Trosley Country Park

Trosley is a superb example of complex woodland structure, with trees of a multitude of species, ages and form. There are upright monoliths, fallen monsters (some with daughter trees springing up along their fallen lengths), tall lanky uprights, coppiced stools, seedlings, etc.

Below the Visitor Centre there are two Horse-chestnut monoliths, literally on their last legs. There are excellent fungal brackets, apparently of at least two different species, and also great opportunities for wood-attacking wasps such as Ectemnius.

The female above (sting fairly clearly seen at the rear in some of the other photos, and no knobbly antennae as in most males) might be Ectemnius cavifrons, one of the commoner and larger species. There appeared to be no yellow on the abdominal stergae, a supporting feature separating this species from E. sexcinctus in Yeo and Corbet. 

Washington WWT

We had a good time at the WWT centre, and even Paula said she liked it.

Feral pigeons, male chasing or following female, who can ever tell?

WWT Washington

Great day out with close-ups of the ducks, geese, moorhens, etc.

Warkworth beach

Paula and I escaped the house mid-afternoon to take a walk along the beach - and I was hoping to catch a few birds and plants as well, it being a bit breezy and overcast to hope for too many insects. Monty rolled in some muck on the beech, and we had to get him to go in and out of the waves to make him compatible with civilisation again, but all was eventually well.

Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Sandwich Tern, Shelduck, Mallard, Greylag Geese, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Meadow Pipits, Linnets, Reed Bunting, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler.

Harebell, Hop Trefoil, Common Vetch, Bush Vetch, Red Clover, White Clover, Black Medick, Common Restharrow, Burnet Rose, unknown Speedwell, Smooth Hawksbeard, Autumn Hawkbit, Common Daisy, Thrift, Yarrow, Mouse-ear Hawkbit, Rough Chervul, Marram Grass, Cocksfoot, Gorse, Goat Willow, Ash, Sycamore, dried out orchid flowering spikes, 

East Chevington

Barn Owl, Sandwich Tern, Black-headed Gull, Little Gull, Cormorant, Mallard, Gadwall, Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Goldfinch, Reed Buntings, Meadow Pipit.

I was very bad I think with one of the Sedge Warblers, which chitted away very close to me. Afterwards I realised that I had probably disturbed it very close to its nest, and the photos showed it with a cranefly in its beak.

Lindisfarne

This SHOULD be a Meadow Pipit, Anthus pratensis, not too dark a bird, with fairly clear streaks, some yellowish tinge to the lower bill and lightish legs:

Druridge and Cresswell

Sand Martins, Swallows, House Martins, Grey Heron, Spoonbill, Little Egret, Redshank, Icelandic race of Black-tailed Godwits, Ringed Plover, Curlew, Sandwich Tern, Comic Tern, Little Gull, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Mallard, Gadwall, Greylag Geese, Canada Geese, Reed Buntings, Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler.