Welcome to my birding blog - first launched 12th March 2012...
8th March ff
Fairburn dazzles!
A brief visit yesterday afternoon to photograph kingfishers in nice light. What's more, he turned up - albeit not quite as close as I might have wished. Still, here he is.
May go back again later today!
I did. Sheila and I went to look for a [mis-]reported mealy redpoll. We soon saw a lesser on the visitor centre feeders but no sign of a mealy. Sheila soon spotted this siskin however.
Photo ©Sheila Downes Canon 400D with 70-300mm zoom
A pair of bullfinches were beneath the feeders picking off the spillage from above.
Also in the feeder area a blue tit was investigating a new RSPB nest box.
At Pickup hide a female blackbird posed as did the ubiquitous tree sparrows. Met a man the other day from down Birmingham way who hadn't seen one for 25 years.
We walked along the path towards the kingfisher screen. A drake mallard was defending a female from three other drakes. As soon as he swam in their direction they backed off but whenever he left her side they paddled in furiously. Each time the drake turned to return to protect his mate the gang of three turned away.
Sheila was thrilled to see the kingfisher. All black bill = male again.
Arriving back in York, Sheila suggested we go to see if our barn owls were showing. It was a little early and at first there was no sign. Then...
In the hole in the tree. A closer look:-
Latest year ticks: dipper at Knaresborough and grey wagtail nearby.
UK 159
2nd-6th March 2014
Fur and Feather
Sunday 2nd March I headed early up to Tynemouth to see the siberian lesser whitethroat. It showed well on the feeder at 9 Tynemouth Place but was a bit distant for the camera. Diversions to East Chevington picked up red-necked grebe and at Cresswell Pond, my first avocet of the year. On the way back south I called at Saltholme to see what might be about. I soon met up with this fine fellow - unfortunately he had a bad limp on his front left foot.
On Wednesday 5th March I decided to visit Dingle Dell, Bubwith, for the first time. This proved very interesting as I saw marsh tits and jays and, out on the river along with the whoopers, an egyptian goose. This was followed by a pair of grey partridge along the road near Wressle. Next stop: North Cave. I hoped to meet up with the chiffchaff: in fact I saw at least 2, possibly three. First I spotted the smew on Carp Lake...
...and the great crested grebe...
...and the little grebe with his mid-morning snack!
But the chiffchaffs were really busy and rarely stopped still. It look me quite a while to get these.
Cute, I think.
The plan was to finish the day at Bempton hoping for short-eared owl. It never showed but I had a lovely afternoon focusing my energies chiefly on flight shots of fulmar. But first of all I went for a few easy pickings! The guillemots and razorbills are back!
Gannets are always photogenic!
But I had resolved to concentrate on these lovely stiff wingers.
Getting a good view in good light can be a challenge in the afternoon as the cliffs are in shadow. Ultimately I was well pleased with my efforts.
Almost scraping the cliff-face!
Back in the car park a few tree sparrows were having a bathe.
A sparrowhawk shot past from behind me. I snatched this as it disappeared from view.
157 UK 2014
26-27th February 2014
Kwikblog!
Wednesday took me back to Hurworthburn Reservoir to look for the white-fronted geese. After a couple of false starts I got excellent help from some Teesmouth birders and was able to locate the birds about 800m north of the reservoir. On the reservoir itself were lots of greylag and canada geese plus one pinkfoot. Also seen were curlew, oystercatcher, goosander, great crested grebe, wigeon. Among the smaller birds yellowhammer and reed bunting were singing merrily around the old station.
The old station - now a feeder station!
The white-fronts.
On then to Newburn Bridge where my old friend was showing well...
Coming in to land...
A black headed gull with rings - I was able to find out this bird was ringed in Norway.
Thursday my wife and I went for a walk along the cliffs north of Filey Brigg where we picked up rock pipit, snow buntings, skylarks displaying and a juvenile kittiwake.
UK 150 2014
February 2nd ff
From my swivel chair: most of February!
