A few hours over the last couple of days.

 Visited Bishop Middleham quarry yesterday in the hope of encountering the Northern brown argus, but alas a tad early by a week of so this visit. Plenty food source plants out now for the futtlerbye's here including rock rose and birds foot tre-foil making this special site look wonderful.

 First Common blues of the year encountered for myself on this visit here, and what a show these three put on...(even if there's always something in the way to spoil the shots!). A couple of blues where obviously  in mating mode and this other male just was trying his luck....numerous times.

 What a site for these little critters,every where I wandered in the quarry area I was kicking up Dingy skippers! I honestly give up counting after about 40 odd in the areas I wandered. By far the commonest butterfly on show yesterday here.
Shot taken with the little digi effort I carry around now and then.

 Another first this day of the year seeing this Cinnabar moth here, loads of other day flying moths but as always too hard to pick up photo wise in the grass.

What was interesting was that a few days earlier I was tripping over Small heaths at Colliery woods but at this site the numbers were far lower, but as mentioned above the Dingy skippers numbers here ..incredible!

 The heat got to this youngster after a couple of hours here so we retired to the car for refreshments.

Bird life wasn't exceptional on this visit, couple of Buzzards soared over, Sand martins entertained, Yellow hammers and Whitethroats called, of note.
Lush site and hope to return in the coming weeks again.

Today.

 Don't think this youngster (Pied wagtail) has left the safety of the nest area for long, sitting on the farm shed.

Pleased to report the small nesting population of Tree spuggs are still hanging out at site in Boldon, but very little else seen on this visit.

 And finally......A Orange tip male give its self up to be photographed, after I've tried for the last couple of weeks unsuccessfully to try and grab a shot.

A field near the Academy was being cut today which attracted  hundreds, if not thousands of Starlings, corvids and gulls....awesome sight!.