When is a grass not a grass

The Safari isn't referring to snitches in the classroom or police informants, all will be revealed a few lines down the page.

We'll start proceedings with the Sandwich Tern pics from yesterday.

Coulda done with getting a few yards nearer before the incoming tide washed them into the air.

Nippin off the beach quickly up the slipway before we got our feet wet we saw a couple of Turnstones, just about the first of the season, turning stones at the bottom of the wall below us.

Not sure what this one has picked up, a bit blurred cos it was eating and walking at the same time and it was a bit dark under the wall.

We had a short seawatch but little was happening other than a similar number of Sandwich Terns as we had yesterday roosting on the beach. A bit of Swallow migration, 21 of them, was noted with a few Grey Wagtails going over too.

Young Un AB came round and we started to remove yet more 3-spined Sticklebacks from the pond, in the end we got about about 150!!! But saw no sign of the Koi Carp some numpty has 'donated ' to eco-pond.

In between bouts of de-stickling we did a bit of gardening in the wildlife area where we found a few items of interest including this unknown beetle.

Eagle-eyed AB spotted a Red Admiral hanging under a low window ledge which had just emerged from its pupil case - not seen many of those so far this year.

Big camera

Phone camera

A fresh Angle Shades moth was found lurking in the Spear Thistles we were taking out as they have gone over and the Goldfinches have already eaten most of the seeds. A Silver Y was also found hiding in the depths of the vegetation. Butterflies were represented by Small Whites and a Small Tortoiseshell.

Once we'd finished work we dropped AB off at home and he showed us his impressive collection of caterpillars he's growing on including some rather large Buff Tips and dapper Coxcomb Prominents.

His garden is a moth haven and he's already had over a third of the British species of butterflies even though he's only lived there a couple of months.

At the far end there is a (Japanese) Privet hedge which held a gigantic Garden Cross Spider which was wrapping up an unfortunate fresh looking Small Tortoiseshell.

The grass we referred to in the title is nothing like a grass, it has a big showy white flower.; it is of course Grass of Parnassus.

Another species we've not seen for a fair number of years but to be fair we've not really been out looking for it.

Where to next? Anything could happen tomorrow, probably on Patch 2; we wouldn't say no to  a bit of vis and we could do with catching up with some of the Curlew Sandpipers that have been gracing various shorelines up and down the country.

In the meantime let us know what's emerging in glorious technicolour in your outback.