Welcome to my birding blog - first launched 12th March 2012...
19.06.16
Not so much a diesel fest...
...as a whinchat extravaganza!
I split the morning between Fen Bog and Ellerburn Bank. It was soon obvious there was a ''diesels in the 70s'' event on the NYMR.
I had come for something else however. So far this spring I hadn't encountered any whinchats - a bird for which I feel a special affinity. Fen Bog usually has a few nesters and in fact I photographed 3 pairs on Sunday and soon knew roughly where 2 of the nests were. I think no more comment on whinchats is needed: here they come!
I also saw my first small heath of the year at Fen Bog...
...whilst at Ellerburn Bank I saw a rabbit protected butterfly orchid...
...chimney sweep moth and common blue butterfly. The latter two were away too quickly for me but I did manage to swap to the macro lens to photograph this argus butterfly.
229 UK 2016
16.06.16
Good morning, Carrot Face!
Gibraltar Point has proved a disappointment several times in the past so it was with some trepidation that I decided to risk a trip to see a couple of caspian terns. In the beach car park I met Karl Dutton who had just arrived moments earlier. We were soon in the hide overlooking Tennyson's Sands and had the two terns in sight.
They were quite settled unless the avocets got agitated although there was little sign the terns were interested in the avocet chicks.
The terns went for a couple of flights which was very rewarding as they came past the hide.
On the way home I called at North Cave to see the possibe/putative/probable/hybrid duck which is probably just a drake scaup. Record shot from turret hide.
For the past three weeks a pair of wood pigeons have been visiting a lamp post outside our house as it goes dark. They seem very affectionate and although copulation is usually the end result the two birds do seem to chat and kiss! Is this affection in the bird world?
June 6th ff 2016
Where next?
Couldn't think of a good title today [9/6/16]. Been down the A1 to Old Moor for the little bittern.
Found a buzzard photo from last Monday which I think is better than the one in the last blog.
Someone asked me the other day what I did with all my photos. I explained that I do a blog, I put some of my better photos on Bird Guides and I produce a nice thick photobook each year as a record of my birding year. Here's a 2-page spread from this year's book [although, inevitably, it may well change by the end of the year!]
Sunday 12th June - half day visit to Old Moor with Barry. No bitterns seen so had to make do with coots, linnets, and pterodactyls. Honest! What else could they be? The astonished gulls are lesser black-backs - I can see their legs!
Let's have a closer look at the right-hand bird...
There. Told you!!
There were lots of marsh and common spotted orchids - some were especially lush and robust.
We moved on to somewhere to try the new hide. A great crested grebe came close and the funny duck was there with its stiff tail and big blue plastic bill.
UK 227 2016
4th-7th June 2016
From Bonaparte to Great Crested Fish!
- including what I consider is my photo of the year so far...
A really early start on Saturday June 4th took me up north of Newcastle to the River Wansbeck estuary. Research suggested I ignore the Castle Island birders and head along a footpath on the opposite northern bank from the Old Colliery downstream and east of the A189 flyover. After much scanning I spotted a good possible...
Landing on black-headed gull's head!
Above: fishing boat reflection.
Whilst walking back I flushed a butterfly from the grass [I was trying to clean beach mud off my shoes!] It crashed back down in the grass. The temperature was about 10 degrees. I spotted and was surprised to see my first painted lady of the year.
I saw 6 more at Druridge - of which more later.
QEII country park just on the off-chance...
Garganey and spoonbill at Druridge Pools but distant. A marsh orchid and garden tiger caterpillar.
The ladies were very nice...
I headed south intending to reach Appleton-le-Moors in the NY Moors by about 2p.m. to try once again for a pearl-bordered fritillary. A lifer butterfly for me I was thrilled to see just one. It was nice and warm but surprisingly windy.
Sunday June 5th took Barry and me to Bolton Abbey. Dipper including an attempt at a swimming shot!
A pair of redstarts were active just before the woodland.
Pied and spotted flycatchers were seen plus a green woodpecker [not photographed as it hurtled downstream].
This great spotted woodpecker posed by the half-way shelter.
Hesperis matronalisor sweet rocket plus ajuga reptans bugle were seen.
A spotfly posed on the aqueduct bridge, just catching the sunshine.
We headed about a dozen miles north to Kilnsey Park's SSSI to see the lady's slipper orchids. I glimpsed a tiny brown argus butterfly.
Narrow-leaved marsh orchid [we were informed] and bird's eye primrose.
Barry photographing the bird's eye.
Final stop was my third visit to Farnham so Barry could meet the small blues. I'm thinking of selling this as a very difficult jigsaw puzzle!! Can you spot the butterfly?
Cropped view!
Monday evening 6th June we went on a visit to a private reserve near Goole. As we waited for some others to arrive a buzzard was mobbed overhead. Perhaps the best buzzard photos I've ever got.
Southern marsh orchid, common blue butterfly, blue-tailed damselfly...
...and a little egret.
However the main reason for our visit was the possibility of seeing turtle doves. We spotted something on the path ahead.
We soon had turtles in the air around us.
On Tuesday I went at short notice to Blacktoft for a red-necked phalarope at Ousefleet. Very distant, cue a true cuckoo photo [as I call shots of birds ridiculously far away!] The phalarope is that tiny lump to the right of the spoonbills and just left of a gadwall.
Next daft idea was to go to Old Moor in order not to see a little bittern. Spent an hour and a half staring at reedbed. Bird did show 2.25 hours after I left! Oh well, that's birding. I photographed a great crested grebe lunching on a perch. Not perched on a perch just lunching on one!
I nearly forgot. My best photo of the year so far? A turtle dove. Nice one!
226 UK 2016
24th May -31st May 2016
Uphill and Down Dale - again!
On May 24th Barry and I made a return visit to Leyburn Old Glebe YWT to look for orchids. There were carpets of green-winged orchids.
A special treasure at Leyburn are the burnt-tip orchids. Only a couple found this year.
Wednesday 25th May Barry and I went up to Cresswell, Druridge Pools and Castle Island. The Bonaparte's gull eluded us but we saw a pectoral sandpiper at Boldon Flats and a little stint on a flash by Druridge Pools. In a hide there a swallow perched in front of us.
On the 28th I went to Alkborough where I saw bearded tits [but failed to get them to pose for me] along with other well-known friends. Here's a few...
Shelduck displaying then scarpering!
Sometimes the bird doesn't need to be dominate the whole image!
Exocet.
I then drove to Spaunton Quarry where I saw very little. Just a wall butterfly.
On the way home I called at a site near Farnham [Knaresborough way] where I did rather better. Small blues.
On May 29th Sheila and I went to Kilnsey Park for a walk with an expert in the SSSI there.
Orchid heaven. Also featured: a friendly willow warbler. I'll start with a few early marsh orchids.
Hybrid marsh orchid we were told.
Early purple.
Butterwort and bird's-eye primrose.
The warbler with food.
Ambition fulfilled: Lady's Slipper orchids.
On the way home we called at Farnham again so Sheila could see the small blues. They were very co-operative!
Yesterday: glossy ibis at North Cave.
Today: great white egret North Duffield. No photos due to the distance.
221 2016