11th July 2019ff
Something good terned up!
July 11th: A gull-billed tern was reported at Adwick Washlands, South Yorkshire - part of the Dearne Valley group of reserves. However I diverted to Blacktoft as I received a message that the bird had flown off north-east. In fact when I got to Blacktoft staff had been told to keep an eye out for it. Not sure how you keep an eye out...
I went to Townend hide...green sandpipers...
Spoonbills...
....and marsh harriers.
Then, after a couple of hours a message came that the tern was back at Adwick. I went for it! Met friends I'd been with in Scotland and David Armitage and birded alongside Britain's most famous/controversial birder, Lee Evans. Anyway, here's the gull-billed tern. Almost certainly the one I saw so badly at Thurstaston on the Wirral. Better views here!
And here's Lee. I sneaked an iphone shot.
July 13th: Back home in the garden messing with settings again... First gatekeeper of the year turned up but rested in the middle of a bed of perennials so dense I couldn't get close without damaging some fine plants. Eventually it moved within reach.
July 16th: quiet day at home. Sheila found this on some thyme. Haven't been able to identify it - some sort of carpet moth, probably.
July 17th: I was already on my way to Ellerburn Bank and Fen Bog to look for butterflies and whinchat when something told me to pull into a lay-by and check the pager. Last time this happened I diverted from South Cave [on the way to Spurn] to Ryhope, Co. Durham for a scops owl. This time not quite so big a shift of direction. Tophill Low reported a glossy ibis...
...and a great white egret was present too. Interesting question [or pretentious nonsense!]... if I hadn't seen a kingfisher this year by now would this count as a year tick? You see, I never saw the kingfisher until I was processing this great white photo!
Here's some more GWE photos... swallowing...
Next few shots so the bird landing [even if the first one looks like its taking off].
Great white egret and little egret side by side
So, let's have some little egret photos. We often pay them scant attention but this bird was very excitable!
Also seen: grey heron and a yellow wagtail
Walking back I saw quite a few damselflies and dragonflies. This black-tailed skimmer landed on the path in front of me
This darter puzzled me a little. Common darters have yellow lined legs; only the much less ruddy darter has all black legs. So, I think but I'm not certain, this is a ruddy darter. Quite pleasing result with a 700mm lens [equivalent with the extender] at about 4 meters.
