More futterbye hunting.

 A couple of outings twitching butterflies!...aye that's right me twitching how often does that happen?. I had made a mental promise to myself this year to try and see a few different species that I ain't seen before within South Tyneside. So that meant travelling to a few different sites not a million miles away, especially with the first 2 shots which where taken just off the A1 roundabout at Chester le street. I only managed to pick up 2 White letter hairstreaks here on my visit, but other visitors have had a canny few more. First new tick for me.

 Tried the brickworks pools area next for Purple hairstreak , not much luck in a couple of hours here, only picked up one high up in the oaks. Never the less new tick (second new one) ! Close encounter of the Grayling kind here above, this one landed on my jeans at one stage.

 And today it was off out west, in search of another 2 species on the 'want to see list'.

I thought the close encounter with the Grayling was great a few days back, nowt compared to the one today with a Small pearl-bordered Fritillary (3rd new tick) whilst sitting watching a few.
 I made the mistake of wandering around a site in trainers today (should have know better) fell into a beck hidden with grass and had't to walk along a section of the Waskerly way in wellies for a couple of miles in search of Dark green fritillary. Pretty windy and dull up here today, fruitless search for this one, but cannot complain it's been a couple of brilliant outings! many thanks to the lads who have helped .

A few from today and last weekend.

 This pair of Broad-bodied chasers led me a merry dance trying to get any type of shots today. But brilliant to watch with the female ovi-posting under the watchful eye of the male who grabbed on a few times (wheeling) whilst she flew around the pond.

 It's a female blue dam. that's all I know.

 Close encounter of the Small skipper kind.

 And yes its a bird...pretty unusual for this blog at the moment with me mucking about with the macro lens and the lack of subject matter lately. 'Pished' this Whitethroat out after it showed an interest in me, love doing this for a few minutes at the right time of year.

All the above shots are from the Scotch est. dene today, plenty Browns and a few Blues on the wing. No sign of Dingies (as expected) and the Banded dem's here didn't show well either.


The shot's below are from the Whitburn coastal park.

 

 This Blue had my novice head baffled today, don't think I've ever seen a female Common with so such much blue colouration  before (without some brown colouring also). And then I checked the British butterfly site, oh aye, its a minefield still id wise...

Ringlet

 Plenty Browns on the wing over the last couple of weeks.(Meadow brown above).

And below- Flowers!  Three of the 4 species (I think) of Orchids in the coastal park.

 Northern-marsh

 Bee

And a new tick for me..Pyramidal.

Where's the sun god when you need it most!

 Had a visit to Bishop Middleham old quarry today, the first one for about a year. This after viewing a weather forecast last night, that stated that big yellow thing in the sky would appear like yesterday- early noon. Lying gits!. It was really hard work today to find 'anything' on the wing -bar day flying moths.

 Female blue

 Male blue

 Large Skipper

'A' 15 minute window opened with signs of the sun showing it's face. With this, the temperature obviously raised slightly which triggered a 'small' but welcomed show after being here for a while. And then it was all over.....as quickly as it had began. (better luck next time with the Durham argus hopefully).

The Scotchy dene this afternoon.

 It was back down the old play ground this afternoon again, locally known as the Scotch est. dene. in Jarrow. It's a small section of the river Don which provided many hours of entertainment to 'us' kids and has matured nicely over the years now.
Started off firstly this afternoon visiting the Academy pools, which wasn't the best visit I've had here to put it mildly!. Reed warbler, mixed families of tits( blue,great and long tailed) comprising of about 30 birds along the hedge approach, couple of C. Whitethroats, Chiffy, along the usual stuff. Poor on the Dragonfly front also...
So dropped into the old stamping ground after this to see how the habitat has came along since the horses feeding on this land have been removed. The last time I visited was a few months back when the 2 hogs we over-wintered where released here. It was great to see the undergrowth and grasses etc. have re-generated and that no attempts at wild grazing had been made since my last visit.
Five Banded Demoiselles seen in two sections of this stretch of the Don, only one male. Two of the females where ovipositioning under the watchful eye of a male in his territory.

And 3 Dingy skippers seen here today, (didn't see any here last year) after picking them up here 2 years ago here. (second reported sighting I've been told??)