I don't suppose anyone would expect a great deal to be happening in the north-east at this time of year - and what there has been I have largely managed to catch up with. Bramblings and snow buntings, although seen before new year, have continued to prove elusive. Here are my year ticks for February. Current total 144
|
132 |
37 |
01.02.14 |
Broomhill Ings |
Aka duck |
|
133 |
38 |
01.02.14 |
Tadcaster over A64 |
Red kite |
|
135 |
38 |
02.02.14 |
Greenabella Marsh/Greatham creek |
Greenshank; spotted redshank |
|
136 |
39 |
07.02.14 |
Kilnsea Wetlands |
Brent geese [dark-bellied] |
|
137 |
40 |
08.02.14 |
Poppleton fields |
Lesser black-backed gull |
|
138 |
40 |
09.02.14 |
High Shincliffe, Co. Durham |
Myrtle / yellow-rumped warbler #1 |
|
139 |
40 |
09.02.14 |
Cowpen Marsh, Hartlepool |
Tundra bean geese x7 |
|
140 |
41 |
14.02.14 |
Barmston beach |
Little gull [scaup and female velvet scoter seen well at Hornsea Mere] |
|
141 |
42 |
17.02.14 |
Old Moor RSPB |
Brambling! |
|
142 |
42 |
16.02.14 |
Greenabella marsh/estuary rocks |
Whimbrel |
|
143 |
43 |
18.02.14 |
Nosterfield |
Ruff |
|
144 |
44 |
21.02.14 |
Poppleton lanes |
Barn Owl |
This has not been an especially good period for photographs, but here's a few images including some of the 'big twitch' at High Shincliffe. It was a Sunday so hopefully no-one who should have been at work will get into bother for being spotted below!!
iphone photos - as is this one of the myrtle warbler. This sets new standards in my 'cuckoo type photo' record as in this case the bird is invisible. However it is just to the left of the circular brown dot [which is half a coconut] which I have obligingly surrounded with a large grey zero!!!
Also included are some pictures from Fairburn Ings RSPB taken on February 2nd, and of a redhead smew taken on 7th February at North Cave. The greenfinch, against the background of purple alder catkins, almost looks canary yellow!
Here's the smew: a little distant but clearly recognisable, I hope.
Finally, on the return trip from the north-east on Sunday, a kestrel was hovering over the A19 in late afternoon sunshine. I pulled into a lay-by, grabbed the camera and took these...
Valentine's Day
The weather continues to be not particularly pleasant but we are lucky we are not enduring what is happening down south. Today I got out to Hornsea for the morning fully aware things would not last long into the afternoon weather-wise. Rain set in just after 1pm and the wind strengthened considerably and I headed home. Hornsea Mere produced a female velvet scoter, a few scaup [males and females], large numbers of goldeneye including a small flock of males but no sign of the red-crested pochard. I popped down to Barmston to look for the Kumlien's gull but again no sign. Sanderlings on the beach and a few little gulls just off shore. Little gulls were the first of the year.
February 16th - back to High Shincliffe
I decided to begin a day in the north-east with another look at the myrtle warbler. This proved a good idea as I got some sort of photos this time. Nothing stunning mind you but a souvenir of this special bird.
The first photo just shows the yellow rump on an otherwise hopeless image. Still, the others are a little better...
The final photo just shows [for those with a keen eye!] a little yellow on the flank.
I headed for Greatham Creek yet again. From the bridge I saw a cormorant thrashing around in the water. Unsure what was going on, I raised my lens.
The morning light as you walk east to Seal Sands can be challenging but it has its rewards. A pair of bar-tailed godwits seemed unconcerned by my presence as I passed them.
A curlew flew upstream; photographed against the black mud of the far bank, the end result was quite satisfying.
As I passed the pools on Greenabella a greenshank flew off noisily.
Further on a merganser flew past, the velvet scoter and then black-throated diver were spotted and, eventually, on the walk back I had the company of a friendly long-tailed duck. And here they all are, in that order too!
