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Sunday 14 June 2009

Holystone 13-6-09

It was getting on by the time we got on the road to Holystone, stopped at The Gibbett on the way , Cuckoo across, with redpolls also three Buzzards lifted from the trees at the roadside, the Hloystone area was covered in dark cloud so we waited in the sun till they past, through Elsdon with the large Mott and Bailey mound then pulled in at Harehaugh car park, Large red , and either Blue or Azure Damselflies, blackcap singing , a lot of traffic past and it sounded noisy so we moved on , Holystone a nice little village in a nice location, clouds over again and some rain ,a walk along the Forest track, not the thorough exploration of the area as intended, Roe deer , Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Blue & Great tits ,Gsw calling but no sign of Green Woodpeckers, there is a large number of Wood Ant nests in this area, 2 Buzzards over the valley and Cuckoo calling, fleeting glimpse of Redstart, dull and cool for most of the afternoon , only a Common Blue, four Crossbills over as we had our coffee
Had a walk to Lady's Well here a spring comes into a pool supplying water to the village ,not sure if this is still the case, lots of Monkey Flower/Blood red Emlets along the stream with Blue Tailed in the grass.
The Gibbet

Looking over towards Cheviot & Hedgehope




I think this is that large yellow spiked flower



Orange Hawkweed




Common Heath ?





Common Blue






One of the many Wood Ant Nests







Countless numbers busying around moving bits of twigs etc:









Holystone Common looking West








Lady's Well, Google it for more information










Seems the flowers are tasty











Lots of variation in the flowers these ones especially red !!












3 comments:

Blyth Birder said...

Holystones a nice village.

I've been up that way a few times and I went in search of Nightjar over the open areas around the forest edges a few years back.

There's supposed to be a witches coven in the village - imagine bumping into that in the dark, alone, after a nightjar trip ??

abbey meadows said...

The large yellow flower will be Great Mullein. It is an area worth a full days exploration. Nice pics.

Northumbrian Birding said...

BB Not much open clear fell now that I could see,The Witches of Holystone,with Jack Charlton as the lead,could imagine them in the wood at Ladys Well

AB Aarons Rod was the one I was thinking of which is the same plant,I did have a couple of others as yet unidentified, the plan was to be there all day , but you need the weather on your side.
Brian