Back.....

To avoid being robbed by all and sundry I kept it under the hat that I was going away on a family holiday, hence the inactivity of my blog over the past two weeks. I will do a post regarding my holiday away in Pembrokeshire and Herefordshire but there was little to report in terms of birds, especially in the latter county!

As soon as I was back I was straight down to Teesside to see the Red-crested Pochard, it isn't the  most stunning bird I have ever seen but it wasn't all that bad. It was certainly better looking than last Autumns dreadful eclipse Blue-winged Teal. The Pochard performed well but distant on Saltholme East, my eyes could bare no more so I thought a 30 minute seawatch of Hartlepool might produce the odd shearwater. However nothing at all was produced, just the local birds knocking about offshore and way out a small flock of Common Scoter north. Yesterday evening was most enjoyable with a BBQ and then a Storm Petrel, nice with a spicy sauce (joke - don't panic).

(Storm Petrel - copyright Andrew Kinghorn)

This afternoon the weather was looking about as good as its going to get this week with sunshine and cloud, I couldn't resist a trip with camera to Bishop Middleham quarry to snap the Durham Brown Argus, or Northern Brown if you want to be 'proper'. Nothing much else on site other than Common Blue, Meadow Brown, Large Skipper, and Ringlet. Stacks of Northern Brown Argus, never seen so many.

(Northern Brown Argus - copyright Andrew Kinghorn)

(Large Skipper - copyright Andrew Kinghorn)

I then headed off to Wingate Quarry to see if the Marbled White butterflies were out yet, thankfully they were out but not as many as there were last year. I seem to recall that last year I was basically tripping over them at this site and yet this year there doesn't seem to be as many. An array of other butterflies at this site including my first Small Skippers of the year and Meadow Brown, Ringlet and Large Skipper in attendance. 

 (Meadow Brown - copyright Andrew Kinghorn)

 (Small Skipper - copyright Andrew Kinghorn)

(Marbled White - copyright Andrew Kinghorn)

Until next time, Foghorn out!