Mystery flowers

One of my aims for next year is to learn the names of more of our wild flowers.  I know very few by name but the variety is amazing.  These were all encountered on a short walk in the dunes at Druridge Bay this week.  I think I can name about 20%.

Painted lady

Migrant hawker

The migrant hawker is the last of the three locally common blue hawkers to emerge.  The others (southern hawker and common hawker) peak a bit earlier.  This slightly battle-scarred male is the first I have seen close up this year.  I think this dragonfly was named in the days when it was a rare migrant but it now breeds widely across England, although the local population is still boosted by migrants in autumn.

Red squirrels (again)

It has been a while since I went to see the squirrels and a few weeks since I posted their photos so I hope you don't mind a few more taken at the weekend.

This female was the most confiding.

A few of them are just starting to grow their ear tufts for the winter.

I expect the tufts will look better when they are fully grown.

It is difficult to say how many individuals there were.  Judging by the variation in colours and ear tufts I reckon I saw at least four.

The squirrel that visited my garden for a week at the end of July hasn't been seen since my last post about him.  I think he moved on under pressure from the American greys but at least he knows where the food is if he wants to come back. 

Little little grebes

It seems to have been a good year for little grebes.  The young are now independent and becoming successful fishers. These youngsters were catching a fish on almost every dive.

This one has a three-spined stickleback.

And this one has a ten-spined stickleback.

The birds shake the fish vigorously to subdue them before swallowing them but occasionally lose their grip and the fish escapes.