Puffin at Thornwick Bay, Yorkshire today 02/06/2024

1st June 2024: We've come away for the week to Yorkshire to visit Bempton Cliffs and other coastal locations to look for seabirds and other bits. Tonight after arrival we spent some great time on a sunny evening at Flamborough North Landing where I took these photos of views, Puffins, Guillemots and Razorbills. Kittiwake, Fulmar and Gannet there and Feral Pigeons at the cottage we're staying this evening and at home before we left, Goldfinch at home and on the journey and Red Kites on the journey were other highlights today.

As with our Scotland trip a few weeks ago I shall pause my daily posts on here whilst away but will aim to do a few here and there with some photos during the week and shall certainly do some posts about the time when back.

Sky and flower tonight 31/05/2024

31/05/2024-Burnet moth caterpillar, Black-headed Gull and views at Lakeside Country Park.

Great Crested Grebes including one chick eating a big fish and an adult on the nest for the pair's second go this year, Moorhen and chicks, a fair few Canada Geese including goslings, glorious Whitethroats seen and heard this charming warbler has been a star bird at Lakeside this week, a fair few Swollen-thighed beetles, grass vetchling, orchids including common spotted orchid, wild carrot, red valerian and water-dropwort were other highlights today with Swift, Goldfinch including young, House Sparrow and Lesser Black-backed Gull seen well at home.

Five of my favourite flora and fauna photos I took in May 2024, five of my favourite landscape photos I took in May 2024 and month summary

The photos are of; Red Grouse at Lochindorb, Red Squirrel at Dell Woods, Marsh Fritillary at Magdalen Hill, Azure Damselfly and sorrel at Lakeside Country Park, views at Strathdearn and Cairn Gorm, sunset at home and views at Magdalen Hill and Pig Bush in the New Forest.

May was another epic, packed and brilliant wildlife watching and photo month for me. Beginning in the midst of our sensational Scotland adventure many of the bird highlights of the holiday were about to unfold in May's early days seeing Black Grouse, precious Dipper, wonderful Golden Eagle, exquisite summer plumage Slavonian Grebe and Ring Ouzel with stars of the trip first seen inside April on the trip and before that enjoyed again such as White-tailed Eagle, Osprey, smashing views of stunning summer plumage Black-throated Diver, Pink-footed Geese, Red Grouse, Common Sandpiper, Goldeneye, Redstart and Willow Warbler. It was very busy for birds when we returned home to Hampshire this month with Swifts at a few locations, Garganey, Reed Warbler, Whimbrel, Garden Warbler, Hobby, Spotted Flycatcher, Tree Pipit, Roseate Tern and valuable chances to see Stone Curlew again on a guided walk added to my year list mixing migratory species I needed to see and stardust birds; another epitomising this the amazing times I saw Cuckoos this month in Hampshire a bird I heard so much throughout the Scotland trip it's always a privilege to see them and I had some breathtaking experiences with them. Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Sedge Warbler, Great Crested Grebes, Moorhen including chicks seen well with Greylag and Canada Goose goslings enjoyed a lot on patch at Lakeside Country Park and Red Kite were other stars across the month in what was a fantastic month of birds.

May is one of my busiest months of the year as I've still got plenty of bird species to look for and the butterfly season really gets going. It was an incredible butterfly month for me with dynamic and colourful species seen including Large White, Dingy Skipper, Duke of Burgundy, Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Grizzled Skipper, Painted Lady, Small Heath, Brown Argus, Green Hairstreak, Marsh Fritillary, Small Blue, Common Blue, Adonis Blue, quite early Meadow Brown, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Peacock, Orange Tip and Speckled Wood getting my butterfly year into a great place. It was a great moth month too with loads of species seen including The Streamer, Garden Carpet, Mint moth, Burnet Companion, Brown Silver-line, Common Heath, Common Carpet, Pale Prominent, Yellow Shells, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer, elegant Mother Shiptons, Speckled Yellow, Silver Y and Five-spot Burnet seen.

It was a top dragonfly and damselfly month with some super species seen to get me started including Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly, Banded Demoiselle, Beautiful Demoiselle, Hairy Dragonfly and Broad-bodied Chaser and thrilling moments seeing my first ever Downy Emerald at Bentley Wood. It was a real awakening of beetles for me this month with Violet Oil beetle, Green Tiger beetle and Dor beetle seen in Scotland and at Bentley Wood for the green tiger and many Swollen-thighed beetles and Red-headed Cardinal beetles, Oedemera lurida, Cantharis rustica, Cryptocephalus aureolus, Common Malachite, Woodland Dor beetle, Black-striped Longhorn beetle and Garden Chafer enjoyed once home. It was a really good mammal month with Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Brown Hare (seen in Hampshire too) and Stoat seen in Scotland, Roe Deers seen nicely across the month, Fallow Deer and New Forest Pony foals and cattle at Lakeside charming seasonal sights.

