Welcome to my birding blog - first launched 12th March 2012...
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
1st October ff
Mexican Bandits!
Aka bearded tits! I went to Alkborough with the express intention of escaping the fog, finding blue skies and little wind and photographing beardies.
Photo from the hide. Mission soon accomplished. On the walk down I saw some activity with beardies fluttering about along with lots of reed buntings.
I soon spotted movement to the right of the hide...
They were also seen at ground level among the reeds - quite pleased I got a focus lock!
Juveniles/females too.
Here are the bandidos!
Fish Eagle at Swinsty
A name I often think of in connection with ospreys as an old farmer at Barden Bridge once drew my attention to a 'fish eagle up in them trees this morning' - the name stuck.
Saturday 3rd October: another misty morning. I decided to make another photographic trip. This time to Swinsty Reservoir to see a long-staying juvenile osprey. I felt sure that once the weather changes the bird will be winging its way to Africa, so I should seize my chance. I did.
A short video of the view on Saturday morning at about 1 p.m.
The bird duly appeared, I don't know where from - but there it was circling over the cut-off lagoon near the car park! It landed relatively close by in a conifer.
I sent Sheila a boc view
I also took some proper photos!
27th September 2015 ff
1: Spurn Delivers
Sunday Barry and I set off fairly [but not very] early in fog for Spurn. Spurn was clear and bright although you could sea great banks of mist down towards Spurn Point. At Canal Scrape we could just make out a couple of jack snipe bobbing in the short reeds at the back of the scrape. We soon saw yellow-browed warbler, pied flycatcher and redstart as well. A successful visit to Beacon Lane gave us a red-breasted flycatcher which brought my year list level with 2014.
A few butterflies were still about. A brimstone near Westmere Farm.
Down Beacon Lane I saw a speckled wood fly into a spider's web. The following sequence is a bit gruesome!
A few pink-feet passed overhead.
The highlight of the day was an arctic warbler at Driftwood caravan site. Easy enough to see in my bins, I struggled to locate it in the camera viewfinder.
See Barry's blog for better views: http://barryjohnbishop.blogspot.co.uk/
2: Adwick Surprise
A pectoral sandpiper had been reported at Adwick Washlands, part of the Dearne Valley RSPB complex. It's about 8 roundabouts from Old Moor! [Pick up a ''get there map'' from Old Moor reception!] A very long walk to the flash where the bird had settled along with two ruffs. Here they all are. I'm sure you can tell which are which. Anyhow, I'll start with the pec.
Skywatching - then 2 ruff shots.
Back to the pec.
Very pectoral!
I'll finish this set with two nice ruff shots.
UK 268 2015
19th September 2015ff
Great White steals the show but good effort from the grey wag!
Two good days' birding after being largely housebound for a week whilst we had some jobs done on the house. Not 'on the house' in that sense of the meaning! We had to pay! I digress... First day was another ultra early Flamborough seawatch [Saturday 19th September]with a few sooty shearwaters and a largely unseen Cory's shearwater in reasonably close. Couldn't prise my eyes off it to try to tell people where to look. Photographically the prize went to an obliging grey wagtail at Thornwick pool.
By the pool were lots of cornflowers contrasting well with the otherwise yellow flowers: an increasingly uncommon wild flower, present here perhaps after wild flower seed distribution.
A fairly futile hunt for a subalpine warbler at Old Fall just brought out the butterflies. Late small tortoiseshells and speckled woods in number.
I moved on heading for Kilnsea and a reported early arriving Bewick's swan that must have been a Daily Express reader with its gloomy predictions of the coldest winter since I was born!
I called briefly at Hornsea Mere. Quick little gull fix and off I went.
Nearly forgot! Coupled common darters on the canvas of a boat tarpaulin.
When I got to Kilnsea there were about 5 mute swans and another swan fast asleep with its head buried in its feathers - the Bewick's. Tired out after all that reading!
It stirred briefly from time to time to check what was nearby. Like dunlins...
...or greylags.
Photo without the greylag clutter.
Several med gulls also present and another little gull. Distant but still...nicely marked.
At Canal Scrape the little grebe swam by. Funny birds: most ducks don't look wet after a dive although you can see water droplets running off them. Little grebes look either as if they've just stepped soaking out of the shower or as if they've overdone the hair gel!
A mute swan had taken a strong dislike to one particular coot and was intent on attack!
Sunday 20th September I had promised to be home promptly as family were coming early afternoon and staying for tea. I proposed an early session at Saltholme and then come home. On arrival at Saltholme I looked at the pager: buff-breasted sandpiper at Whitburn 'in ploughed field south of obs'. A quick think; asked satnav how far [37 miles]; set off up the A19. 5 minute walk to ploughed field: great views in the scope but beyond my lens and then back down to Saltholme where a great white was on East Saltholme. I parked beside the A178 in the lay-by.
