Thursday 2nd May-Friday 3rd May 2013

May 03, 2013 • Leave a Comment

OBJ!

As a child I remember advertisement hoardings on buildings telling us to have some OBJ. The term was apparently long in use in military history [right back to the Civil War] to suggest the benefits of beer drinking. Even today apparently, there are several small breweries that still produce an ale with OBJ! somewhere in the name. Oh, be joyful!

Oh be joyful! I am very lucky to spend my retirement as I do. What's more Tiggy is mended thanks to the wonderful people at VW Harrogate and to Garry in particular. I hope he gets his Passat CC one day!

Thursday 2nd May

So it was back on the road nice and early on Thursday to Bolton Abbey in search of Pied Flycatcher and Wood Warbler. But before we start here's a bit of a puzzle. Name the bird!

Mandarin Answer later.

I set off from the car park at Barden Bridge at about 7am. First encounters were goosanders, grey wagtails and a distant kingfisher hiding among the plastic detritus.

Kingfisher [blog only] Grey Wagtail River Wharfe: The Strid Goosander A great spotted woodpecker drumming competition was in full swing and I was aware of three individuals with redstarts often nearby. The redstarts proved difficult to photograph high up in the trees against a harsh light that was very challenging at times. Photographically speaking, I mean.

Great Spotted Woodpecker Great Spotted Woodpecker Maybe I was too early or it was too cold or too shady on my side of the river, but things were actually better on the return leg - but I did right to get parked up by the bridge when I did. Down by the Cavendish Restaurant dippers were showing well.

River Wharfe: Bolton Abbey Dipper Dipper Dipper Dipper Not many birders realise that dippers lay enormous eggs almost four times the size of the birds themselves. These eggs are laid in water and then carried to the nest by the male. Rare photo of dipper egg.

Dipper The views of the Strid were excellent as the leaves have yet to obscure much of the panorama.

River Wharfe: The Strid River Wharfe: The Strid More goosanders were spotted and a common sandpiper flew past me. Later I caught up with a pair of common sandpipers and a photogenic grey wagtail.

Goosander Grey Wagtail Grey Wagtail Common Sandpiper Common Sandpiper There's a shelter about half way along the eastern path. Here the birds are very tame. This nuthatch came alongside me.

Nuthatch Imagine my surprise when two ducks flew in - a pair of mandarins. That's the answer to the puzzle picture. Clearly they had been before and were unafraid as I fired off the camera just in front of them.

Mandarin Mandarin At another viewpoint when I rested just to put the camera down for a while, a nuthatch cheekily came on the bench beside me. This encounter eventually led to this wonderful picture. No need for me to ever photograph a nuthatch ever again!!

Nuthatch Eventually the pied flycatchers appeared and were soon all over the place. Only one perched obligingly - or perhaps I was tiring: I had been walking the Strid for 5 hours!

Pied Flycatcher He's ringed!Pied Flycatcher On the way home I called at Staveley YWT to have lunch. It was much changed with a proper car park and the reserve itself much expanded. It is now enormous and has otters to boot! I only stayed a short time but saw the sand martins, common terns on a raft, nesting coot, brimstone butterflies and a comma. Needs another visit.

Staveley YWT Kestrel 'buzzing' a buzzard.

Buzzard & Kestrel Record shot only: oystercatcher on guard.Common Terns; Staveley YWT Coot

Friday 3rd May: Blacktoft

Another early bird visit. Arrived by 8am. Reserve open. Roe deer not ready for me.

Roe Deer: Blacktoft Roe Deer: Blacktoft Mission was to see a grasshopper warbler. Anyone who says this is not a good photo knows little about groppers: seeing them at all is tricky. Photographing one is verging on the miraculous. So here's my 2013 effort. [My wife's reaction: boring looking bird, isn't it?]