Burt is back

Apologies to everyone, but a couple of days after posting the last update on this blog, BT cut me off accidentally (both landline and broadband) and 2 months later after at least 4 cock-ups  by the aforementioned company and over 11 hours on the phone to Indian call-centres etc I am now back online.Should you feel sadistic for a list of the horrors BT caused see here

Forgive me for not replying to the 376 emails awaiting in my inbox when I eventually got to read them but I will reply to all subsequent ones as usual. In the meantime here is a summary from those last 8 weeks, abiet not as comprehensive as usual but its something. And normal service has been resumed (hopefully)


Birds

Red Kite - Noted at Lamesley on 25th April and   West Kyo on 26th April
Common Buzzard - Noted at Lamesley on 25th April and 2 at West Kyo on 26th April
Moorhen - Pair mating at Clara Vale LNR on 25th April.

Moorhens

Common Sandpiper - 1 at Shibdon Pond on 23rd April and Lamesley Water Meadows two days later
Wood Sandpiper - 1 at Lamesley water Meadows on 7 May  and another there on 17th May

Wood Sandpiper

Black-tailed Godwit - 1 at Lamesley water Meadows on 14 May

Black-tailed Godwit

Woodcock - 1 flying around Sainsbury's end of team valley at 05:30 hrs on 26th April
Little Owl - 1 at Ravensworth Fell on 8th May
Common Swift - 2 Swifts flying along valley at Winlaton Mill on 28th April
Cuckoo - 1 flew straight past the front of the hide at Lamesley on 25th April
House Martin - 2 over Blaydon on 26th April.
White Wagtail- Noted at Lamesley on 25th April
Tree Pipit- 1  singing in the Derwent Walk Country Parkin tree tops east of Goodshield Haugh near stone bridge on 5th May Another singing in Milkwellburn wood on 12th June.
Meadow Pipit - 2 at West Kyo on 26th April
Skylark - 3 singing at West Kyo on 26th April
Redwing - Noted at Lamesley on 25th April
Willow warbler - 2 at West Kyo on 26th April
Whitethroat - 2 at West Kyo on 26th April
Wood Warbler - 1 singing at Chopwell on 17th & 18th June

Wood Warbler (both photographs)

Grasshopper Warbler 1 at Kibblesworth Brickpools on 8th May

Grasshopper Warbler [Both pictures]

Garden Warbler and Blackcap both noted singing at several sites, late April to mid June

Blackcap

Lesser Whitethroat - 1 singing at Kibblesworth on 19th MayWheatear - 39 at West Kyo on 26th April with 4 still present the next day. 1 at Ravensworth Fell on 19th May
Whinchat - 3 at West Kyo on 26th April
 Tree-creeper - Pair at Shibson on 23rd April

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Mammals

Brown Hare - several records from Ravemsworth Fell

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Butterflies
Peacock - First noted at Kibblesworth on 20th June and subsequently at Tanfield railway and  Hedley Hall. Maximum of 6 at  Kibblesworth on 21st June

Small Tortoisesehell - Noted at the Vicarage garden, Dunston on 19th April and  also at Tanfield railway.

Wall Brown - First noted at at Cowen Road, Blaydon on 13th June and subsequently at Kibblesworth, Stargate, Greenside and Milkwellburn Wood. Maximum of 2 Kibblesworth on 20th June

Wall Brown

Meadow Brown - First noted at Kibblesworth on 20th June and subsequently at Shibdon.

Speckled Wood - First noted at Cowen Road on 3rd June and subsequently at Whickham Thorns, Kibblesworth, Shibdon and Stargate. Maximum of 2 Kibblesworth on 20th June

Common Blue - First noted at Costo, Dunston on 17th June and subsequently at Kibblesworth, Stargate.  Maximum of 24 Stargate on 17th June

Common Blues

Small Copper- First noted at Costo, Dunston on 17th June ands subsequently at Kibblesworth. Maximum of 28 at Costo, Dunston on 17th June

Large Skipper - First noted at Whickham Thorns on 17th June and subsequently at Shibdon. Maximum of 2 at Kibblesworth on 20th June

Dingy Skipper - First noted at Timber Beach Dunston on 4th June and subsequently at Stargate and Shibdon.  Maximum of 16 at Stargate on 17th June

Small Heath - First noted at at Timber Beach, Dunston on 4th June and subsequently at Stargate, Costco.  Maximum of 28 at Costo, Dunston on 17th June

Large White - First noted at Whickham Thorns on 17th June and subsequently elsewhere. Maximum of 2 Kibblesworth on 20th June

Small White - Noted at the Vicarage garden, Dunston on 19th April and subsequently at Costo, Dunston, Stargate and Cowen Road, Blaydon.   

