Always look on the bright side...

Eric Idle: Monty Python's 'Life of Brian' 1979

Wednesday 27.03.13

Not much happening today until younger son arrived with friend for experimental photo flight of their new quadcopter. What's a quadcopter? Well it looks a bit like this with a lot of extras attached for the camera and transmitters.

Still Malcolm took some pictures of the area near our house. Here's one of them: it's a sort of goose eye view.

Acomb

Thursday 28.03.13

Barry and I went off to Arram, Hornsea, Barmston, Bridlington, Bempton, Scarborough and even Forge Valley for our 65 strong day list. See http://barryjohnbishop.blogspot.co.uk/ for the full story! Pictures begin then with Bridlington harbour where this very alert redshank was standing to attention. Lots of dunlin were running around on the mud. It was low tide.

Redshank Dunlin Dunlin Dunlin The long-staying [feral?] barnacle goose was still present.

Barnacle Goose We peered over the harbour railing at a herring gull below. He peered back at us!

Herring Gull

Next stop Bempton Cliffs RSPB to get a razorbill tick for Barry. No puffins unfortunately. [Oh yes, these are guillemots of course]

Guillemots I was soon fascinated by the fulmars as they bounced on the wind near the cliff face, floating at times on the currents of air.

Fulmar Fulmar Fulmar North to Scarborough to Holbeck where we fed the mediterranean gulls [and black headed too!] and captured the meds for posterity...

Mediterranean Gull Mediterranean Gull Mediterranean Gull Mediterranean Gull Velvet scoter from this viewpoint too - out in the bay beyond my lens of course.

Last shots from Scarborough Mere where the red-crested pochard came steaming in at speed only to paddle away equally rapidly. Still, got this sharp one.

Red Crested Pochard Final one of the day of a female tufty - don't suppose they get photographed very often...

Tufted Duck

Friday 29.03.13

Again, read Barry for the story. It was another helter skelter round Yorkshire starting at Withernsea for a lapland bunting [we hoped] and some snow buntings. Eventually Barry found the snowbunts.

Snow Bunting Pictures only record shots as they were not very approachable. No sign of lapland bunting but I counted 10 birds in the air and reports generally mentioned 9 snow buntings. Well, careful counting of this image [I'm sorry they are blurred] shows ten snow buntings.Snow Bunting On to Kilnsea for lots of birds including these Brent geese.

Brent Goose Brent Goose Brent Goose Brent Goose Skylarks overhead. I shot a few...going up...

Skylark ...and coming down!

Skylark No, I haven't turned the picture round. This is as it descended. See the tail stripes!

Little Gull Finally Barry spotted a little gull at Hornsea Mere. We get around don't we? More than you think - in between times we'd been to Arram to see the ring-necked duck. Anyway I was thrilled with this little gull.

Little Gull Little Gull

Saturday 30.03.13

I went to Stapleton for a jack snipe which I didn't see and to Scarborough for a black redstart which I also missed. However something always happens to surprise me.

Not this peregrine up on the cliff on Marine Drive.

Peregrine Peregrine I'd been watching the cliff with my back to the sea. Something made me turn round: maybe the increased noise of the gulls. A kittiwake was trying to persuade a seal to share a large fish with him...

Kittiwake As you can imagine, soon other birds wanted a piece of the action and of the fish. Just pictures....

Kittiwake Kittiwake Kittiwake partially submerged by this point.Kittiwake Kittiwake Great Black-backed Gull Aren't greater black backs huge!Great Black-backed Gull