This day-flying moth landed in the scrub, walked up and down with it's wings closed until it found a suitable spot, then flattened down to hug the branch and almost disappear. So cool. Epirrita sp. I think. #teamMoth

A fun day on the Durham coast - Crossbills and Marsh Tits at Blue house Dene; YB Warbler (found by @dunnock67.bsky.social) and Hen Harrier at Horden; Short-Eared Owl and Great-northern Diver at Whitburn. #NEbirding

Plenty of PF Geese and this chap going south along the coast at Blackhall this a.m. Also 3 GWE at Castle.Lake but I couldn't see the Am Wigeon.

Was very excited to find this, what looks like it's an eclipse male American Wigeon at Castle Lake today. I've never found one before and I'd be interested if anyone thinks it isn't one!

After 30 km of walking round bushes this weekend, I finally found a migrant or two! A lovely wheatear and Whinchat together in the same spot - not quite what I was hoping for. It *was* a beautiful day on the coast. #NEbirding

After 7 hours checking the bushes to no avail I was grateful to see 8 Pintail on the sea at Castle Eden Denemouth with a flock of Wigeon. #NEbirding

200+ Pink-footed Geese south over Horden in between the showers this morning. #NEbirding @dunnock67.bsky.social

Plenty of Red-throated Divers past Whitburn this morning. Also a pic of Bottle-nosed Dolphins with a youngster. #NEbirding #seawatching

Marsh Harrier south over the sea was the highlight of a quiet seawatch at Whitburn this morning. The bushes at Castle Eden Denemouth / Black hall allotments held 5 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 2 Willow Warbler, Willow Tit and numerous Chiffs. #NEbirding

#Seabirds #NEbirding Some seawatch birds from the last week or so at Whitburn. Clockwise from top left: Gannet, Oystercatcher, Kittiwake, Scaup, Cormorant, Gannet, mixed Tern flock (including Roseate), Purple Sandpiper, Bonxie, Pomarine Skua, Teal.

Some 'atmospheric' photos from recent seawatching. #seabirds #NEbirding Ducks

@mothiduk.bsky.social I think this is a Cameraria ohridella. Almost too small to photograph. Have I got it right? #teamMoth

@mothiduk.bsky.social Could this cracking little thing be a Plain Pug? #teamMoth

This Vapourer was on my window when I got home from work yesterday. A new moth for me and my garden! #teamMoth

#teamMoth #VC66 Forgot my hashtags in previous post so here's some other moths from last night: Barred yellow Notocelia udmanniana Evergestis forficalis and Acleris forsskaleana - what a beauty!

Three lifers for me in the garden overnight. Nothing rare, although there aren't many records of the two micros (<50) in VC66. Batrachedra praeangusta is so small you can barely see it! Mompha ochraceella Miller

Dark Green Fritillaries yesterday. Fast, elusive and a little inquisitive. A County Durham and UK tick for me: #NEbutterflies

I could only find 2 Bee Orchids at Dalton Park today - perhaps I'm a bit late? - there were plenty of Pyramidal orchids. Best of all was. Hummingbird Hawk Moth quartering the wild-flowers. #teamMoth #orchids #NEbirding

New moths for me.and my garden yesterday: #teamMoth Iron Prominent Swallow Prominent Tawny-barred Angle Celypha striana

From the previous night's catch, these are all scorparia or eudonia but I find it hard to tell them apart. Any help is appreciated. These two might be Scorparia pyralella ? #teamMoth @mothiduk.bsky.social

Stumped by this dark bumblebee. Could it be a male Bombus campestris or Bombus rupestris perhaps? @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social

Herring Gull scenes on the beach at Castle Eden Dene-mouth. There were approximately 800, including one colour-ringed bird. Also a flock of 140 Gannets fishing very close to the shore. #NEbirding

Great bumblebee action to be had at Salthome RSPB today in the wildlife garden on cotoneaster and on the (not the official name, but you'll see what I mean on the video) orange pom-pom buddleia flowers. What do you reckon @pratorum2112.bsky.social

