All Quiet on Every Front!

It wouldn't be true to say there's nothing about but it does seem as if we are waiting for something big to happen. Where will it be? When? Will the skuas and shearwaters be around when I am? We will see. If we knew, there'd be no point.

What have I been doing? Well, two trips to Susworth to try to see the cattle egret resulted in second time lucky [11th August]. In willows on the bank of the Trent.

Cattle Egret

We walked along the bank to get nearer. Surprisingly small bird when seen with a wood pigeon!

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret

Obviously a cattle egret posed for the original Liverpool Liver bird!

Moving on... August 13th we went to Spurn. The tiny hide at Kilnsea Wetlands was full of birders who made no effort to accommodate us or welcome us and preferred to look at very little rather than move on and let others have a look. We soon left and went to scan Beacon Ponds. Here there were thousands of knot plus sandwich and little terns. In flight the red knot looked splendid.

Knot

Knot Knot

A little egret gave great views as it came towards us.

Little Egret

Little Egret

Dunlin on the sands by the Crown & Anchor.

Dunlin

Swallow from Canal Scrape hide.

Swallow

Swallow

Swallow Swallow    

Some mallards flew over.

Mallards

We spotted roe deer along the canal.

Roe Deer Roe Deer Roe Deer Roe Deer

A few butterflies were seen including this common blue male.

Common Blue

Wall

This rather worn wall butterfly gave us a chase while we checked its identification. on the way home we called at North Cave but all was very quiet there: a little grebe drifted past South Hide.

Little Grebe

15th August: I went to Flamborough Head for a seawatch [nothing special to report] and then on to Thornwick Pool where a young shelduck and a linnet were present.

Shelduck juv.

Linnet

At Bempton I can never resist photographing a gannet or two...

Gannet Gannet Gannet

Squabbles ensue when two birds want to land on the same tiny spot!

Gannet

There were a few kittiwakes still and fulmars.

Kittiwake Kittiwake

I watched this juvenile kittiwake fly in and being greeted affectionately by its parents on the cliff. Or were they berating it for staying out too long?

Kittiwake

I like these shots!

Fulmar

Fulmar Fulmar

A couple of recent dragons!

Common Darter Common Darter

August 16th Blacktoft: good selection of waders present but the light was poor and the birds were distant. Here's a couple of greenshank.

Greenshanks

UK 2014: 234