Welcome to my birding blog - first launched 12th March 2012...
Sunday 12th May ff
Happy man waving book in car park
[and other stories]
On Sunday [12th May] I set off on my own [alas] to Saltholme hoping to bump into a stint or two. I never did but shortly after drawing up in the almost empty car park at Saltholme a man came scurrying over with a book in hand. On his camera he showed me a photo of a shrike and, in the book, a female red-backed shrike. Along the Zinc Works Road apparently.
Off we went. Cars were arriving every minute or two. Where do they all come from? Are they loitering in some birders' burrows somewhere hoping a good bird will suddenly come up on their pagers?
Anyway, red-backed shrike - female - here we go. If you know the place you'll recognise the fence!!
Let's have a closer look.
Eventually she moved nearer the factory into some dead stalks where the views were a little better...
All quiet back at Saltholme so I decided to do my walk alongside the railway line at Dorman's Pool. A whitethroat scuttled nervously back under cover.
Linnets were perched up.
However the sedge warblers were the stars of the show. So, if you don't like sedge warblers, look away now. I'm afraid I can happily spend hours photographing these wonderful little birds.
They can look quite 'dumpy' when not singing. Even a little cross!
Essence of Spring!
On Wednesday I had to be everywhere, it seemed, but I managed an hour at Fairburn down by the kingfisher screen. She turned up.
Eventually she flew into a nearby apple tree producing this slightly strange photo - strange, I mean, for a kingfisher pic! But rather nice, nonetheless.
Finally I snapped this 'Robin with a Message'. Is he referring to my bird seed bill?
On Thursday I went up to Cleveland intending to see if any of the rarities at South Gare were still 'knocking about', as birders often say. They'd all gone apparently, I was told by a chap I know well by sight. We had spent a couple of hours together a year ago trying to locate a firecrest - also at South Gare.Then he added: 'But the wryneck's still in the dog rose behind the pilot station.'
So it was. But can you spot him?
Slowly he crept out from the undergrowth. As I often say: let the pictures tell the story.
He reminds me of a lizard!
Best till last?
Sandwich terns could be heard all around us as we photographed the wryneck.
I called in at Saltholme RSPB. A magpie was carrying food.
At Saltholme there are quite a lot of large wooden sculptures, ranging from frogs to snakes to the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. There are also some wooden sheep. They are evidently very good wooden sheep as the following photos demonstrate.
How affectionate! They look more like beavers to me!!
I was in luck down at Saltholme Pools hide: the lesser scaup was quite close with his tufty female friend. Genetic disaster looms!
I wandered back to the Centre: swallows perched on wires [as they do!].
I popped in to the Phil Stead hide. A little egret appeared and then this nice little duck dropped in!
By the car park more swallows perched.
Friday 17th May. Another, hopefully final, trip to Bolton Abbey for a wood warbler. No, a real one, not one made of wood!
Wild flowers beckoned. Lady's Smock, Cuckoo flower or Milk Maids. You can't get confused if you use the latin name: cardamine pratensis.
An early morning curlew drifted overhead calling. It was not quite 7.30am.
I walked on. I saw very little apart from a friendly gamekeeper, very smart in his tweeds, plus fours with a rifle over his shoulder. Good job he was friendly.
At the stone shelter things began to happen. Some large birds were squabbling high up in the trees. Surprise: mandarin ducks!
A nuthatch seemed to have an itch he couldn't get rid of.
No wood warbler song heard. Blue tits dangled from the tree in front of the shelter. Then another bird. Warbler. Wood warbler? It dropped and flew right. I stood up and crept round the corner. Something was busy on the ground tugging at dead grass.
Bluebells were coming into flower.
Mandarins drifted downstream...
...and piedfly began to appear.
Female on the stone wall.
Ramsoms or wild garlic filled the air with their onion scent.
Allium ursinum [cf. Ursa Major - the Great Bear] shows it's an onion beloved of European brown bears. The fact they are prospering so well in the Wharfe Valley shows that bears are probably now infrequent!!
The great spotted woodpecker seemed to be following me, drumming loudly.
Eventually a pied flycatcher posed for me.
A greylag drank from a pool as I neared Tiggy.
I drove on to Grass Wood.
There were few birds: the odd chiffchaff and willow warbler. Workings to clear the conifers had caused severe damage to one of the main paths.
Overall my visit was disappointing and I was tired. The views of Wharfedale were very good however.
I wanted somewhere quiet for lunch. Somewhere flat too! Staveley NR would be fine. I put the macro lens on.
Alliaria petiolata - onion-like in taste and smell: garlic mustard or, as my father called it, Jack-by-the-hedge.
