Another great Flamborough day

 Another string of easterlies predicted this week so decision had to be made see nothing on the lincs coast or go to Flamborough!  So Flamborough it is then, arrived at 7.30 and within ten mins we were watching an Olive-backed Pipit which had been flushed from the headland and came down straight in front of us - it quickly scurried out of view into the long grass but within ten mins had worked it’s way to the path and then popped out on the cliff edge in full view.  We eventually left it and carried on across the headland and quickly we both had a small bird fly over us and land in the Motorway hedge, by this time Wayne had recognised the call left his scope to track it down - we quickly had great views of a Little Bunting but no photos as the camera was on the scope back in the middle of the field ! Unfortunately it didn’t hang around and we carried on to Old Fall which held many Crests, Redwings, Bramblings and a Yellow-browed - always a Yellow-browed plus a very dosy Barred Warbler uncharacteristically not skulking.

Caspian Gull in here somewhere!

An autumn migration weekend

With winds from the east and heavy rain predicted conditions were looking good for a few days of excellent birding - so we started Saturday local at the Humber Bridge with a rising tide, heavy rain and easterly wind we would surely have a fabulous list of sea birds coming up the river but sadly no only 17 Gannets in four hours! Not to be put off we decided to try the lincs coast in the afternoon so headed to Humberstone fitties - big mistake not a bird to be seen maybe an exaggeration but not far off .  So having been totally fed up with Lincs we decided to go to Flamborough on Sunday as we certainly didn’t want to join the thousands at Spurn and a brilliant day was had - Red Flanked Bluetail, Red Breasted Flycatcher, Great Grey Shrike numerous Yellow-browned Warblers, Redstarts, Bramblings etc brilliant and best of all never more than ten birders at anytime!  Whilst we were at Flamborough, Graham and Neil were at Donna Nook and had found two possibly three Raddes Warblers so on Monday we decided to give the Lincs coast one more chance but sadly another disappointing time with only a couple of Redstarts, a few Crests and Chiffchaffs - everything had cleared out😂 but we did have these three stunning creatures

Long-winged Conehead

Four spot Orb Weaver

Roesel’s Bush Cricket

North Lincs Colletes bee fest - Ivy Mining-Bee, Sea Aster Mining Bee and Heather Mining Bee

 What a weekend! Set out to find three species of solitary bee in N Lincs two of which I don't believe have been recorded before and amazingly I succeeded with all three - so firstly we have the very beautiful Colletes Hederae aka Ivy Mining-bee and as the name suggests it feeds on ivy - to cut a long story short I found this species in the churchyard at Whitton and I would ask if anyone has any contacts with the Whitton parish council/church could you please put a plea in for the Ivy not to be cut down!

I thought if I could find Ivy Bee why not Sea Aster Mining-Bee - I knew they were at Donna Nook and Spurn but we are further north latitudinally so how good would it be to find them in my local area and possibly record them at their most Northerly distribution.  So set about thinking where we had local swathes of Sea Aster - I knew it was at Alkborough but it has been declining rapidly with the reeds growing year on year so decided on Winteringham which has vast swathes little did I realise that you can't get anywhere near it! So having walked about a mile along the flood bank turned back disappointed only to suddenly catch a glimpse of a small bee shoot up from a dandelion flower on the bank and that was the start of a session photographing one possibly two individual of the smaller just as striking Sea Aster Mining Bee

On a roll now and its only mid-day so decided to go for the hat-trick and try and add Heather Mining Bee - in my mind only one place for heather in N Lincs and that's Scotton Common - we were lucky only two individuals found!

I wouldn't stand a chance of seeing or identifying any bees without the brilliant Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland by Steven Falk and illustrated by Richard Lewington -can't recommend it enough.

Yellow Legged bee-grabber - Conops Flavipes

 What a name! What a beautiful fly - another garden first!

Bombus Lucorum or Bombus Jonellus

A bit stumped with this bee - initially thought Hortorum but then got an expert to look at it and the jury is out on Lucorum or Jonellus - in this area Jonellus incredibly rare so need to go refind one and try capture it - a job for Wayne I think😂 - here’s all the images I took comments welcome

Two from the Burnet family

Totally different to look at but both in same family

Six-spot Burnet Moth and Forester Moth both day time flying beautiful moths