It was a wonderful month of plants again with special flower species seen as they took over meadows and other areas including wood sorrel, coltsfoot, oxeye daisies, yellow rattle, buttercups, greater celandine, spurge, early purple orchid, common twayblade, white helloborine, common spotted orchid, burnt-tip orchids, speedwell, forget-me-not, yellow iris, eyebright, lousewort, wood avens, meadow crane's-bill, grass vetchling, foxgloves, crimson clover, red clover, white clover, black and spotted medick, comfrey, cuckooflower, tormentil, bugle, yellow pimpernel, silverweed cinquefoil, sainfoin, fox-and-cubs, mignonette, common rock-rose, hemlock water-dropwort and bird's-foot trefoil. I took in some mesmerising views and sky scenes this month. Have a good June all.

Dramatic sky tonight, Hampshire, UK 30/05/2024

Young Goldfinch out the back and trees in the bright sunlight against dark clouds which has been great to see tonight 30/05/2024 and Marsh Fritillary at Magdalen Hill last Thursday and Little Tern at Normandy Marsh, Lymington on Sunday.

Mallard, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Robin, Grey Wagtail, Blackbird, Blackcap heard, privet flowers, pineappleweed, white clover, ivy-leaved toadflax and gorgeous Love-in-a-Mist flowers in Dean Garnier Garden were other highlights today.

Winchester today

29th May 2024-Water dropwort at the Weirs in Winchester, view at Lakeside Country Park, poppy in Winchester and the centre piece of glorious displays of colourful roses I enjoyed in Winchester today at Abbey Gardens.

Mallards wandering around the green in front of Winchester Cathedral, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Goldfinches, Song Thrush heard, my first bindweed, broad-leaved willowherb and yarrow of the year, fox-and-cubs, red valerian and buttercups were other highlights today.

Snails tonight 28/05/24

28th May 2024: Dandelion, dogwood, orchids I believe heath spotted, possible lesser hop trefoil and Greylag Goose gosling on walks at Lakeside Country Park today.

My first Meadow Brown of the year my second earliest ever sighting of this symbolic summer species in a year by one day behind 2020, beautiful singing Whitethroat seen well, Chaffinch, Moorhens with new chicks, Great Crested Grebes, Blackbird, hedge woundwort, white clover, broad-leaved clover and yellow iris were other highlights today.

27th May 2024: Bramble flowers, beautiful views and stunning burnt-tip orchids, Chiffchaff and Adonis Blue on a great bank holiday Monday walk at Martin Down

My first ever Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer moth, Five-spot Burnet, Small Heath, Stonechat, Skylark, Chaffinch, Red Kite, Buzzard, a trio of Cuckoo, Yellowhammer and Tawny Owl heard, Rook, dame's-rocket, common rock-rose, thyme, kidney vetch, horseshoe vetch and early purple orchid were other highlights with Grey Heron enjoyed on the way home.

Magdalen Hill, Hampshire

26/05/2024-Brown-tail moth caterpillar, Common Tern, Avocet chick and views in a sunny time at Lymington this afternoon.

Gorgeous Roseate Terns one of my birds of the year, Little Tern, Great Black-backed Gull, Gadwall, Eider, Shelduck, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Swifts circling overhead which was joyful to see, Redshank and Lapwing chicks I'd not seen chicks from the former before, broad-leaved clover, gladiolus and oxeye daisy were other highlights.

Marsh Fritillary and Green Hairstreak at Magdalen Hill, Hampshire yesterday and on Thursday.

Speedwell, views, Marsh Fritillary, my first electric Adonis Blue of the year one of my favourite butterflies and Starling and young on another look at Magdalen Hill 25/05/2024.

Kestrels mobbing Red Kite which was memorable to see, Yellowhammer, Whitethroat, Buzzard, Brimstone, Dingy Skipper, lots of Small Heaths, Small Blue, Swollen-thighed beetle, Garden Chafer beetle, my first Common Carpet moth, hedgerow crane's-bill and horseshoe vetch of the year, Broad-bodied Chaser, sainfoin, herb-Robert and young Goldfinches and House Sparrow enjoyed at home were other highlights today.

Sky tonight, Hampshire, UK. 24/05/2024