White dead nettle - lamium album.
Green alkanet, I think, pentaglottis sempervirens. Sempervirens: 'always living', therefore, perennial. Borage family, related to the forget-me-nots. Pretty obvious.
Finally cuckoo pint, Lords and ladies - arum maculatum. Maculatum means spotted. About to reveal its spathe. Not a spot in sight!
Sunday 19th May. Early start for Barry and me heading for Saltholme.
Pecsand on the fire station pool.
Loitering round Saltholme suddenly we had to helter skelter to Hartlepool Headland. For a full account of this day see: http://barryjohnbishop.blogspot.co.uk/
That will save me a lot of typing and reduce your boredom!
Rear view shows the tail nicely. I'll be brief: thrush nightingale, lifer 394.
We wandered slowly back towards Saltholme. I tried to photograph a yellow wagtail from the car, shooting past Barry. The camera's light meter obviously took the light inside the car as an exposure guide: result - dreadful.
However this is an advert for shooting in RAW. Back home I altered the exposure - isn't technology incredible? And then I managed to produce this. Fabuloso!
This too...
Lapwings were nesting.
A reed bunting sang in the willow arch at the car park.
Funnily enough, at Saltholme we met another yellow wag.
But he couldn't hang around. Obviously meeting a girl friend!
Red campions - silene dioicia - were in flower. I photographed an unusually dark-leaved form.
In the main hide some common tern were a-courting...
At first we didn't notice something quite extraordinary over to our right. Barry spotted a dead great crested grebe. We found the sight quite upsetting. The partner bird was looking on disconsolately as the other bird lay in the water, head to one side.
The other bird didn't know what to do. It climbed on to the prostrate bird. A very unusual sight.
Then, suddenly, resurrection! The bird shrugged the other bird off with a splash and courtship began! Well I never! Or as Nellie Ashcroft would have said: 'I'll go to the foot of our stairs!''
Why, I wonder?!
I made a linocut...
The terns were still busy... 'If you want me you'll need to bring me more fish!!' The meaning of life? Sex and Food. That's about it. Oh, and birding. Obviously.
Final call - blog soon over at last - South Gare. We saw a wryneck... [again]
Digging.
Long tail showing well.
Farewell mate.
Anti-climax time. We tried to identify a very hyperactive little [willow] warbler.
Few birds of prey today apart from this one on a mobile home thingy.
Postscript.
As we left we saw some birders. Red-backed shrike and red-breasted fly* finished the day. Wow!
* not that one. Taken at the Crown and Anchor Kilnsea but it looks the same!!
Thursday 9th May 2013
Collared by the tin church!
I headed north up the A1, hoping to get to Low Newton-by-the Sea before the mega collared flycatcher departed or was predated by the vicar's cat. You see, the info said the bird was on a gorse bank by the tin church. I knew I was in the right place when I saw the line of cars as I approached the shore. A chap greeted me with: 'Hi, you've come over from Lancashire, that's right isn't it?' I corrected him, saying I was from York. 'Greater Yellowlegs, we met there. Always remember a face!' he replied. He pointed out the bird as it flitted from the gorse out into the field, often landing briefly on the ground.
It perched up in the hawthorns when chased off by an angry robin. Apparently pied flycatcher group birds are related to thrushes so perhaps the robin saw the collared flycatcher as a territorial threat.
The robin in question was quite interested in the long line of birders too!
I looked around. What's all this about a tin church, I wondered. After a while someone spoke behind me and I turned round. I realised I had been so absorbed by the bird in front of me I hadn't noticed the tin church behind me!
Here are a few more images of this super bird.
A yellowhammer hopped about in front of us.
Moving on, a great white egret was reported at Hauxley NR - not that far away. Stupidly I had good views of the bird walking in a bay on the main lake from the first hide but took no photos as I realised I would be much nearer from the next hide. By the time I got there the bird had flown off. Eventually it was relocated well out of range hiding in longer undergrowth. Here is the ultimate cuckoo-type photo of a great white egret! Honest! [Just right of centre by the fence]
On the walk back I remembered to photograph some cowslips I had spotted earlier. They were really difficult to get to and I had to scramble up a bank and point the camera through the scrub but you will see why I wanted to photograph them....some of them had orange flowers!
Monday 6th May ff
Ticking over nicely...
No, I don't mean Tiggy but hopefully she is now fully recovered from her recent problem. The year list, I mean, is moving along nicely at 211. That figure includes, however, birds that haven't yet featured in the diary. So let's catch up with them all now.
