Welcome to my birding blog - first launched 12th March 2012...
9th November 2015
To the Crooked Spire
The reappearance this morning of the crag martin at Chesterfield prompted a quick getaway from York and drive in bad traffic down the M18 and M1 to St. Mary's church.
The first photo was in fact one of the last I took, using this time my iphone. However it replicates my first view of the crag martin - my 419th UK lifer. Here it is along with the crooked spire. The dot[!!!] to the right of the spire is the bird.
My big lens did a bit better but it was tricky. It was drizzling steadily and the bird seemed, to me at least, faster than a house or sand martin. Very difficult to track in the viewfinder I tried pointing the camera while watching the spire: but not through the camera. Lots of completely blank photos of course but some worked...
I'm not sure whether people noticed it land briefly below a gargoyle. I was lucky to get these [high ISO]shots.
It dropped back into the void.
UK 2015: 276
31.10.15
A day in the life [of a birder]
Woke up, fell out of bed,
Dragged a comb across my head
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup,
And looking up I noticed I was late.
Found my coat and grabbed my hat
Then set off in seconds flat...
Back in fact to South Gare - with Barry this time. We had a plan too: grey phalarope, general birding round Hartlepool/Saltholme then shorties at North Gare road. What more could anyone wish for? Well, in fact, we did all that and more...
On arrival we could see a cluster of birders down on the shoreline south of the green cabins. Here's old coot-feet! [Phalaropus being Greek for having coot-like feet. Hardly anyone knows that!]
They're like spinning tops!
So tiny compared with the black-headed gulls.
Sanderlings kept flying past. I tried to pan the camera and fast shoot at the same time.
We walked round the boatyard and harbour and spotted a grebe out on the estuary. Slavonian grebe: although we were the first to spot this bird it was soon featuring on BirdGuides and on the pagers. One to us!
It was always distant.
Nearby a chiffchaff and a dunnock were hiding in bramble scrub by the rock armour.
At the end of the gare we failed to find a reported red-throated diver but an eider drake, escaping the attentions of a seal, provided a few nice shots...
A pair of stonechats were near the wall bushes.
A break at Saltholme produced brief views of a water rail - and a rat!
Last of the year's dragonflies were on the fencing by the dipping ponds.
Another stop at Newburn Bridge produced the obligatory Mediterranean gull. It was now time to go and see if the shorties would come out to play along the North Gare road...
A few birders were already waiting. Canada geese came in to roost on the marsh.
Someone spotted an owl but it disappeared instantly. But the action did begin...
The fading light, into the sun, was tricky!
Things got stirred up a bit when a crow started to mob the owl. Exciting stuff!
Golden crow as the day fades.
A crowd of people stood and stared.
Somebody spoke and I went into a dream...
Apologies to and thanks for the memories: Lennon & McCartney
UK 2015:275
26th October 2015
Return to South Gare
On Monday 26th October I paid a visit to South Gare - my first in quite a while. I had hoped for a Pallas's warbler but there was no sign. I sat on a bench and watched a pair of stonechats. They kept me interested for at least half an hour in the damp, dull but [at least] dry conditions.
The female was less showy and much more hyperactive, rarely still enough to get a focus lock. She liked to flit about in the scrub. Here are some flitting about shots!
I went off in search of a black redstart which I saw briefly before it disappeared forever into the [all locked up] boatyard. Someone said there were some brambling by the harbour wall. I found a pair, clearly inseparable: if one flew so did the other. Here they both are.
I walked back along the estuary side of the gare and spotted a drake eider rather close to the shore. I approached cautiously and sat down on some old concrete structure that was slowly heading to a watery grave. But it would be fine for the time being!
The duck waited for me.
Not sure why but flying boats and mute swans come to mind...
16-17th October 2015
October update
Well, having now exceeded last year's final UK birdlist total I just keep going! Photography never fails to enthuse me - even for the more common birds. There's a few of those in this batch - plus a couple of gems. I'll leave you to decide which are which. There's no right or wrong answers. Just depends what you like. So, on Friday 16th October I went back to Spurn in search of.... who knows. here's what I got!
Jack snipe
Given the run around by this fellow who chased Jack away!
They were at Canal Scrape early morning. I walked the triangle looking for a great grey shrike - in very poor light.
The shrike was quite flighty.
I disturbed a couple of roe deer who in turn disturbed a short-eared owl. Here's one of the deer. Quite close - only slightly cropped.
By the Crown & Anchor there were birds on the rock armour...ringed starling...
...and grey winter dunlin on the mud.
Still plenty of goldcrests about.
Saturday 17th Sheila and I went to Filey tip but found nothing. We fared better at Flamborough gorse field with a pallas's warbler as the drizzle came down. Tricky bird to get a clean shot though. Too many twigs!
8th October ff
On the Crest of a Wave!
South Shields for a successful close encounter with a lapland bunting. I had strolled down to the Mound at The Leas to see if the bird was still about and found it on a footpath very close - thanks to the lone birder who was keeping an eye on it. I went back to the car for a camera but it had flown and we failed to reconnect. I called at Hartlepool on the way back - but nothing there except wild waves!
A quiet day at Spurn on the 8th October. I found a distant short-eared owl on the shore-line just south of Canal Scrape.
Good numbers of reed buntings were present.
I spotted a migrant hawker dragonfly.
Nearby at an old WWII pillbox I found a very active goldcrest. I tried my skills and patience on the tiny thing!
Having a rest in Church Field this whiskered lesser redpoll turned up and assumed a nice pose for me.
Sheila and I had a trip up to Hartlepool on 10th October. Newburn Bridge for lunch: I'd often thought of photographing one of the many trains that rumble slowly past.
Meanwhile, only yards away, it was high tide. A musselcatcher was busy on the rocky beach...
...and Medusa was close by having taken up winter quarters once again.
Having spotted the camera we were treated to a short flying display.
Sunday October 11th took me back to Spurn hoping for a Richard's pipit and anything else that might put in an appearance given the favorable conditions.
Kilnsea Wetlands car park to check the pager as I arrived. I spotted a barn owl.
I had no idea the deer were in the frame too!
A couple of Brent geese passed overhead.
It was still very early and pretty quiet. I fancied a coffee in Canal Scrape hide. Mallards doing a moonie!
Disgusted by this behaviour the swans took off in a huff.
A male kingfisher moved in to the goalposts. Look up...
Look left...
[Please don't write in to tell me that, actually, he's looking right!!]
Look right...
Look straight ahead!
By the Crown & Anchor, on a receding tide, some waders were fairly close.
I did find the pipit but it wasn't exactly eating out of my hand. Here are my best efforts...
Here's looking at you, babe!
A firecrest was found nearby and by some fluke I managed to get onto it with my camera. Here goes: click,click,click!
Later, back at the pub the fall of goldcrest had become amazing. I counted 12 in an 8 foot sycamore. They were bumbling about on the grass like autumn leaves. Here they come!
You know what a cartoon bird looks like? Well, some of these goldcrests remind me of those cartoon drawings! I wonder if you agree?
Brief intermission for a chiffchaff that joined them.
More goldies. They can do vertical take-off!
In flight entertainment.
Nice classic pose. Unusually upright for a goldcrest.
Later, on a rusty fence.
Bad hair day!
Final view of the firecrest.
Tuesday 13th I went back to Spurn. Very annoyed with myself when I found I had a flat camera battery. I did see the american golden plover and the red-flanked bluetail as well as meeting a good few birders I know.
272 UK 2015