Into June

June is bustin' out all over
The ocean is full of Jacks and Jills,
With the little tail a-swishing'
Ev'ry lady fish is wishin'
That a male would come
And grab 'er by the gills!

Rogers and Hammerstein

1^st June.  Once again the year is flying by, but I’m pleased to say the month of May offered some fine rewards following on from a great April.  All this was very positive, despite some still unseasonal weather at times.  The month ended with the success of the Great Crested Grebes of course. 

Highlights during the month have to be visits to Upper Teesdale (despite the soaking), Harthope Valley and Spindlestone.  All  about the habitat visited as much as anything else.   Nearer to home I’ve spent some wonderful hours on patch and at Cresswell (with that fine showing of Yellow Wagtails), Gosforth Park, the local coast line and Holywell.  The latter providing Sam and I with a real highlight in the finding of the Great White Egret.  Despite the unseasonal weather much of our nature watching has been done in the sun, so perhaps the weather hasn’t been as bad as painted.

 

The Blue Tit pair have been very busy this week carrying food to young in the nest box and have so far managed to avoid the ‘killer cats’  Sadly, one of the Blackbirds visiting the lawn was not so fortunate!

May saw me reading A Sting in the Tale/Dave Goulson, a book that recently featured on Radio Four.  If you’re interested in the small things in life, in this case Bumble Bees, conservation matters and a light read, then I’d recommend this.  Dave Goulson recommended another book, Journey to the Ants/Holldobler & Wilson which is my natural history read for June.  Apparently Holldobler and Wilson won great praise some years ago for a large and scientific book by the name of Ants.  This later book is a more general and condensed read and I am guessing far more aimed at people like myself who fall asleep reading ‘dry’ books.

I’m looking forward to some excitement in June with some very special days already planned.   I took a walk down to the lake this evening to find the two striped heads being supplied with plenty of small fish as the heads appeared from the parent’s feathers.  At least fifty Swifts flew and called overhead with a few Swallows and House Martins in amongst them.  One of the Common Terns hovered above me as if sussing me out.  Two Oystercatchers flew over the lake.