After a cold windy start, 'flaming' June dominated the first half of the month, giving birds a good chance to rear their young successfully.
1st June.
Tawny Owl heard hooting round the Centre, spotted in the hamlet orchard.
Recently fledged Chaffinch in the rain. It had been dull most of the day and a cold strong NE wind had been blowing (a Helm wind).
2nd June.
LOGBOOK SIGHTINGS.
HKM - 5 Marsh Fritillary, Lesser Butterfly Orchid (in bud), Common Heath, Common Carpet Moth, Four-spotted Chaser.
HKM - Speckled Wood, Orange-tip, Red Admiral Butterflies. Clouded Bordered Brindle and Schass Moths.
3rd June.
"Sunny days are here again"!
Young Dunnock.
A few items from Hedda Moor's Moth Trap last night.
Poplar Hawk Moth.
White Ermine.
Yellow Brimstone Moth.
And others: Common Swift, Pale Shouldered Brocade, Grey Dagger and Dog's Tooth.
HKM - Broken Bordered Carpet Moth ( Right-hand wood). Roe Deer with small spotted fawn (Hide).
4th June.
A large collection of Gulls are gathering in various roosts along Campfield Marsh at high tide. They are mostly Herring Gulls (lots of immature) with some Common and Black-headed Gulls. Still a flock of Oystercatchers frequenting the area too.
Flock of Gulls (mostly Herring Gull) and Shelduck, on sandbar off Scargavel Point.
Bulrushes and Yellow Flag - 2nd meadow Pool.
Flag Iris.
Greylag Geese on dried up scrape.
Grey Heron over the wetlands.
Greenfinch and Tree Sparrow on Centre hangers.
5th June.
Hot, hot day!
Male Ringlet amongst Meadow grasses.
Red Campion in Wildflower Meadow.
Mason Wasp building a nest along a wall cavity. Clay looked very similar to that used for the Clay Dabbin - in fact the wasp was seen regularly flying back and forward in that direction.
RAD - Female Hen Harrier at Anthorn towards the end of the masts.
Visitor - Brilliant. Birds are my Life!
6th June.
Very hot.
Adult and immature Herring Gulls at high tide.
Female and Male Bullfinch.
Young Tree Sparrow . . .
. . begging for food.
Juvenile Greenfinch.
Female Great Spotted Woodpecker feeding on the ground.
Adult Grey Heron hunting on the wetlands.
Azure Damselfly on farm pond vegetation.
7th June.
Hot again but very humid. Young Siskin with adult put in an appearance. Good butterfly day!
HKM - Green-veined White, Small White, Large Skipper, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Common Heath, Chimney Sweeper, , Silver Ground Carpet, 7 Four-spotted Chasers. Common Blue, Azure and Large Red Damselflies (Lily Pond).
8th June.
Continuing hot and sunny.
Sea Pinks, in all their glory, on the saltmarsh at high tide.
A new species, perhaps! This piece of drift line 'sculpture' gave me quite a shock at a distance . . .
. . . until I took a nervous closer look.
Goldfinch feeding time.
High tide roost - mostly Herring Gulls.
Oystercatchers at high tide.
Swallow catching insects over the saltmarsh . . .
. . . and catching a butterfly.
RDC - Painted Lady(3), Common Lizard (Rogersceugh Lonning). Also Painted Lady (Drumburgh Garden) - all appeared somewhat faded.
9th June.
Very warm and humid.
Young Song Thrush on edge of the marsh.
10th June.
Dull throughout although stayed very warm and humid.
Visitor from South Wales - First Visit. Will definitely come again. Lapwing, Herons, Reed Bunting and Kestrel.
11th June.
Still warm although more overcast.A walk along the Blue route.
Starting through the Discovery field.
. . . and up the inviting track through the buttercup field . . .
. . . with Ragged robin stands.
Passed areas of Yellow Rattle.
Great for seed loving Goldfinches.
Oystercatcher using broken Willow by the pond as a lookout post.
Blackbird with a collection of morsels.
Lapwing - hide pool . . . . . . with an offspring.
Large Red Damselfly on Lonning vegetation.
Young Blackbird back along track from the Hide.
BB & PB - Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Bullfinch on feeders.