July 23 2011

Torrential rain overnight and a cold wind from a northerly origin put an end to any hopes that we would find any late obliging Purple Emperor or White Admiral! We did have a look, but nothing was on the wing, other than a brief Purple Hairstreak.

So with the forecast being poor, we decided to cut short the weekend and head back, at the end of the day. A stop at Cotterstock, eventually gave us a single Red-eyed Damselfly and a couple of Brown Hawker and another Kingfisher, but no new fish!

The next stop was at Barnack Hills & Holes. We were just through the gate when a Holly Blue was found

this was taken with that well known butterfly lens combination; 500 + 1.4 extender.

Further into the reserve, the target was showing very well, with lots on the wing; Chalkhill Blue

And after a lot of searching, the final tick of the day, Marbled White

A great trip that will have to be replayed next year, a couple of weeks earlier!

July 6 2011

After the rain this morning, the weather turned out not too bad! So I head for Banks pond in the hope of some dragonfly action. Two Emperor males, that clashed next to where I was put on a canny show, sadly not for the camera. So again, the damselflies saved the day. Lots of Common Blue, Blue-tailed and Emerald.

 

Common Blue Damselfly

Emerald Damselfly

a moth (the Liverbirder tells me its a 5-spot Burnett)(Ian thinks it is a Narrow Bordered 5-spot Burnett)

I left here and went to Bellasis Bridge, where the Banded Demoiselle where on show, but again not for the camera, and still no Quail up the road. On the way back I called into East Cramlington Nature Reserve, where there where Azure, Common Blue, Large Red and Emerald Damselfly. I took no pictures at all, in fact I just got back to the car before a thunderstorm came through.

July 5 2011

Summerhouse Lane ponds were my first stop this morning, looking for some Dragonfly action; none!

Plenty of damselflies, of which, I managed to photograph Emerald and Blue-tailed

Blue-tailed Damselfly

Emerald Damselfly

Leaving here, I head south, as the car is facing that way, parked in the lay-by at the roadside. The delightful little seaside village of Cambois is just down the road, and it was here that I head to next.

I parked the car next to a genuine fly-tip area and wander off along the picturesque disused railway lines, and it wasn’t long before I flush the target of my search, Grayling.

  

And then I head for home, my car needs fuel, and I didn’t take my wallet. I have enough to get me back, but if I have enough to get me to a garage, well…

Beautiful Demoiselle

Yew Tree Tarn, Cumbria

 

Banded Demoiselle

Bellasis Bridge, Northumberland

 

Catfield Fen, Norfolk

Variable Damselfly

Norfolk

Red-eyed Damselfly

Woodwalton Fen, Cambridgeshire

Large Red Damselfly

Seaton Delaval, Northumberland

Emerald Damselfly

Banks Pond, Northumberland

Common Blue Damselfly

Northumberland

Blue-tailed Damselfly

Northumberland

Azure Damselfly

Northumberland