1st September ff
Dancing in the rain!
Birding isn't easy. It needs patience, buckets of the stuff. Remember the quote:
“Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...It's about learning to dance in the rain.”
Tuesday September 1st took me back to Blacktoft yet again for a couple of hours. Nice selection of waders at Marshland. Here's a ruff coping with a very heavy shower.
Ruff
When the sun came out a spotshank came close...
Spotted Redshank
Spotted Redshank
Spotted Redshank
...as did a little egret.
Little Egret
Friday 4th September in a very strong wind and sheltering by the fog station compound wall we [about 8 present] watched good numbers of birds mainly heading north. Unfortunately not many skuas or shearwaters compared with the previous day and I failed to get onto some that were called. My highlight was 2 bonxies heading north.
Sunday 6th September Sheila and I went up to Hartlepool. Highlights were the waders at Newburn Bridge and a little owl at Wingate - and it was a warm, sunny afternoon too! The jet stream at last to the north of us! Must be 'bak to skool' time!
Juvenile ringed plover...sanderlings...
Ringed Plover
Sanderlings
Little Owl
...little owl...and a wall butterfly.
Wall
Wednesday 9th September got me out of the house by 5am and onto the cliffs at Flamborough Head by 6.30! Arctic skuas, good numbers of red-throated divers and plenty of general action with good close-up views of fulmars from my look-out below the fog station. Never been down there before. By 8.30 numbers of birders began to build hoping for a fea's petrel that had gone north from Spurn. No show. I left for Hornsea Mere for a little gull fix.
Little Gull
Diagnostic black underwings and fairy flight!
The birds seemed to take turns to return to the jetty for a rest.
Little Gull
Little Gull
A no doubt feral barnacle goose made a nice close-up study.
Barnacle Goose
Barnacle Goose
Barnacle Goose
Same day Beacon Ponds an immature caspian gull was attracting a lot of attention from well-known Spurnites.
Caspian Gull
Caspian Gull
Caspian Gull
I took the Holmpton road to Patrington. A detour certainly but sometimes it throws up the unexpected.
Roe deer distant in the fields.
Roe Deer
Kestrel monitoring my activities!
Kestrel
Kestrel