Sadly no Chimney sweeper moths on the wing here on this visit but Small copper, 2 small skippers and a couple of small blues.

A few shots from this week...

 Nowt birdy wise worth posting ...Dipped the Jarra shrike and Cuckoo in the coastal park later yesterday afternoon.Added bonus at Jarra was seeing 11 Shelduck duckling's on what is left of the slake by the Nissan car terminal, along with a young pecker making a canny din from a nest hole along the Don. This Painted lady was a consolation prize whilst searching for Cuckoo in the coastal park yesterday. It could well be my only one of the year, if last year is anything to go by.

 I'm still trying to get to 'grips' with a macro lens, which is great if you can get close enough to the subject matter! more often than not I've found it's not a easy task, plus it involves getting ya knees wet often....(Painted lady taken with the 400mm). Green-veined white above.

 A very obliging subject today in the form of a Peacock  

 I seen my first Small heath of the year on the wing a week or so ago.

 There's been some good news of late on the Dingy skipper front in South Tyneside. I picked up 10 around the area set aside for them in Colliery wood, Boldon last Sunday, 2 of which were in a area new to me for them. Recorded 6 yesterday on Jackies beach and there's been 2 records( one observer added a photo) over the last week of sightings in Marsden old quarry, which are a first for this site I believe.

 Blue tailed dam.

 Common blue dam.

 Large Red dams. Corrections welcomed, still very much a learning curve with Dragonflies etc.

 Wall Browns

Speckled wood from the week before.

Out west.

 Cracking morning on the higher path at Tunstal, Pied flys. aplenty busy feeding young.

 A 'duller' male Pied fly.

 The only male Redstart I encountered on this visit.

 Newly fledged Long-tailed tit trying its best to be a Tree creeper.

 Picked up 2 male Spotted flys. calling along the path also. Sadly no Wood warb. seen or heard, hope it's just my luck here for this species.

 Red Grouse chick from the roadside over the moors.

Windy conditions hampered looking for these little belters today around the Muggleswick area.Three showed at a regular site briefly, but didn't settle ..alas the best of a bad bunch of shots.

Male Ring ouzel seen briefly in flight at Bollihope and also a Cuckoo heard.

Parrots,butterflies and mini dragons.

 Just a few of the highlights from a few short visits around the doors this week.

On Monday- me, bob and the better half had a quick stroll around south Marine park at about 3pm. I  had only been in the treed area about 5 minutes when one of these noisy squawkers belted up....guess what? NO camera. After watching one parakeet for about 15 minutes preening and feeding in the same spot, it was back to the car to return home for the camera....Twenty minutes later I was back in the same spot minus my original companions but armed with the camera. Not a squawk or sign of the green bugger!  After about a 30 minute wander my lugs picked up the noisy return of the green invader, more or in the same place as previously. Great views had and whilst watching another one flew over and landed!. Pointed the first one out to a local dog walker who informed me she has them visit her garden around the Mariners cottages.
First for me and our lass in ST, after a few attempts trying else where around the doors.

 Checked Jackies beach out on the Tuesday hoping for Dingy skippers on the wing, wasn't disappointed picked up 4 here...great stuff! Also loads of Wall-browns on the wing around this area this day.

 Spotted-wood near Shearwater est. plenty on the wing now.

 I had the time and chance to join in with a newt survey being carried out along the Don area this week by NERAG (north-east reptile and amphibian group). This involved meeting up on the Thursday evening at 9pm and setting bottle traps with a licensed person who has undergone full training to do so and any other volunteers who fancy taking part.Most of the ponds where also 'lamped' and great views had in one in particular, sadly none caught on this evening in the net. Wellies off and driving home by 11.20pm.
Back the next day at 7am.... along with the other folk, plus a representative from Living waterways who have done a great deal of work along our section of the Don.  I'll not go into too much detail with the results of many a bottle placed in numerous ponds but I found this a great experience as I've never done this before.
The shot above are 3 male Common newts, recorded for the first time by our leader at a certain pond area.

Whilst the wellies where being extracted on Friday morning this little belter fluttered around the outskirts of the parking area!...Great ending to a fantastic experience.

And we picked up a Avocet reported earlier on Boldon flats later today...