12.09.14 ff
Saltholme & Spurn
Saltholme and area, 12th September
Drove up to Whitburn to look for the returning Bonaparte's gull but failed to find it. Super selection of common waders at Whitburn Steel. Eventually went back south to Saltholme. Things pretty quiet. Ruff from Phil Stead hide.
Ruff
The glossy ibis was on the causeway.
Glossy Ibis
Newburn Bridge: went to say hello to Medusa, my friendly Med gull.
Mediterranean Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Down on the beach I looked for sanderlings but could only see oystercatchers...
Oystercatchers
Medusa followed me down.
Mediterranean Gull
Among the black-headed gulls I spotted a couple of sandwich terns. I tried to get close but they were very wary. Caught one juvenile on the breakwater.
Sandwich Tern
A flock of waders rushed past. Mainly ringed plover with 3 sanderlings.
Ringed Plovers plus Sanderling
Spurn - mainly Kilnsea - 14th September
Little stint on Kilnsea Wetlands.
Little Stint
Yellow wagtail in the ploughed field on the way to the Kilnsea Wetlands hide. The hide's too small by the way: Barry and I keep having to throw people out! Use the old ''Bonnelli's eagle just landed on post at Beacon Ponds'' trick!! Soon clears it out.
Yellow Wagtail
At The Crown & Anchor we saw pied flycatcher, lesser whitethroat...
Lesser Whitethroat
...and eventually a wryneck at Sunny Beaches caravan park.
Wryneck
Wryneck
Wryneck
The ringing station at Church Field proved especially rewarding with red-breasted flycatcher in the hand...
Red-breasted Flycatcher
Red-breasted Flycatcher
...plus wood warbler...
Wood Warbler
Wood Warbler
...and even marsh warbler!
Marsh Warbler
Marsh Warbler
South Gare & Hartlepool Headland - 19th September
I hoped to meet up with a yellow-browed warbler at the Bomb Hole at South Gare. Soon found lots of reed buntings...
Reed Bunting
...plus a very shy garden warbler but no yellow-browed. Decided to try the sycamores at Paddy's but again no luck although a willow warbler was present...
Willow Warbler
...and a spotted flycatcher was very obliging - posing for me.
Spotted Flycatcher
Spotted Flycatcher
Spotted Flycatcher
I returned to the Bomb Hole where I saw wheatear and redstart fleetingly. The garden warbler was still avoiding my lens quite successfully. I have photographed yellow-browed before but the results were at best flawed. Such a busy, restless tiny bird. One showed well soon after my return to the Bomb Hole and here goes: yellow-browed warbler suite!
Yellow-browed Warbler
Real leaf warbler isn't it!
Yellow-browed Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
I then headed for Hartlepool Headland and Borough Hall where I saw another yellow-browed at the putting green, failed to spot the red-breasted flycatcher but found this fellow!
Brambling
Brambling
I like bramblings but not as much as I love a lifer....
September 20th: dash to Spurn
I was tidying the garage... but then a woodchat shrike was posted. Not even a year tick. Carried on working but behind my back it transformed itself into a masked shrike lifer! It was some time before I checked the pager. Soon on my way thanks to Sheila who packed my lunch and the car whilst I straightened most things by the garage. Off I went. The shrike was soon seen albeit distantly but looked good in Simon Spavin's scope. Good to see him and Karen again.
Masked Shrike
It's a blob on the wire! While we watched the shrike a honey buzzard flew close overhead: really good views. Then whilst walking the Triangle a van pulled up and told me to go to Canal Scrape for the.......
What's this then, Jack?!
Jack Snipe
There were 2 of them bobbing away merrily...
Jack Snipe
...plus 2 common snipe as well - a bit more out in the open!
Common Snipe
21st September: Nosterfield LNR
A trip in hope really. A common crane was reported and I went hoping it might be close enough for decent images. It was some way off but soon spotted with the naked eye.
Common Crane
It walked around this area for a while getting closer and closer to the other hide. I walked down there only to find it locked and the high wooden pallissades provided no view. Annoyed, I headed back surrounded by up to 30 speckled wood butterflies.
A ruff had dropped in below the viewing screen.
Ruff
The crane was getting agitated and I thought it might fly.
Common Crane
Common Crane
Common Crane
Spot the terrified moorhen above...
...and a dancing crane!
Common Crane
Common Crane
Now a young kestrel dropped in on the grass in front of us.
Kestrel
However my favourite pictures came when everything went up: hundreds of geese. I managed to follow the crane amongst the chaos...
Common Crane
Common Crane
In the above picture it's flying right near the two central Canada geese.
Common Crane
Common Crane
Above: now flying left still near the Canadas, centre image.
Common Crane
Common Crane
Common Crane
Having gained height above the geese, everything calmed down and began to return to the ground.
Common Crane
Common Crane
Common Crane
I'll finish with a couple of close-up spiders. I've been trying f18 hand-held at 1/60th of a second to get a bit of depth of field. Here's two of the best.
Garden Spider
Garden Spider
Also from the garden, a 'sport' on one of our dahlias that survived last winter outside in the ground [Just shows what a mild one it was!] Flowers of different colours on one plant...
Two coloured flowers on one plant - dahlia
...and absolutely last of all as the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness arrives: a colourful garden fungus.
Fungus