Bank Holiday Monday 6th May
Off early towards Holmfirth to try to find the crossroads on Cartworth Moor by Elysium Farm. To my surprise I parked on a grass verge near to where I needed to be [I thought] and walked 200 metres over a rise and found a few cars, scopes and birders. There was a better way to get there but nonetheless, I was there. And so were 7 golden plover. All rather distant in the middle of a very large grass field.
Having brought camera and bins from the car I walked back, drove down the deeply rutted track and parked with the other cars. I learnt there was a much easier way back.
Soon there were a dozen golden plovers [and a few lapwing, a wheatear, meadow pipits and a yellow wag] out there. A new birder arrived, set up his scope and declared: 'She's just dropped in! How about that for timing?'
Now long standing readers [perhaps I should say reader for I only know of one!] will remember that category of photograph known as a cuckoo type picture. Well, here's one. Long distance dotterel.
Molehills, 5 goldies and a dot in the middle back!
I eventually decided to move on. Edderthorpe Flash was advertising freshly delivered wood sandpiper. I hit the motorways and was there fairly quickly. The woodsand didn't show immediately but after about half a pleasant hour sitting on a bench scoping the flash I found it with a couple of redshank. Long distance scope job I'm afraid, so no photos. Equally no photos on the walk back of the 2 green woodpeckers I disturbed unseen on the ground in front of me as I walked painfully along the old ballast of the former railway line. Isn't it about time Edderthorpe was turned into a proper reserve with PATHS?! Still, that took me in a morning from 206 to 209.
I finished my day at Old Moor. Things were pretty quiet there. I photographed 2 birds that get overlooked: a smart male gadwall....
...and a canada gosling. Hi there!
Tuesday May 7th
Saltholme and Co in search of pecsand and, so the plan went, later on I hoped for whinchat and cuckoo up at Scaling Dam. Some plans work, some fail miserably and others just evolve into the unexpected. There was no sign of a pecsand at North Gare. [I was told later that it had gone. That was wrong too: it turned up again later that evening, 'distantly' apparently.] Anyway, crows are notoriously tricky to approach - apart from this chap, photographed from Tiggy. Must admit, I like this picture.
I moved south about 150 metres to the Zinc Works Road. I cruised up and down. My eyes spotted a tiny bird on the fence. I drove closer. It dropped down out of sight but soon popped back up. It still wasn't 8am. Sunning himself, all rather fluffed up. I wasn't sure what it was.
I took lots of very similar pictures but was getting nowhere. Sort of whinstone chat?
Supercilium is not exactly strong but this poor quality photo clinched it: the tail shows it's a whinchat.
Next I walked the railway path at Dorman's Pool. Plenty of action there: at least 10 sedge warblers singing, whitethroat present but less showy, a lesser whitethroat spotted in the willows, linnets and, oh yes, nearly forgot, a bold wren... Time for a sedge portfolio I fear. Great birds!
Ringed!
Phil Stead hide at Saltholme for a coffee. A starling was catching the sunshine looking very iridescent.
Down to the fire station field next where a whitethroat was performing display flights. I decided to see if I could 'still' a flying whitethroat...
...sometimes he perched high up in a dead tree...
Beyond my wildest expectations!
Eventually headed for Scaling Dam after another hour at the roadside trying to find an invisible Temminck's stint at Saltholme. Glimpses of 3 woodsands as they flew off.
Nice time in the hide at Scaling - watching common sandpipers and LRPs.
Ringed in more ways than one!!
Up on a fence boundary I saw 2 cuckoos - male and female together. They called off and on all afternoon. Two ticks then: whinchat and cuckoo. [Plan sort of worked!] But the other birds were great too.
I decided to walk along Boghouse Lane: a birder in the hide told me to head up the left-hand valley for green hairstreak butterflies. This would be a first for me, so I decided to try my luck.
There were lots of willow warblers. You could be forgiven for thinking this is a whitethroat, I think, but when it turned it's obvious it's a willow warbler. Especially as it sang a willow warbler song!!
As I walked the Air Ambulance passed overhead. It returned about 10 minutes later. I hope whoever needed it was going to be all right.
After about 20 minutes I reached the valley and wandered along the path among the heather. Little birds kept disappearing in front of me. pipits I suspect. Something dark moved at my side and then landed, wings folded. Green hairstreak butterfly.
More willow warblers on the walk back. It wasa very good day with wonderful summer weather. More please!!
211 UK 2013
Saturday 4th May 2013
Bolton Abbey again. Wood warbler still not present...
Went back again with Barry hoping his excellent eyes and ears would help us locate the wood warbler. However in spite of the failure to do so we had a very good day's birding. Barry won 7-0. In tick terms I mean. We set off along the western path south from Barden Bridge. A robin sent us on our way.
