Big Birds!

June 13th: Blacktoft Sands, hoping to see my first bittern of the year. Seconds after sitting down in Singleton hide a bittern did a long flight, right to left, in front of us. Followed shortly after by a high speed hobby fly-past! 

The hide was packed as a purple heron had been reported but was proving elusive. Definitely a birders' word 'elusive' - a bit like 'erroneous' and my favourite 'showing well'!

Here's a few snaps - not good quality but the views were brief. Perched marsh harrier [which spent nearly all the time with its back to me] and then later I just missed the food pass...

Purple heron disappearing fast into the reedbed. Best I could do!

June 14th: Cattle egret reported at Fairburn. Ridiculously far away on the moat in trees with spoonbills. Easy to positively identify in my Kowa scope but hopeless to photograph. Still, just for a laugh, here's a cattle egret!! [it's the bottom white blob; 2 spoonbills upper left and a gull in the air!

Went back again in the afternoon as the cattle egret had been reported by the road but it had flown off by the time I arrived.

Third time lucky at 8 am on Sunday 16/6 when I photographed it from the roadside. Whilst doing that a coot and youngster swam quietly in front of me. You don't often see affection from the belligerent coot gang! Oh, yes. Here's the cattle egret and you may also spot the spoonbill fly past if you look carefully!

June 21st: A long trip down to Northants to call at the wonderfully named Glapthorn Cow Pasture reserve, home of the pretty rare black hairstreak butterfly. This would be a lifer butterfly if I succeeded. I did try a few years ago but had no luck. Recent reports suggested they were doing very well this year...

A few miles short of my destination I saw a group of red lites overhead. I stopped, got the camera ready and took some shots. Straight over my head!

There's a buzzard in the mix too!

The black hairstreaks were by the path not far from the entrance. Smaller than I expected but quite obliging little fellows!

Large skipper there too. June 23rd: Wykeham raptor Watchpoint - distant goshawks and honey buzzards. The latter just as I was packing up to leave but everything was very distant. I photographed a tree pipit that was nesting just below us.

Perched

Singing

Bringing food for the bairns!

215 UK 2019