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Tuesday 26 May 2009

Harthope Valley 24-5-09


Another day in the Harthope Valley on Sunday it was very busy, well for here anyway, I was feeling a little worse for wear so did not get too far,still no Spotted Flycatcher at the parking end , Green Woodpecker again very vocal, and Whinchat singing from the hillside ,surprising how far the song carries took me ages to spot thinking it was not far up the hill, a pair of Wheatear feeding young near where we where parked, several Red Grouse, two walking parallel to each other calling, Dipper on the stream but only the one, Buzzard over. It was quite sunny but with a strong cool breeze, only found the one Adder in a sheltered spot by a rock



A lot of wing fluttering from the Whinchat, digiscoped as it was some way off







Doesn't it always happen a Red Grouse just yards away and me with just my digcam , it was much further off by the time I got my camera





Common Milkwort, not sure what the long green leaves are from














Violet Ground Beetle Carabus violaceus ?








A moth dropped in beside me or I would never have seen it, Grass Wave ?









Came across an Adder it was using the rock to reflect the heat, I watched it for some time











Fabulous looking creature, quite content as I took these shots ( no photographer was injured in the taking of these shots :) )



A fairly large specimen


Red Grouse on the hillside another walking parallel to it just out of shot, digiscoped






Head patern are unique to each snake , will have a look for this one again , it was still there about an hour later, so I had not disturbed it in any way

Close-up of the skin ,the overlapping plates sticking up slightly in the tight curve.











3 comments:

Stewart said...

I saw you Brian sat beside the car with your missus but we were driving away and I wasn't sure If I'd seen correctly.

Your moth is a Latticed Heath.We had some too... I looked high and low for Adders, do you have any tips? I always just seem to find them accidentally?

Northumbrian Birding said...

Probably me, with the scope set up I was feeling hungover and did not pick up till late afternoon , so did not wonder far, what did I miss !!!
That will be the day when I give you tips on how to find wildlife !!! :)
Brian

Anonymous said...

Sorry to throw a spanner in the works, guys. The moth is a Common Heath. Latticeds have more sharpness to the markings.