27th-28th December 2016

December 30, 2016 • 81 Comments

Cold Snaps!

Tuesday 27th December

I'd forgotten what really cold weather was like but in the last few days the biting wind made it feel especially bitter. So, these are probably the last 'cold snaps' of the year. I begin on a day out with Sheila at Hartlepool. We diverted to Saltholme when the pager announced a couple of waxwings in the car park. By the time we arrived we were told they were at the Wildlife Watchpoint. They weren't. We headed back. Sheila spotted a kestrel over the Visitor Centre. I took a few fairly distant shots.

Kestrel Kestrel For some reason the camera refused to focus after that. I switched it off and on again and all was well. Meanwhile the bird headed off only to swing back round and pass over us. Here are just a few of the results. Kesfest 2016! Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel

Returning to the car park I spotted a flight of waxwings coming in. Probably about 40. Most perched among the twigs of the big tree by the entrance bridge. This one was on the very top.

Waxwing Waxwing

Phil Stead hide pool held enormous amounts of water. Pintail looked well in the sunshine [and pretty close too!]... Pintail Pintail Pintail Pintail Pintail Pintail Pintail Pintail ...and a black swan was almost too close just outside the hide.

Black Swan Black Swan Black Swan Black Swan

Next we went to Newburn Bridge for lunch. Med gull was present. Purple sandpiper on the Headland a little later. Purple Sandpiper Walking the Town Wall I espied this pied wagtail. For anyone unable to get to Pembrokeshire for the masked wagtail, this is the lesser known black-bibbed wagtail from Cleveland!! Pied Wagtail Pied Wagtail

Eider from the Wall. Eider Eider

Wednesday 28th December

Barry and I headed for Bridlington and Flamborough. A stonechat by the lighthouse. Three shots all of the same bird. Striking how different combinations of the photographer, the sun direction and the bird make the bird look quite different. All photos processed identically - just a bit of cropping and sharpening. Stonechat Stonechat

Stonechat

We ended up at Bridlington Harbour before heading home. Before that we called at South Landing. Lots of not particularly easy to photograph rock pipits... Rock Pipit

Hope to see you in 2017!

Mediterranean Gull

The Best of 2016 part 2

December 25, 2016 • 85 Comments

The Best of 2016

Part Two: July to December

Not necessarily the best pictures photographically but those that gave me the most satisfaction...

...no words but looking back through the year's blog will provide more info if you need/want it!

This is just meant to be a picture album to round off my birding year.

Puffin Puffin Puffin Bridled Guillemot Fulmar Sandwich Tern Sabine's GullSabine's Gull Marbled White Dark Green Fritillary Teazel

August Scotch Argus Fragrant Orchid

Eider Bonxie Gannet Arctic Tern Kittiwake Orca

Sanderling

Raven Raven Black Guillemot Black Guillemot Jellyfish, Minn beach Fair Isle Great Crested Grebe Roe Deer Spoonbills

Greenshank Black-tailed Godwit

September

Spotted Crake Magpie Magpie Little Stint Little Stint Dunlin Dunlin Dunlin Dunlin Little Stint Dunlin Dunlin Wheatear Wheatear Wheatear Small Copper

Roseate Tern Little Stint Black Tern juvenile Bar-tailed Godwit Bee Bee Spruce Cones Scarborough Lily Mediterranean Gull Sanderling

Red-backed Shrike Turnstone Crow Crow Dunlin Dunlin Curlew Curlew Water Rail Tree Sparrow Garden Spider Sparrowhawk

October

Booted Warbler

Curlew Sandpiper Hare Hare

Jack Snipe Goldcrest Eastern Crowned Warbler

Greenshank Lesser Whitethroat Redstart Little Grebe Wheatear Dunnock Dunnock Ring Ouzel Red-flanked Bluetail Red-breasted Flycatcher Red-breasted Flycatcher Siberian Accentor Goldcrest Brambling Chiffchaff Redwing Redwing Dusky Warbler Shore Lark Isabelline Wheatear Waxwing Waxwing Snow Bunting Ring-necked Parakeet Daurian Shrike Eastern Black Redstart Skinningrove Curlew Curlew Teal Teal Goldfinch Pied Wheatear Harbour Seals

November

Eastern Black Redstart Fieldfare Little Owl Waxwing Waxwing

Red Kite White Pheasant Cattle Egret Cattle Egret Supermoon 14.11.16 Grey Seal Grey Seal Roe Deer Great Northern Diver Red-throated Diver Waxwing Waxwing Curlew Curlew Eider Eider Curlew Curlew Red Kite

December

Dusky Thrush

Yellowhammer Yellowhammer Corn Bunting

2017 awaits!

