The Meadow Pipits love the fence line at Gramborough Hill and will often pose for a shot or two.
The light was poor this morning this morning and the second shot is a little more fuzzy but there are such crisp creatures, just couldn't resist adding this one too.
A Wheatear was also present this morning but not so obliging.
No sign of Stonechat this morning though. But one singing Reed Bunting.



The Sand Martins were very busy cleaning out their nest holes.
Then a high piping call calls them all to the air and away they rush.
To return a while later and busy again.
Lots of irritating black flies.
Good for the Sand Martins but annoying for us poor mortals.



















There was a House Martin this morning trying to join in but not long enough for a photo.

Tag CloudMeadowPipit, SandMartin

Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)



A female White-legged Hoverfly (Platycheirus albimanus)

Photos from Stephen Falk for comparison



Wood Ear (Auricularia auricula-judae)





Garlic Mustard (Allaria petiolata) There's something extremely satisfying about the layered leaves of this plant rising to a crescendo.







?





Yellow Archangel (Lamium galeobdolon) Golden globes become domed sunshades.

Tag CloudBluebells, GarlicMustard, Hoverfly, WoodEar, Fungi, YellowArchangel

A superb Male Reed Bunting in the elders. (Emberiza schoeniclus)



Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)








Avocet (Recurvirostra avocetta)



Black Tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)















A mixed flock of Bar Tailed Godwit, Black Tailed Godwit and Knot



Oystercatcher with an eye to the sky. (Haematopus ostralegus)



Snipe (Gallinago gallinago)



Redshank (Tringa totanus)

A Great White Egret being harried by the Avocets.
But the eyes have it.
Who'd be a frog.









Just couldn't get the whole Avocet in the frame.





Lost the feet.







That neck is just sooo long…. The birds just soooo thin…… The plumage is just soooo white……..











Great White Egret on take off. Stunning…… (Ardea alba)

Tag CloudRedShank, Oystercatcher, Avocet, GreatWhiteEgret, BlacktailedGodwit, BarTailedGodwit, Knot

Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula)
Not quite out on our roadside reserve.

Tag CloudEarlyPurpleOrchid

I have never been to the Mediterranean in springtime.
This was an amazing Spring Festival of so many things I have never seen before.
Many of the plants were identified afterwards
or
not
Sitting quietly in various corners of fields and hillsides
trying to take it all in.

Please forgive any misidentifications or lack of precision
the photographer in me took over.









Ophrys regis-ferdinandii



Woodcock Bee orchid (Ophrys scolopax)



Large Blue Alkanet (Anchusa azurea)



Armenian Grape Hyacinth (Mascara armeniacum)



Bellardia (Bellardia triago)



Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis)







Corn Salad (Valerianella vesicaria)



















Ophrys sicula



Parentucellia latifolia



Sage



Serapias carica



Serapias parviflora









Trifoium stellatum



Hop Trefoil (Trifolium campestre)



The Unkown Orchid



Hairy Yellow Vetchling (Vicia Hybrida)



Yellow Bartsia (Parentucellia viscosa)

Tag CloudOphrysregis-ferdinandii, LargeBlueAlkanet, ArmenianGrapeHyacinth, Bellardia, Cornsalad, Parentucellialatifolia, Sage, ScarletPimpernel, Serapiascarica, Serapiasparviflora, Trifoliumstellatum, HairyYellowVetch, YellowBartsia, HopTrefoil

Allium Sp?



?



Common Centaury (Centarium erythraea)









Common Dragon Arum (Dracunculus vulgaris)



?



Lagoecia (Lagoecia cuminoides)





Mulberry Sp (Morus Sp)





Scorzonera Sp







Tordylium (Tordylium asylum)



Hop Trefoil (Trifolium campestre)



Trifofium stellatum

Tag CloudCommonDragonArum, Allium, CommonCentaury, Lagoecia, Mulberry, Trifoliumstellatum, Landscape, ScorzoneraSp, Tordylium, HopTrefoil

Armenian Grape Hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum)



Neatostema apulum



Serapias carica









Field Gladiolus (Gladiolus italicus)

Tag CloudSerapiascarica, Landscape, FieldGladiolus, AremenianGrapeHyacinth, Neotostemaapulum

Pyramidal Orchid ( Anacamptis pyramidalis)



Narbonne Vetch (Vicia narbonensis)







Mallow-leaved Bindweed (Convolulus althaeoides)





Erodium Sp



Barbary Nut (Gynandriris sisyrinchium)



Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa)



High Mallow (Malva sylvestris)



Tassel Grape Hyacinth (Muscari comosum - Leopoldia comosa)



Ornithogalum narbonense





Pistacea lentiscus



Astragalus spruneri







Purple Goat's Beard (Tragopogon hybridum)





Scrophularia lucida











Roman Nettle (Utica pilulifera)





Yellow Bartsia (Parentucella viscosa)

Tag CloudPyramidalOrchid, Mallow-leavedBindweed, BarbaryNut, HairyVetch, HighMallow, NarbonneVetch, TasselGrapeHyacinth, Ornithogalumnarbonense, Pistacealentiscus, Atragalusspruneri, PurpleGoat'sBeard, Scrophularialucida, RomanNettle, YellowBartsia

Blue-leaved Wattle (Acacia cyanophylla)

Tag CloudBlue-leavedWattle

But the best was the drone of bees in the woods.