Good views of a blackcap as we strolled down to the water pipeline bridge. A couple of common sandpipers were there along with a grey wagtail which mysteriously disappeared before I could point it out to Barry.
Up into the woods. Redstart were high in the trees. Pied flycatchers were plentiful but didn't pose nearby. One female piedfly was gathering nesting material on the path.
The males loitered.
Down by the Cavendish Restaurant Barry spotted an unusual flower: few-flowered leek - allium paradoxum - an introduced species locally common in northern Britain.
We headed back north along the western path where I managed this 'proof we saw it' photo of a redstart high in the trees.
Goosanders were chasing fish.
As the water surged through the narrows of the gorge a scum formed interesting patterns on the surface.
Mandarin sailed along.
Barry felt at home with nature...
...and the common sandpipers showed up again.
Wood sorrel flowered at the base of many trees.
A lesser black-backed gull was resting on a gravel beach - on the lookout perhaps for hapless young mallard chicks for dinner.
Mum didn't clean him up very well before she took him swimming!
After the Strid we headed for Staveley. A few terns were flying about.
Otherwise it was fairly quiet - although a good selection of common warblers were seen along with many reed buntings. On our walk back we found a couple of yellow wagtails. One perched on a post especially for me to photograph him.
Thursday 2nd May-Friday 3rd May 2013
OBJ!
As a child I remember advertisement hoardings on buildings telling us to have some OBJ. The term was apparently long in use in military history [right back to the Civil War] to suggest the benefits of beer drinking. Even today apparently, there are several small breweries that still produce an ale with OBJ! somewhere in the name. Oh, be joyful!
Oh be joyful! I am very lucky to spend my retirement as I do. What's more Tiggy is mended thanks to the wonderful people at VW Harrogate and to Garry in particular. I hope he gets his Passat CC one day!
Thursday 2nd May
So it was back on the road nice and early on Thursday to Bolton Abbey in search of Pied Flycatcher and Wood Warbler. But before we start here's a bit of a puzzle. Name the bird!
Answer later.
I set off from the car park at Barden Bridge at about 7am. First encounters were goosanders, grey wagtails and a distant kingfisher hiding among the plastic detritus.
A great spotted woodpecker drumming competition was in full swing and I was aware of three individuals with redstarts often nearby. The redstarts proved difficult to photograph high up in the trees against a harsh light that was very challenging at times. Photographically speaking, I mean.
Maybe I was too early or it was too cold or too shady on my side of the river, but things were actually better on the return leg - but I did right to get parked up by the bridge when I did. Down by the Cavendish Restaurant dippers were showing well.
Not many birders realise that dippers lay enormous eggs almost four times the size of the birds themselves. These eggs are laid in water and then carried to the nest by the male. Rare photo of dipper egg.
The views of the Strid were excellent as the leaves have yet to obscure much of the panorama.
More goosanders were spotted and a common sandpiper flew past me. Later I caught up with a pair of common sandpipers and a photogenic grey wagtail.
There's a shelter about half way along the eastern path. Here the birds are very tame. This nuthatch came alongside me.
Imagine my surprise when two ducks flew in - a pair of mandarins. That's the answer to the puzzle picture. Clearly they had been before and were unafraid as I fired off the camera just in front of them.
At another viewpoint when I rested just to put the camera down for a while, a nuthatch cheekily came on the bench beside me. This encounter eventually led to this wonderful picture. No need for me to ever photograph a nuthatch ever again!!
Eventually the pied flycatchers appeared and were soon all over the place. Only one perched obligingly - or perhaps I was tiring: I had been walking the Strid for 5 hours!
He's ringed!
On the way home I called at Staveley YWT to have lunch. It was much changed with a proper car park and the reserve itself much expanded. It is now enormous and has otters to boot! I only stayed a short time but saw the sand martins, common terns on a raft, nesting coot, brimstone butterflies and a comma. Needs another visit.
Kestrel 'buzzing' a buzzard.
Record shot only: oystercatcher on guard.
Friday 3rd May: Blacktoft
Another early bird visit. Arrived by 8am. Reserve open. Roe deer not ready for me.
Mission was to see a grasshopper warbler. Anyone who says this is not a good photo knows little about groppers: seeing them at all is tricky. Photographing one is verging on the miraculous. So here's my 2013 effort. [My wife's reaction: boring looking bird, isn't it?]
Dangling blue tits are more colourful.
There were good numbers of whitethroat about.
But I'll let the sedge warblers have the last word.
This one looked rather annoyed.
Cheerio folks! I'm off.
UK 206 2013