A week ending in Teesside

A couple of visits to the Ings this week but it was very quiet birdwise although the warmer weather brought a good few Insects out.

Gatekeeper

Small Skipper

female Banded Demoiselle

Common Darters

Azure Damselfly

I finished work early on Thursday evening so I called off at West Lilling on the way home (well a slight detour), there are still several Quail calling covering a wider area than a couple of weeks ago, no sign of the Barn Owl although the Little one had a peek at me.

do you ever get the feeling you're being watched

some Moths about, a Shaded Broadbar

and Udea lutealis

Sunset

On Saturday I decided to head up to Teesside, I started with a seawatch off Hartlepool Headland but there was nothing much moving although I saw my first Sandwich and Arctic Terns of the year, I headed back towards Saltholme calling off at Newburn Bridge en route, spent a bit of time photographing the Waders on the rocks here plus there was still a Med Gull around I then checked out Seaton Snook in the hope a Roseate might be there but there were no Terns at all. At Saltholme I sat in the Phil Stead Hide for a while, a Greenshank came close and four Little Egrets were feeding at the back but there was no hoped for Wood Sandpiper, I took a walk out to the Tidal Pools at Greatham Creek later where one had been the day before but there was no sign although a Whimbrel dropped in and a couple of of Grayling posed.

Grayling

Seals at Greatham Creek