On the way back.

Following three or four weeks when the garden birds seemed to have taken flight, they have started to show once again. We had a party of Great, Blue, Coal and Long tailed tits spend ten minutes on the feeders, which was nice to see.

Newcastle Great Park

After securing all three points this afternoon, what a relief, I went for a wander around around Newcastle Great Park ponds. I'm not sure how these will end up once the park is fully developed but currently there are more than a dozen patches of open water. Not all of much size, since I understand that is a sore point with the airport. However they are sufficient to support a growing dragonfly and damselfly population.
The processing of surface water drainage from the development is providing an interesting situation. It appears that the, run off is gathered into reed filled ponds and then filtered into the Ouseburn. It appears to work well having seen a pair of Kingfisher, Dipper and Grey Wagtail in the Ouseburn immediately downstream of the collection from the run-off. Although I have not seen fish in the Ouseburn they are in the ponds.
There are some significant areas of mud around the water but have not seen any waders at all to date.
I have recorded Common Blue, Azure, Blue-tailed and Emerald Damselfly. Four spotted chaser, Emperor, Southern Hawker and Common Darter dragonfly.
Today there were no hawkers but quite a few Common Darters and was unable to resist a few more pics.

Clara Vale pond

Clara Vale pond held only Common Darter and what I believe to be a non stop Southern Hawker female.
Just managed to spot this teneral Common Darter which had good camouflage on top of a gatepost.

Big Waters & Great Park pond

A wander around Big Waters and Newcastle Great Park pond resulted in exactly the same sightings in both locations.
Common Darter male

Common Darter female

Emerald Damselfly