Saturday 18th August - Wednesday 22nd August 2012

August 23, 2012 • Leave a Comment

A weekly round-up

After Unst just a few days pottering in the garden, a trip to Spurn [fruitlessly], a trip to Blacktoft and another trip to Spurn. Some nice photos to go with this - birds, butterflies and some konik ponies.

Saturday 18th August 2012

In the garden

I'll start at home. My wife offered to butterfly spot in the garden. She and Barry both have better eyesight than I. She spotted a peacock in a conifer [we're talking butterflies, remember!]. Trouble was it was quite high up. I took one photo on an uncomfortable angle, then climbed on a chair for a more normal shot. The butterfly fluttered by my nose and left.

Peacock Note it has a broken antenna. We caught up with it again later.

Peacock Later that session I photographed another peacock.

Antennae both entire.

Peacock

Holly blues are tricky as they rarely stop for more than a couple of seconds and because they land at angles which present unusual issues both in terms of depth of field and in terms of the need to see an osteopath after struggling to get an angle on the butterfly. Oh yes, they never have their wings open when perched.

However with the macro lens you can get some super views...

Holly Blue Holly Blue Finally a speckled wood was quite approachable showing a repeated preference for a camellia bush.

Speckled Wood

Sunday 19th August 2012

Spurn 1

A Cory's shearwater was reported off Flamborough Head, heading south, as I was on my way to Spurn. When I arrived I went to the seawatching hide where a crowd gathered hoping to see the shearwater as it passed Spurn. We saw arctic skuas [one pale morph very close], whimbrel, oystercatcher, terns... but no lifer shearwater. Well, that, as they say, is birding. I decided to explore the new Kilnsea wetlands.

Birds were few and far between but there were butterflies. I was thrilled with these two species.

Wall [sometimes known as Wall Brown]

Wall Wall Painted Lady

Painted Lady

Tuesday 21st August 2012

Blacktoft

My wife and I went to Blacktoft for the afternoon. As ever, I'll let the pictures tell the story. It goes like this: greenshank, konik ponies, spotted redshank, pheasant with chicks.

Greenshank

Greenshank Greenshank

Greenshank Greenshank Konik ponies

Konik Ponies Konik Ponies Konik Ponies 'I won, I won, I won!!'

Konik Pony Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank Pheasants

Pheasant Pheasant Pheasant

Wednesday August 22nd 2012

Don't wear your glasses to take good photographs!

Spurn 2

Barry and I were undecided where to go that day. It was a toss-up betwen Frampton Marsh in Lincolnshire for the red-necked phalarope or Spurn for a barred warbler. This would be a lifer for Barry. We chose Spurn which was good as we saw the warbler and the phalarope didn't show that day [but did the next!]

I parked at the new Kilnsea Wetlands where we walked to Beacon Ponds. There was a wonderful display of terns and waders. Grey plover looking immaculate, hundreds of redshank, lots of greenshank, ringed plover, countless dunlin and probably a few other choice birds we missed.

'Whimbrel. Coming straight at us!' Where were my glasses? No idea. I saw a blurred shape, half-pressed the shutter and hoped for a decent focus as the bird came over us on an angle. Things turned out so good I couldn't believe my eyes when I started processing the pictures at home.

Whimbrel Whimbrel Whimbrel Whimbrel My old friend Mr. Wall was frequently to be seen along the new mud banks surrounding the flashes.

Wall Wall Wall From the hide we saw a golden plover when a lady from Sheffield came to ask us to help with the identification. I wondered later when we saw it a second time if it was not well.

Golden Plover Golden Plover Meadow pipits were using the mud banks as look-out posts.

Meadow Pipit At the Blue Bell car park a blackbird was clearly still feeding young.

Blackbird We called at Sammy's Point but other than shelduck saw little new. In the horse paddocks we saw more butterflies.

Red Admiral Red admirals and common blues.

Common Blue Common Blue Finally we called briefly at North Cave Wetlands on the way home. Not sure quite how I feel about this 'great crested grebe preening' photo.