Normally prone to disappear into reeds or keep flying off, this bird was very bold and unfazed by birders. If you don't like great white egrets, look away now!
Little and Large!
Grey heron, little egrets and an albino ostrich! No, just joking: great white of course.
It went for short flights too.
Waders also present: spot the little stint...
...and the curlew sandpiper.
In both flight photos look for the different tail pattern on the curlew sandpiper.
Someone announced that a merlin was on a stump behind us on West Saltholme. You can probably just make it out.
Back to the egret... I'd never managed to get this close before!
Catch!
Swallow!
Cough!
Miss.
Farewell. It didn't go far: dropped down over Dorman's Pool direction.
I scampered home!
Thursday 24th: compost for garden trip to Lumby. Called at Fairburn. Hoped for willow tit but no sign in the harsh sunlight and strong breeze. Grey squirrel [much as I disapprove of them!] can look charming!
Friday 25th: trip to Hartlepool. Called at Phil Stead's place but very quiet there too. Magpie came very close.
Spent a couple of hours at Newburn Bridge. Plenty of wader and gull entertainment; birders to chat with and a high tide. What more could you want? It seemed a bit like being on the jetty at Inner Farne. Perhaps you'll see what I mean...
Pensive sandwich tern.
Adult common tern still bringing food for juveniles on 25/9! Nice shots of both...
Another sandwich, sir?
Prettily marked juvenile common tern.
Felt sure a med gull was around but took some time to spot!
Come on, show yourself!
Waders too.
All this from a little car park by a railway line! Newburn Bridge deserves to be better known. I'll end with a shot I rather like of a young ringed plover.
11th-14th September 2015
Well, that's a first for me!
Title explanation follows much later.
September 11th
I've done a few early morning seawatches this year and, truth to tell, they haven't been terribly exciting. Slowly ticking off a few skuas but whenever I was able to go the winds weren't in the right quarter. Still, I always had a good day. This particular day began with a very early start at the seawatch hut. This day's seawatch was equally quiet but the rest of the day was superb. I'll begin with a friendly snipe at the Canal Scrape.
After a coffee I moved down to the car park at Kilnsea Wetlands. A roe deer was in the field across.
A lone knot lingered on the scrapes together with more distant greenshank and ringed plover. Here's the knot - keeping an eye out for the peregrine. If he gets caught he'll be undone! [There's a bad joke in there somewhere...]
My eye was drawn to my right by movement amongst the nettles and dead thistles. Wheatears and whinchats.
Later back at Canal Scrape for a break a colourful and friendly dunlin lingered in front of the hide. Here are quite a few photos of this pretty bird. I like the moorhen shot!
I also spotted a fresh willow warbler among the cut reeds.
Wigeon have returned too.
The Crown & Anchor area produced both pied and spotted flycatchers - more than one of each species.
Time for a walk at Sammy's Point I thought. I set off with bins and camera. After only 50 yards while scanning the first of the horse paddocks I spotted a very grey warbler. Immediately I thought of barred warbler.
Since I've been birding I've seen some fabulous birds, I've even helped relocate great birds that had gone missing but I had, until that afternoon, never found a rarity myself. Not a great rarity I know but a pretty good bird nonetheless. I called to a couple of birders who were walking back towards the car park with scopes over their shoulder. They looked with their bins.
'Lesser whitethroat, mate, ' one said. But they put their scopes up as I walked off still thinking barred warbler. A voice called out: 'Hey, come back. Look in here! You were right.' Soon it was on the pager and the wasps gathered around the honeypot...
Here's my barred warbler!
Swallows were waiting to fly south.
I finished the day with a second visit to Spragger Drain near Sunk Island to look for the black stork. Seen badly at Spurn I wanted a better view. The bird duly obliged to round off a great day's birding.
September 13th
After another, this time completely dead, seawatch I retreated to the hide at Canal Scrape. Snipe began the day photographically for the second time running.
Little grebe and incoming wigeon.
Next it was down to the wetlands again. A short-eared owl put on a thrilling display.
A roe deer was watching us.
Kilnsea churchyard for a yellow-browed warbler. Difficult to track in the sycamore leaves - phylloscopus means 'leaf seeker'...
Retreat to Church Field where I knew I could sit a while. Varied sights: red admiral, buzzard and a cannabis plant!
I seem to have a bit of a Spurn routine: Sammy's Point next. Soon found a redstart in the same bushes as I saw the barred warbler 2 days earlier. It proved tricky to photograph and I spent a long time getting these quite distant shots. I needn't have bothered as you'll see shortly! Anyway, for now here's the Sammy's redstart plus his companion whitethroat.
I must have called back briefly at Canal Scrape as I took this photo of a mallard watching me.
I then walked from the Crown & Anchor towards Sunny Cliff caravan site. A very confiding redstart entertained several of us. Nice photos and so easy!
September 14th
Nosterfield LNR in the afternoon to see a juvenile woodchat shrike. Very distant, it eventually came a little closer.
