6th-12th August 2015
Over the hills and far away - Part 2
I didn't know I was subject to a blog size limit, so here is the concluding part of my latest adventures.
Larophiles may like this...
Thursday 6th August I got up early and headed for Pennington Flash in Lancashire [well, it used to be called Lancashire!]. On arrival I strolled over towards the hide [having been before I knew it was close by] and immediately saw the bird swimming along by the path. Bird? What bird?
Oh, just a sabine's gull.
First view - and then it came nearer!
Sabine's Gull
Sabine's Gull
Sabine's Gull
Sabine's Gull
Sabine's Gull
Sabine's Gull
Sabine's Gull
Sabine's Gull
Sabine's Gull
Sabine's Gull
Sabine's Gull
Sabine's Gull
Under attack from b-hg!
Sabine's Gull
I then drove to Preston Dock in the rain to look for a ring-billed gull. Easy. it was on the nearest wave-breaker.
Ring-billed Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Action shots!
Ring-billed Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Ring-billed Gull
On Monday 10th August I drove north to near Trimdon to look for some reported little owls in a former quarry.
Wingate Quarry NR
Three birds seen.
Little Owl
Little Owl
Little Owl
Little Owl
Little Owl
Little Owl
Little Owl
Little Owl
Two birds.
Little Owl
Little Owl
Camouflage!
Little Owl
Small heath butterfly in the quarry.
Small Heath
Next stop Low Gelt Sand Quarry near Brampton, Cumbria. I paid my money at the car park and set off. It rained heavily and I was glad of the RSPB gazebo at the watchpoint.
Bee-eater nest site, Brampton
if you look along the fence line at the top of the quarry, roughly centre picture, a dark splodge marks the recess where the bee-eater tunnel is located. It was great to watch the birds in the scope coming and going to the nest. Distant flight shots were the best I could manage.
Bee-eater
Bee-eater
Finally I reach the last entry in this very long two-part blog! Wednesday 12th August was indeed a glorious day. I set off early for Blacktoft to see a spotted crake.
Juv robin round my feet in the car park.
Juvenile Robin
The light isn't good at Blacktoft in the mornings, especially on a day of bright, harsh sunshine. The crake did its best!
No, it's not a moorhen!
Spotted Crake
Spotted Crake
It was then on to the Humberston Fitties to see a pectoral sandpiper.
Stop hiding from me!
Pectoral Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
I moved down onto the dipping platform to watch the pecsand. Some dunlin came close. One came spectacularly close!
Dunlin
Dunlin
Preening time.
Dunlin
Dunlin
Final call was at my beloved Chambers Farm for a butterfly walk. Nothing new to report but some nice butterflies including good numbers of painted ladies.
Peacock
Painted Lady
Painted Lady
Red Admiral
Brimstone
White Admiral
Two silver-washed fritillaries also seen and purple hairstreaks but they didn't pose for me!
Meanwhile, at home, Sheila had two unusual visitors. We often hear the song thrush in spring but he is rarely seen near the house. This one came to the bird table by the house and Sheila managed to catch him!
Song Thrush
As I arrived home she also managed to grab a shot of a southern hawker dragonfly that had flown into the house. We released him unharmed - but not before we got a photo!
Southern Hawker Dragonfly