Spotted and (northern?) Marsh Orchids (pic) starting to flower on the Durham coast yesterday: #orchidsofbritain

Grey Scalloped Bar was a bit of a surprise in the trap this morning. In fact I hadn't even heard of it! VC66 (Durham) #TeamMoth

Not a migrant day on the coast at Blackhall, but then two Ruddy Shelduck flew over my head! New species for my patch. #NEbirding

Finished off the 'usual Spring migrants' set with 17 swifts N at the coast and Garden Warbler at Low Burnall Woods. Best, though, was a singing Reed Warbler at Blue House Gill, in perfect RW habitat - Sea Buckthorn😂. I rarely find Reed Warbler at the coast. #NEbirding

This Greenshank was the only migrant I found all (long) weekend! #NEbirding

Plenty of Dingy Skippers at Horden and Blackhall Colliery but a Sedge Warbler at Horden was the only bird of interest. I did notice that the daisies in Blackhall are very well organised ... !

Yesterday this little beauty was on the wing during the day on the Durham coast. Ancylis badiana. #teammoth

More interesting insects than birds this morning: Heath Bumblebee, Ancylis badiana, Orange tip and Early Mining Bee. #NEbuzzing

Here's an early Early Purple Orchid from the Durham coast today. Bird-wise only 1 Yellow Wagtail north and a pair of Marsh Tits at Castle Eden Dene. #NEbirding

What a great idea it was to start a walk to Blakeney Point from the NWT visitor centre rather than at the beach car park! 🤣. Very few migrants about (one Chiffchaff and 4 Wheatears). #norfolkbirding #lowcarbonbirding www.komoot.com/tour/2175890...

2 Green Sand, 1 Common Sand, Swallows and more Willow Warblers (9) than Chiffchaffs at Hurworth Burn Res (Durham) this morning. #NEbirding

A nice Stonechat and a stunning photo of my first two Wheatears on the coast this year! #NEbirding

Little Ringed Plover from Horden today. Two calls recorded, the first you can barely hear cos I was walking but the second is quite clear. Shows up on the sonogram too. #NEbirding

Lesser Whitethroat singing near Blue House Gill. #NEbirding

Blimey! Little-ringed Plover over the reed beds filtration pools, calling and flew down towards Hendon Beach - patch tick for me!! #NEbirding

1 Whitethroat also back in at Horden. #NEbirding

2 Groppers and 3 Willow Warblers at Horden so far this morning. #NEBirding

Three Bumblebee species in the garden today - Tree, Common Carder and Garden.

Better than the Sand Martins was this Dark-edged bee-fly in the garden:

Finally seen a hirundine this year - 2 Sand Martins at Blackhall.

Shags North past Whitburn today, including one colour-ringed. #nebirding

I love first Chiffchaff day of the year! This one was at Blackhall (Durham) this morning. #NEbirding

These two were getting frisky on the River Wear in Durham yesterday. #nebirding

I was wondering if any Durham birders can suggest a good site for seeing perched Kingfishers. (Anyone who has seen my camera lens knows this is not so I can take photos. 😂) In fact, my eighty-two-year old mum is desperate to see one, she can't use bins and I can't get her on to flying birds!

Trying camera settings for birds in flight, inspired by @notquitescilly.bsky.social. Not many birds about at Silksworth Lake (Durham) so I took my bins for a scan. 10s later a Kingfisher flies right over my head - my first record for Silksworth - and the camera was still in the car! @nebirding

Two Mandarins flew over calling as I walked through Croxdale (County Durham) this morning. It's a new call for me. #NEbirding #UKbirding

Castle Lake (Durham) was heaving with birds today. 520 Herring Gulls 320 Lapwing 800+ Wigeon 90 Mallard 62 Teal 211 Coot 15 Snipe etc. but my highlight was a kingfisher which was hanging around near the open water. #nebirding #ukbirding