckoo and to hopefully see again the pearl-bordered fritillaries at Mabie Forest, as the latter do not exist in the North East and cuckoos have been infrequent so far, though strangely Malcolm and I heard one the wek before. Secondary objectives were to see a whinchat or wheatear somewhere and, as a complete longshot, a golden eagle if I got really lucky.
Day 1
On the 25th, I set off North by bike to explore the area between Dunscore and Corsock and the southern end of the Glenkilns.
Weather was not especially favourable as the wind was strong, the temperature cold enough to more or less eliminate the possibility of bee or butterfly sightings, while showers and dark conditions further discouraged much waiting around for birds. Immediately on setting out a dog had a bite at my cycling trousers and the first of many red kites appeared in the Midpark area.
Just going on to the Eastern end of the moors, there were a number of willow warblers working an interesting bit of woodland scrub and a really annoying, invisible bird chuntering away in a dense hawthorn bush, so I couldn't get a photo to check it out.
No cuckoo showed up in the area I had particularly targeted just before the downward slope off the moors but I did hear one calling consistently down the valley towards Corsock. Unfortunately it was a bit distant.
On the road to the Glenkilns I stopped briefly at a place where there used to be red squirrels and tits but the feeders were conspicuously empty.
I had hoped a cuckoo would show up near the road at Craigadam Woodland but further down there was one calling consistently. It was an area where I once saw one in a low tree and also spotted a whinchat, but this time it was well back in the pines and even with a diversion, I couldn't locate it. Of whinchats there was no sign.
Having more or less given up it was some surprise when I heard one calling quite near to the stone sculptures on the descent off the Glenkilns. A couple of times there was even one calling from further on the hills on the other side of the valley. I did manage to see the first one in the binoculars briefly but try as I might I couldn't get it on the camera.
Must be a cuckoo in there somewhere!
All day a number of red kites had appeared from to time. On the way to Terregles, I saw this one and only and rather noble looking buzzard. It seems like buzzards are the minority species in the area these days.
Noble Buzzard
A little further along a single common carpet moth appeared by the roadside.
One feature of the day was the outstanding number of bluebells still in bloom. Normally they would have been finished by early April according to one friend. Nature is weeks behind itself everywhere this year.
Some incidental sightings have been a recent feature.
On Tuesday Malcolm and I had decided on a trip to Dipton Woods as the weather was just about suitable to look for green hairstreaks. There was a bit of time to spare beforehand so I sat out in the garden where the forget-me-nots at least are having a bumper spring. As well as a stray speckled wood butterfly, I kept noticing some bees that I didn't immediately recognise and so was repeatedly jumping up to photograph them.
On further research my initial reaction seems to be correct as I reckon they were red mason bees - not a rarity but the first time I have spotted them and a change from the tree bumblebee workers that have again nested by the front door. There were some much smaller bees too but I couldn't get a shot of them.
Red Mason Bee
I wasn't particularly optimistic about the green hairstreaks but we did manage to see three albeit briefly, one immediately on arrival in the main target area and two just before we finished in more or less the same place. This was even less than last year. I had been quite optimistic about seeing a bilberry bumblebee but no sign. All the bumblebees were of commoner varieties. About half a dozen speckled wood, an orange tip and a couple of green-veined white also turned up at different times.
The day after I did a long exercise bike ride to Hexham. Yellowhammers were about on the way to Greenside and again north of Bywell but I couldn't get them or a suspected lesser whitethroat to pose.
On a break by the river after Prudhoe I decided to snap a small tortoiseshell just to have a photo of something but in doing so it struck me it didn't quite look normal.
Small Tortoiseshell
The difference is that the four innermost markings on the upper edge of the wing are almost totally white rather than yellow and even the central ones are very pale yellow. A bit of research suggests that the colouration of the small tortoiseshell can vary if the larva has been affected by cold spring weather, which certainly fits the bill this year!
At the same place there was a nice view of a pied wagtail, which was sharing a pontoon on the river with a female grey wagtail. I keep looking at pied wagtails to see if any are white wagtails but this one certainly isn't.
Pied Wagtail
Back at home I had been thinking I hadn't seen a tree sparrow for a while. Then curiously one briefly visited the feeders two days ago. Then it was here again this morning and actually inspected the nesting box the tits never use. A tree sparrow nesting in the garden would be a bit of a story.