Green-veined White - First noted at Blaydon on 28th May.  Noted at Hedley Hall on 2nd June and a number of sites afterwards.
 
Orange-tip - First noted at Cowen Road, Blaydon on 7th May. Also noted at Costo, Timber Beach, Shibdon, Whickham Thorns and Stargate. The last was 1 at Milkwellburn Wood on 21st June

Orange-tip

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Moths

Moth trapping at Greenside produced the following species in late April/May

0288  Caloptilia stigmatella 
0468  Rhigognostis incarnatella  
0648  White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella)  
0688  Agonopterix heracliana  
0648  White-shouldered House Moth 
0663  Diurnea fagella
0672  Parsnip Moth (Depressaria heraclei) 
0688  Agonopterix heracliana
1663  March Moth (Alsophila aescularia)
1746  Shoulder Stripe (Anticlea badiata)  
1747  Streamer (Anticlea derivata)  
1750  Water Carpet (Lampropteryx suffumata)  
2182  Small Quaker (Orthosia cruda)  
2186  Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis)  
2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  
2188  Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)  
2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  
2243  Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)  
2256  Satellite (Eupsilia transversa) 
2258  Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii)  

Also
Herald Moth - Larvae found at Blaydon on 18th June

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Dragonflies

Broad-bodied Chaser - Pair noted at Milkwellburn wood on 12th and 21st. Two males at Stargate on 20th June and another pair at Kibblesworth on 22nd.

Four-spotted Chaser - Up to 20 noted at  Kibblesworth since mid month

Azure Damselfy - Noted at Kibblesworth and Stargate

Common Blue Damselfly - Noted at Kibblesworth, and Shibdon
Blue-tailed Damselfly - Noted at Kibblesworth, Stargate and Shibdon

Large Red Damselfly - Noted at Kibblesworth (over 100) and Stargate 
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Other Invertebrates

Common Wasp - First of the year was at blaydon on 2nd May
Common Carder Bee - Noted at Blaydon on 22nd May
Common Bee-fly - Noted at Shibdon on 23rd April and on 26th at Greenside

Common Bee-fly

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Flora

Common Spotted Orchid - First ones noted emerging on 27th April at Blaydon and seen later in the month at Shibdon
Northern Marsh Orchid - First ones noted emerging on 13th June at Blaydon and seen later at Shibdon
Black Medick - Noted in flower at Blaydon on 17th May
Broad-leaved Willow-herb  - Noted in flower at Blaydon on 3rd June
Mouse-ear Hawkweed- Noted in flower at Blaydon on 18th May
Self-Heal - Noted in flower at Blaydon on 19th June
Common Cat's-ear- Noted in flower at Blaydon on 19th June
Creeping Conquefoil - Noted in flower at Blaydon on 19th June
Garlic Mustard - Noted in flower at Blaydon on 17th May
Smooth Sowthistle  - Noted in flower at Blaydon on 13th June
Ox-eye Daisy  - Noted in flower at Blaydon on 22nd May
Cowslip - Noted in flower at Shibdon on 23rd April

Cowslip

Blackthorn - Noted in flower at Shibdon on 23rd April

Blackthorn

Wild Cherry - Noted in flower at Shibdon on 23rd April
Marsh Marigold - Noted in flower at Shibdon on 23rd April

Marsh Marigold

Field Woodrush- First ones noted emerging on 27th April
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Mosses and Liverworts
A short survey at Milkwellburn wood on 13th June produced the following

Bifid Crestwort
Elegant Silk-moss
Cypress-leaved Plait-moss
Notched Pouchwort
Two-horned Pincerwort
Water Earwort
Even Scalewort
Overleaf Pellia
Fringed Bog-moss
Common Smoothcap
Pellucid Four-tooth Moss
Bank Haircap
Common Haircap
Juniper Haircap
Broom Fork-moss
Greater Fork-moss
Heath Star Moss
Dotted Thyme-moss
Swan's-neck Thyme-moss
Hart's-tongue Thyme-moss
Wood Bristle-moss
Rough-stalked Feather-moss
Clustered Feather-moss
Red-stemmed Feather-moss
Heath Plait-moss
Big Shaggy-moss
Little Shaggy-moss
Common Feather-moss