What a beautiful noise!

It's a beautiful noise
And it's a sound that I love
And it makes me feel good
Like a hand in a glove
Yes it does, yes it does
What a beautiful noise

Neil Diamond

Barry and I went off early to avoid the rain that was forecast, heading for Tiln near Retford. We hoped to see a melodious warbler [the beautiful noise in question] and we did see it by 9am, off and on, but we heard it wonderfully. Unfortunately in the windy conditions it was understandably reluctant to perch up for the camera. Later we headed for Blacktoft where, lacking anything else to photograph, I clicked away at some herons. Cast: 4 herons. Processed, I got some quite dramatic images, I think.

Heron Heron Heron Heron Heron Heron Heron Heron

For a proper account of our day, see Musical Birdwatching on http://barryjohnbishop.blogspot.co.uk/. Oh yes, Barry, we did get our 55 birds in the end!

Birds, butterflies, orchids, flowers and a fly!

It's been a good week!

Firstly a photo I found on my iphone I should have included a while back! Whilst in Wales earlier I wanted to tell my wife I had seen the butterfly orchid. So, that evening back at my mother-in-law's with my phone I photographed my camera back and emailed this from my iphone. Unusual isn't it?!

Greater Butterfly Orchid Suppose I didn't expect to see another butterfly orchid for a long time...

Back in England I went off bright and early on Tuesday 25/6 to Tophill Low in search of a purple heron. Never found it! However the flowers and birds were good and it was a lovely day.Reed Warbler A family of reed warblers came really close as did a group of highly active sedge warblers.

Sedge Warbler Sedge Warbler Looks like an immature damselfly.

Sedge Warbler I had put my Nikon 4500 in my pocket to photograph any orchids I saw.

Common Spotted Orchid Found quite a few bee orchids.

Bee Orchid An almost white common spotted.

Common Spotted Orchid Over near Watton NR were some marsh orchids. Spot-free leaves!

Marsh Orchid Marsh Orchid Ox-eye daisies...

Oxeye Daisies ...and an umbellifer. Taken with the little nikon I rather like this image. Deliberately taken into the light.

There were 4 favourite images in this posting: #1

Cow parsley I moved on to Wharram Quarry. No marbled white butterflies and no sign of bee orchid or pyramidal orchid. Too early for the latter? Plenty of common spotted.

Common Spotted Orchid I was pleased to find common twayblade that I hadn't found there before...

Twayblade ...and what to me is a clean-leaved marsh orchid.

Marsh Orchid There were lots of male common blues.

Common Blue Eventually I tamed a female!

Common Blue I even spotted a dingy skipper...

Dingy Skipper

...and lots of small heath butterflies.

Small Heath This common spotted was pretty well pure white.

Common Spotted Orchid Next on the list would be a trip to Bempton Cliffs RSPB. It's still Tuesday by the way!!

Puffin There were quite a few puffins on the cliffs plus guillemots and razorbills.

Double-take!

Razorbills

Razorbills Favourite #2Razorbill More puffins.

Puffin/Razorbill Puffin Puffin Puffin Loving kittiwakes.

Kittiwake On the walk to Staple Newk I found the marsh orchids I had admired the previous year. Particularly lush and rich deep colouring.

Marsh Orchid Marsh Orchid And finally, inevitably, I had to photograph the gannets. I find the patterning on immature birds very photogenic.

Gannet Don't squash the youngster!!

Gannet

Gannet Gannet Gannet Gannet Gannet Favorite #3

Gannet

Still Tuesday! You can pack a lot in at this time of year if you start early.

I had wanted for some time to go to find Ellerburn Banks on the fringes of Dalby Forest. I hoped to see fly orchid but, given the late spring, it would all be a matter of judicious timing. Better known as guesswork!

I went on Tuesday. Finding it wasn't easy. It isn't really advertised. In fact the young man at the forest drive toll office hadn't a clue what I was talking about. Or he pretended he hadn't...

There is a road that says it leads to a sawmill just before the toll entrance to the forest drive. About 200m before it. Go down this entrance and park on the left just after the sawmill gateway. [Cue: sawmill photo!]

Follow the track straight ahead uphill, over the rise and as you descend and the view opens out you should see the entrance to YWT Ellerburn Banks. It's about 400m from the small parking area.

Ellerburn Bank YWT I wandered around, searching. Soon found common spotted.

Common Spotted Orchid Rock rose helianthemum nummularium grew well on the steeper banks round the field edge.

Helianthemum nummularium Eventually I found fly orchids. Some were protected with wire netting - presumably from rabbits etc. I did find one spike that had been broken off completely.

Fly orchid extravaganza!

Fly Orchid Fly Orchid Fly Orchid Fly Orchid Favourite #4Fly Orchid Imagine my surprise! Bonus orchid: greater butterfly orchid!

Greater Butterfly Orchid Tuesday now over and still home for 5.30pm!

Thursday 27th June. Started on Filey Brigg where I had wonderful views in the scope of an adult drake surf scoter in Filey Bay. Then went to Wykeham Forest raptor watchpoint to find many changes. It's become a shale gas fracking centre. Slightly alarming but no doubt we do need the gas to supply our energy needs. However we [there were about 10 of us there] did see goshawk, turtle dove in flight and an obliging tree pipit perched up in front of us off and on all day long.

Here he is.

Tree Pipit Tree Pipit So it's a 5 tick blog plus a lifer orchid.

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