Plenty of common spotted orchids, a few northern marsh and a few hybrids in the lawn - about 40 flowering and another 40 coming through for future years. Nothing before 2020.

The orchid invasion continues. First the lawn and now no plant pot is safe.

Garden orchids on the way. No mow May in 2022, now over 30 common spotted, northern marsh and hybrids flourishing in what was the lawn.

Collecting from the garden all day.

All this and the sand martins are back on the Wear too.

Plane, cranes and automobile. Teesside yesterday.

Too excited and lacking skills to get the focus bang on, and it’s a tad small/far away, but this male hen harrier was a highlight at Hatfield Moors NNR on Saturday. Merlin, peregrine and marsh harriers also giving the smaller/slower life forms a hard time after 2 days of thick fog.