Lighthouse to Little Ringed Plover

A rather disparate set of photos from 11 different locations. Thought of having a competition for a better title...

So I'll start bright and early at about 8am on Saturday June 8th at Point Lynas on Anglesey, having left York at 4.20am.

Point Lynas, Anglesey I was thrilled to see a spotted flycatcher pair in the dell as I walked up to the Point...

Spotted Flycatcher ...and then I was surprised by a large pale brown bird that hurtled past me and landed on the approach wall.

Mistle Thrush Mistle thrush of course.

Out on the Point a birder was watching the odd manx shearwater and gannet go by. The 3 shearwaters I saw with my bins were my first tick of the trip. [It's a bit of a climb so I had decided to take camera and bins only on this walk. Right decision as it turned out.] Some choughs flew in.

Chough Sea pink or thrift clothe the cliffs: Armeria maritima

Thrift As do sea campion: silene uniflora. The black is the sea in the little bay below.

Sea Campion A chough came closer.

Chough We hadn't noticed the other chough in the dip. Eventually the pair flew off.

Chough Back at the car this patch of scarlet pimpernel anagallis arvensis ssp. arvensis caught my eye.

Scarlet Pimpernel

Next stop would be Cemlyn Bay. Lots of sandwich terns, a few common terns and the big prize: an adult, pink flushed roseate tern - scoped by all the birders who had clustered on the shingle bank. Tick number 2.

I had a memorable encounter with a car full of women on a birding holiday. They had lost the rest of their party. I put them back in touch with their group and we watched the sandwich terns from the shingle bank. I drove on to my third stop on Anglesey at the fish dock. Pleasingly, 5 black guillemots were present.

Black Guillemot This one had a crab.

Black Guillemot Another early start on Sunday June 9th but this time from Llanengan and only a short drive to Porth Ysgaden SH218375. Arrival 8am after 7.30 departure this time. I spent a most amazing hour seawatching. I had amazing views in the scope of at least 100 manx shearwaters - probably 10 times my previous life total! I could see their eyes!! Gannets too and guillemots, with mergansers and other gulls. Didn't spot any skuas or sooty shearwaters but I was very happy. A female wheatear proved reluctant to pose.

Wheatear Rock pipits were chasing round the headland and down on to the... rocks!

Meadow Pipit A pied wagtail was bringing food.

Pied Wagtail There were choughs here too.

Chough Chough Chough Chough A linnet looked on.

Linnet Eventually I moved on. Heading down the road towards Porth Meudwy I came across a buzzard on a telegraph pole. In Wales they should call them pole birds.

Buzzard

Short of cash and no cash machine nearby I had to forgo the chance of a day trip to Bardsey and decided to head for the hills and go back to the Glaslyn RSPB osprey site to see the ospreys and photograph the Welsh Highland Railway, in particular a train crossing the Pont Croesor.

WHR Pont Croesor WHR Pont Croesor The only RSPB site with its own railway station!WHR Pont Croesor I finished my day at one of my favorite places, Cilan NT. Choughs were on a mission and didn't linger.

Chough Meadow pipits were busy gathering food for their young.

Meadow Pipit The nest was close by a stand of foxgloves digitalis purpurea ['purple fingers'. The German for foxglove is Fingerhut or 'finger hat'. Each language following a similar theme.]

Foxglove My time was mainly spent chasing butterflies: one particular species but many of them on the wing and, in the breeze up on Cilan, not pausing for long. Here are my better efforts at the Small Heath butterfly.

Small Heath Small Heath Finally I called at the pond - much fuller than usual - and saw an expanse of water forget-me-not, myosotis scorpioides.

Water Forget-me-not Water Forget-me-not Monday 10th would be the return trip to York. I got up early as is my wont at this time of year and headed for Pwllheli. I started in the marina. I had spent the whole weekend, given the good weather, experimenting again with different camera settings. Most pictures in this blog were taken at ISO 250 f18 and just a few at f16 with correspondingly slow shutter sppeeds.  Quite successful but there were a few occasions when I should have realised I needed to get the shutter speed up considerably. Still it's all part of the learning process.

The crow was taken at 1/50th - far too slow but I got away with it.

Carrion Crow The heron was enjoying the morning light. [f18 1/100th]

Heron I drove round the boatyards and came across some pretty blue flowers that made me stop and get the camera out of Tiggy's boot. Viper's-bugloss or echium vulgare.

Viper's Bugloss It was then that I realised I was being watched.

Rabbit I scraped my foot on the gravel to see what he would do. To my surprise he began to run towards me!

Rabbit He paused, front feet in the air.

Rabbit I walked down to the other end of the marina towards the Cob Bach reedbed LNR across Embankment Road from the marina. The same heron followed me down. Looking back into the sunlight.

Grey Heron

A shelduck demonstrated just how shallow the water was on the pool...

Shelduck ...and a robin landed on the railing at the viewpoint.

Robin Shelduck family party.

Shelduck I could hear reed warblers in the reeds behind me. A singing bird was perched in view but immediately dropped out of sight. I decided to wait and see if he would sing again. Really tricky to get a view unobstructed by the reeds.

Reed Warbler Reed Warbler Reed Warbler

Reed Warbler Tuesday 11th June: the pager announced 2 little stints at the new St. Aidan's RSPB reserve. By the time I had arrived they had been transformed into sanderlings! However, with only  my iphone I was pleased to photograph the early marsh orchids. Might go back to take some better pictures.

Marsh Orchid Marsh Orchid

Wednesday 12th June: Last Lap!

Wharram Quarry: just a couple of weak growing common spotted orchids - spring still running very late.  I spotted this snail on a dead hawthorn stem.

Snail No butterflies. I headed for Jeffry Bog YWT. Chased a day-flying chimney sweeper moth for about 40 minutes! First for me.

Chimney Sweeper Chimney Sweeper Orchids and butterflies were proving a disappointment. I headed for Fen Bog YWT. Oblong-leaved sundew drosera intermedia.Sundew The North York Moors railway runs alongside Fen Bog. A Stanier 'Black Five' was heading for the seaside.

North York Mooors railway by Fen Bog YWT Finally I ended up at Scaling Dam. Met a local birder who introduced me to a pair of birds he knew very well. You see, this is the female LRP. Note the slight mottling/greying behind the eye. This is probably not diagnostic just a feature of this individual.

Little Ringed Plover Another view.

Little Ringed Plover Purists may frown [they enjoy frowning!] but I have tidied this image. Compare with the one below!

Little Ringed Plover Off she went. It was change-over time. The male arrived.

Little Ringed Plover You see, the birder knew which was which because he knows all about the male because...he's ringed. [Aren't all LRPs!!]

Close-up of the male. Less grey mottling but still a bit.

Little Ringed Plover