Play Spot the Stag

This photo was taken on the Isle of Ulva. Can you spot the Red Deer Stag?

Cracking start to Mull trip

Arrived on Mull, Wed afternoon, as the remnants of Katia was departing. By all accounts it had been pretty grim! We setup camp at Craignure campsite, and an evening walk along the beach gave us out first Otter of the trip.

Thursday morning delivered light winds and blue skies, perfect raptor weather, and we weren't disappointed. By the end of yesterday we had White-tailed Sea Eagle, Golden Eagle, Buzzard, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk. Trip report and pics to follow.

Windhover Haven

Prior's Haven of Tynemouth has been good for migrants of late, with good numbers of Willow Wren, Mavis and Blackies.

Mavis

Willow Wren

If you pay a visit, checkout the Sea Buckthorn and Elders, berryfull, around the Haven car park, south of Prior's Park (or Knotweed Park - badly infested with Japanese Knotweed).

Windhover

The cliffs around Tynemouth Priory are pretty much a dead cert for a 'Windhover' or two. If you want a gripping 'hover' shot then this is the place. I'm yet to succeed :(

Flittin in the riggin

Barn Swallow

Swallows were checking out the sailling dingies at Tynemouth Haven today. Must be getting ready to leave.

Hot Spot

Spotted Flycatcher

I found a hot spot for birds today, on the footpath heading North from Earsdon cemetery. Past the cemetery, at the end of the first field, is a small stream along which the trees and hawthorn hedge provided cover for a variety of tits, warblers and a rather pleasant surprise in the form of a Spotted Flycatcher.

Long-tailed Tit

Great Tit enjoying a wasp!

Blue Tit

Willow Warbler

And feeding on thistles was this Gold Spot moth..........

Gold Spot Plusia festucae

Holywell Pond

Heron

I missed the reported Marsh Harrier but found a fishing Heron, a fine adult Med Gull and a rather smart Ruff in front of the public hide. And I dodged the rain :)

Med Gull

Ruff

Feast on the fence - Bon Appétit!

If you park in the Old Hartley car park, north of St Marys Island, check out the cliff top fence. It's covered in snails - mostly Garden Snails (Helix aspersa) and a few Dark Lipped Banded Snails (Cepaea nemoralis). If you fancy some wild food, here's your chance. Go on, and if you see some slugs, you can eat those too!

Buzzing Marmalade

Have you noticed the huge increase in hoverflies over the last week? One species, in particular, is very numerous at the moment - the Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus.

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Spotted Redshank Beehive Flash

Spotted Redshank was reported at Beehive Flash, but all I could find was this Common Redshank.

Common Redshank - showing well at Beehive Flash today

Double Take at Holywell

Black-necked Grebe

I popped along to Holywell Pond to see the Black-necked Grebe this morning, and there it was, right in front of the members' hide. For the first few minutes it sat with its head down having a snooze. Then, deciding to feed, it dived. And when it surfaced there were two of them!

Along a nearby hedgerow, a Whitethroat scolded me as waited to ambush it with my camera. A few minutes passed and it came into the open, only to be ambushed by a Sparrowhawk, some six feet in front of me! The Whitethroat managed to dodge the attack, and then did a very good job of avoiding getting photographed, save for a couple of shots taken through the undergrowth.