By the time I reached the A170 road bridge, the duck was passing underneath having swum all the way upstream from before the bailey bridges at Seal Sands. I said goodbye...
My final encounter was with a tame old crow just before the car park.
February 18th: Barry's surprise!
We began at Greatham Creek and eventually saw most of what we hoped to see except the spotshank and greenshank. As we set off a crow watched us warily until I spoke to it. That made him fly off! I wondered if it was the same bird that I saw on my last visit. Must be getting used to me!
On the way down the creek, looking into the sun, a pair of red-breasted mergansers were coming up the channel.
Some seals were going back towards the sea.
We saw the whimbrel and the velvet scoter along with red and black-throated divers. On our way back a redshank was bobbing his head excitedly. Pity it's not a video!
A comfort break at Saltholme was followed by a spell in Phil Stead hide while Barry was in the shop. Redpolls and goldfinches obliged.
A reed bunting was singing in the car park as we left.
I promised Barry a bittern. Little did he realise I was planning to go to the Great Goodbye at Shildon NRM and find a blue bittern of the A4 'Streak' variety. The museum was packed with thousands of people so photos were tricky. Just as I don't love bird feeder pics, I prefer to keep people out of things like train photos. That was going to be impossible...
...unless I tried something a bit more imaginative.
Inside was a rather motley collection of exhibits including this magnificent 4-2-2 Stirling with its 8 foot 1 inch driving wheels.
We called at Nosterfield on the way home and picked up my first ruff of the year. Since then there have been a few shorter trips to Fairburn for smew and to Poppleton to see the barn owls.
More to follow? Let's hope so!
144 UK 2014
27th January ff
Travels with my camera
Askham Bog 27th January
An afternoon outing to our nearest reserve at Askham Bog where we were looking out for the marsh tits.
Great, blue and long-tailed were seen [as usual] along with siskin high up in the alders but the marsh tits did show up -very cautious and easily missed if I wasn't really quick on the shutter button! A robin was quite agressive to any other birds looking for seed.
Saltholme 31st January
Pottering along on a few bleak January days... not especially cold but the wind made it feel really bitter. Failed to find snow buntings again at Seaton Snook and decamped to the Phil Stead hide for shelter. Lesser redpolls and a shoveler obliged.
The shoveler came really close and the redpolls were by the feeder. Pity there wasn't more sunshine!
Mrs Shoveler looked well too. The bill on females can look even bigger than on the drakes.
I did my best to photograph the redpolls but I was working at very low shutter speeds.
I prefer not to photograph birds on feeders. Eventually one of the redpolls perched on a branch - they did spend most of the time on the ground [in the relative darkness] underneath the feeders.
On February 2nd Sheila and I went up to Hartlepool to see the Belasis Avenue glossy ibis. Satnav got us there fairly easily - but there were quite a few horse fields to check. My sharp-eyed wife spotted the bird before Tiggy even came to a stop!
We were shooting into the sun and roadside access only meant there was nothing I could do about it. Quite atmospheric shots though for winter in northern England!
Next was a long bracing walk at Greenabella/Greatham Creek. At last the road was open with traffic lights. Setting off past all the heavy machinery brought in to repair the damage to the southern bank of the creek we could see where the banking was breached. [Photos by Sheila]
As we walked along the clinkered bund I spotted some bar-tailed godwits on the mud along the creek.
A distant greenshank was my first of the year.
I was pleased to find the spotted redshank on one of the pools north of the creek. It was very mobile and I lost it before I could take a picture. Later it surprised me by returning in more co-operative mood!
We moved on to Newburn Bridge for lunch - Med gull was present, possibly two - and then had a walk on the Headland. I spotted some distant eiders so went to have a closer look.
Other waders were about: a mixed flock of knot and redshank flew past.
Knot and oystercatcher were on the shingle bank near the pilot pier.
Finally we went back to Belasis Avenue to see if the light was better. The ibis was still feeding but had moved pool and although the light was different the end result was much the same.
135 UK 2014