The Best of 2016

December 24, 2016 • 80 Comments

The Best of 2016

Part One: January to June

Not necessarily the best pictures photographically but those that gave me the most satisfaction...

...no words but looking back through the year's blog will provide more info if you need/want it!

This is just meant to be a picture album to round off my birding year.

January

Glaucous Gull

Black-necked Grebe

Wigeon Wigeon Twite Twite

Red-necked Grebe

Kumlien's Gull

February Slavonian Grebe Dipper

Pintail Pintail

Bewick's Swan

Red Grouse

March

Longhorn Cattle Firecrest

Ring-necked Parakeet Black-headed Gulls Eider Eider Black Redstart Penduline Tit Shore Lark Red Deer Hooded Crow Crested Tit Hen Harrier

Golden Eagle Osprey

April Iceland Gull Grey Seal Sedge Warbler

Long-billed Dowitcher Black-winged Stilt

May Pied Flycatcher Spotted Flycatcher Mandarin Sanderling Sand Martin Little Tern Black-necked Grebe

Whiskered Tern Sand Martin Green Hairstreak

Early Purples Duke of Burgundy Grizzled Skipper Jackdaw Jackdaw

Gannet Gannet Small Blue Swallow Swallow Swallow Swallow Burnt-tip Lady's Slipper Glossy Ibis

June

Bonaparte's Gull

Iceland Gull Painted Lady Pearl-bordered Fritillary Redstart Buzzard Buzzard Turtle Dove Great Crested Grebe Little Bittern Caspian Tern Whinchat

Silver-studded blue Reed Warbler Large Heath

End of Part One

The second part will appear at 7a.m. on 26.12.16

21.12.16

December 22, 2016 • 89 Comments

Can you have too much of a good thing?

55 days ago I first saw this bird...

Barry and I headed north early to Skinningrove hoping to make contact again with the eastern black redstart or to see for the first time for Barry. Not to disappoint, the bird was preening from the stone wall. Eastern Black Redstart Some fluffing up of feathers today in the strengthening wind. Eastern Black Redstart Eastern Black Redstart Eastern Black Redstart Eastern Black Redstart Eastern Black Redstart Eastern Black Redstart Eastern Black Redstart Eastern Black Redstart Eastern Black Redstart Eastern Black Redstart Fulmars were still on the cliffs. Fulmar Fulmar Stonechat seen too. Eastern Black Redstart Eastern Black Redstart Barry spotted a nice group of waders I had completely missed. Sanderlings Sanderlings

Eventually the rising tide caught my shoes and drove the waders to seek another place. Sanderlings Sanderlings Sanderlings Sanderlings We moved on to Saltholme to walk to Haverton for the long-eared owl. Very distant but we saw it!

Long-eared Owl

On the walk back we were surrounded by some friendly sheep. One in particular stood his ground while I chatted to it! Picture title: the Sheep Whisperer!

Part One of my album of my best bits of 2016 will appear spontaneously at 7a.m. on Christmas Day!

19th December 2016

December 20, 2016 • 93 Comments

Too close to focus!

Sheila and I went to Scarborough on Monday. After lunch we walked along Marine Drive spotting auks and a red-throated diver quite easily on a flat calm sea. Razorbill Razorbill Razorbill Razorbill Razorbill Red-throated Diver But before lunch we went to Peasholm Park to see another bird...

It came within three feet of us and was quite clearly very curious to weigh us up! An unbelievable encounter. Red-throated Diver Red-throated Diver Red-throated Diver Red-throated Diver Red-throated Diver Red-throated Diver Red-throated Diver Red-throated Diver Red-throated Diver Red-throated Diver Red-throated Diver Red-throated Diver