Second the crickets in their hundreds in some fields.









Fearsome guards.



Now that's dinner!













Emerald green eyes






























Common Blue











Swallowtail









Eastern Festoon



Small Copper





Large Wall Brown

Tag CloudInsects, Arachnids, Swallowtail, Ant, Spider, Spiderlings, CommonBlueButterfly, Swallowtail, Beetle, GreenHairstreak, Cricket, CraneFly, CommonBlue

Acer granatense





Maidenhair Fern ( Adiantum capillus-veneris)





Selaginella denticulata

Tag CloudSelaginella, MaidenhairFern, Acergranatense

Spring Cyclamen Bejewelled the Pine Woods









Cyclamen

Tag CloudLandscape, Cyclamen

Perfect camouflage







and
then
Big Brother
hove into
view.





Starred Agama ( Stellagama stellio)





Rock Lizard (Lacerta oertzeni)

Tag CloudStarredAgama, RockLizard

Kohlrauschia (Kohlrauschia veltina)





Henbit Deadnettle (Lamium amplexicaule)



Cistus Sp



Jersey Toadflax (Linaria pelisseriana)







French Lavender (Lavendula stoechas)



Tordylium (Tordylium apulum)



Moss Sp



Narrow Leaved Bugloss (Echium angustifolium)





Ornithogallum Sp





Orobanche cernua



Orobanche crenata



Ox Eye Daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum)





Parentucellia latifolia



Lotus Sp





Plantain Sp



Poppy (Papaver rhoeas)





Kermes Oak (Quercus coccifera)



Cistus



?



Trifolium stellatum





Silene benen





?





?



Hop Trefoil (Trifolium campestre)





Trifolium stellatum





Trifolium uniform



Yellow Bartsia (

Tag CloudKaulrauschia, HenbitDeadnettle, Cistus, FrenchLavender, KermesOak, Poppy, Trifoliumuniflorum, OxEyeDaisy, Orobanchecernua, Ornithogallum, Tordylium, Moss, Orobanchcrenata, NarrowLeavedBugloss, HopTrefoil, PlantainSp

Anchusa humilis



Anchusa undulata





Crown Anemone (Anemone coronaria)



Blue Anemone (Anemone apeninna)





Bermuda Buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae)







Biscutella didyma



Shrubby Pimpernel (Anagallis monelli)





Blue Hound's Tongue (Cynoglossum creticum)





Large Quaking Grass (Briza maxima)



Cistus



Cornsalad







Euphorbia helioscopia





Friar's Cowl (Arisarum vulgar)





Gagea graeca

Tag CloudSpinyGlobeThistle, BeeEater, Flax, Plane

A small gorge near Siana seemed a likely place for Crag Martins.

Indeed there were.

Bit also one or two plants, one of which was rather spectacular.









Greek Spiny Spurge









Greek Spiny Spurge (Euphorbia acanthothamnos)





Nettle-leaved Bellflower (Campanula trachelium)





Mediterranean Hartwort (Tordylium apulum) seedbeds.









Corncockle (Agrostemma githago)







Centaurea lactucifolia

Tag CloudLandscape, Centaurealactucifolia, Corncockle, GreekSpinySpurge, NettleLeavedBellFlower, MediterraneanHartwort

House Sparrow sized holes on the side of the house. - Perfect (Passer domesticus0





Blue Rock Thrush singing post. (Monticola solitarius)

Also

Pied & Black Eared Wheatear singing. (Oenanthe pleschanka & Oenanthe hispanica)







Red Rumped Swallow collecting straw. ( Cecropis duarica)


































Lesser Kestrel colony on the rocks of the Acropolis - At least twelve birds seen at one time. (Falco naumanni)
Just spectacularly acrobatic in the sunshine.



These little guys were allover the island.

Sardinian Warbler ( Sylvia melanocephala)











Swallow (Hirundo rustica)







Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator)





Rock Dove +++ (Columba livia)


Long Legged Buzzard + Short-toed Eagle

Tag CloudLesserKestrel, RedRumpedSwallow, BlueRockThrush, Swallow, WoodchatShrike, HouseSparrow

Anacamptis fragrans



?



Clouded Yellow



Grass Sp





Plantain Sp



Reseda alba





Trifolium stellatum





Bugloss



Anchusa undulata

Tag CloudLandscape, Anacamptisfragrans, Resedaalba, Anchusaundulata, Trifoliunstellatum, Ant, Bugloss

Hollow-leaved Asphodeline ( Asphodelus fistilosus)









White Henbane (Hyoscyamus albus)

Tag CloudWhiteHenbane, Hollow-leavedAspodeline