Welcome to my birding blog - first launched 12th March 2012...
23rd July - 1st August 2014
Five Days of a Butterfly Summer
1: July 23rd: Fen Bog, Ellerburn Bank and Scaling Dam
Barry and I hoped to renew our acquaintance with dark green fritillary and marbled white at the wonderful YWT reserve at Ellerburn Bank. Both duly obliged minutes after our arrival.
Marbled whites...
...and a ringlet...
...and lots of views of dark green fritillary [up to 3 present].
There were other butterflies too...small skipper...
...green-veined white...
...meadow brown...
...and small heath.
A good stand of woolly thistle cirsium eriophorum looked well against the darkness of the pine plantation behind it.
We moved on to Fen Bog YWT hoping for large heath and small pearl-bordered fritillary. Dark green fritillary surprised us there too!
Sir Nigel Gresley steamed past rushing back to Pickering.
Down by the marshy areas this dragonfly [keeled skimmer] posed for us.
There were butterflies too...small heath...
...small pearl-bordered [eventually located by a sharp-eyed young man]...but really difficult to photograph in the long grass...
...small tortoiseshell...
...and ringlet with bees and hover flies [blue hoverfly is leucozona glaucia].
We spotted a family of whinchats. Fledglings were around: the male kept watch from his lookout.
Final call of the day at Scaling Dam. Common sandpiper entertained us.
2: July 24th: In the garden
Speckled woods are numerous in the garden this year - as are holly blues but they aren't so accommodating!
3: July 25th: Fen Bog, Pexton Bank, Kiplingcotes and Beverley Westwood
I returned alone to Fen Bog looking for large heath and hoping also to find Pexton Bank somewhere near Ellerburn Bank...
Fen Bog first: keeled skimmer still in evidence.
Fresh looking willow warbler in the lonely rowan tree.
No sign of large heath butterfly, I headed for Dalby Forest and parked at the Pexton Moor car park. I walked south along a level path along a ridge. Dark green fritillary dashed past me. Marbled white fluttered below, down what I eventually realised was Pexton Bank. I had found it! A song thrush was gathering food.
Walking on I came to Ellerburn Bank, a mere 200m from Pexton Bank. If only I had known, could have saved a long walk and the £7 toll charge! But I might have missed this photo of a tiny fern growing on the top of an old tree stump.
I decided to drive south to Kiplingcotes to meet Barry later in the afternoon. He hadn't arrived so I set off for the old quarry. A mistle thrush looked strikingly pale - my imaginary ptarmigan!
Autumn gentian gentianella amarella was in flower on the quarry floor.
I took the steps up to the flower meadow. There were many marbled whites...
Two butterflies in this photo too!
Initially I didn't include the next photo because the red dot puzzled me until I read that marbled whites can carry a red parasite mite on their body. Like this one!
My favourite image from this blog, I think.
By the quarry gates I photographed comma...
...in flight with a bonus small skipper...
...a six-spot burnet moth...
...and a gatekeeper or hedge brown as some people call them. All the books use the name gatekeeper nowadays. This one was photographed through the bars of a gate funnily enough!!
Having found Barry I set off for Beverley Racecourse to look for purple hairstreak butterflies in the oak trees. This was my second attempt: hopefully a bit later in the day would do the trick. Barry followed on later. I had several possibles but after Barry arrived we saw one land low down. A basking female. So here's a lifer butterfly for me...
4: July 28th: Alkborough Flats
Someone said you can photograph bearded tits on a quiet day at Alkborough. I thought I'd try...but the biggest surprise came later as I was almost back at the car park...
More of that later.
A common darter perched in the sunshine for me.
Reed warblers were plentiful.
There were mipits on the fence.
I sat in the hide and watched over a thousand avocets and 100+ godwits. I waited for the snowstorm as the avocets took off but they continued to doze on the sand. Then this little bird made my day!
After bearded tits I went in search of ruddy shelducks. No sign but this bright little butterfly turned up. Then another. Small copper - lovely small bright and fast flying butterfly but in the mood to enjoy the sunshine.
Flying away!
Landing again!
Further on another specimen actually posed for me!
Approaching the car I saw a skipper. It was tiny. I watched it as it swayed about in the gentle breeze. In the bins I confirmed what I only hoped: a lifer Essex skipper with its black antennae tips!
Let's get a bit closer.
5: July 29th: Greatham Creek; Cresswell Pond; Newburn Bridge and back to Greatham Creek again!
Barry and I headed north, hoping like Micawber that something would turn up. We walked to Greatham Creek. Inquisitive seals!
A solitary curlew combed the black banks of the creek.
A wall butterfly popped up - my second of the year - not a common butterfly by any means.
The sea lavender limonium vulgare was in full flower.
The pager announced a stilt sandpiper at Cresswell Pond. 'Time to go!' I said to Barry. We drove north through the Tyne Tunnel. Time now for one of my specials: what I call a cuckoo type photo or, if you like, a photo of a bird that is so far away you can tell it's there but no more than that. Very rare stilt sandpiper [my second ever; lifer for Barry] asleep at the water's edge, just left of the swimming tufted duck!
We drove back south after a while, calling at Newburn Bridge. Winter must be coming: my friendly Mediterranean gull was back.
He's been busy. He's been to Ireland and learnt how to Riverdance!!
And so back to Greatham Creek again to continue where we left off as it were... Wild parsnip pastinaca sativa.
Grayling butterflies - once we'd spotted one they seemed to be everywhere! Here's a few.
I have one book with a photo of a grayling's upper wings. The book says it's a rare photo. Well, without getting too conceited, mine are better.
Carline thistles were in flower too...
...plus what I think is a very late flowering marsh orchid - growing in dry stony clinker!
We even found a probable Essex skipper. I was getting tired and should have made more of an effort to get a clear view of those antennae tips. What do you think?
Final grayling: my best grayling shot, I think.
6: August 1st: In the garden again!
Found in the garage by Sheila after I'd walked past it several times! Poplar hawk moth.
UK 2014 231
16th-18th July 2014
White-letter day!
- more of that later...
but first of all it's cuckoo time at Blacktoft Sands
Wednesday July 16th
A magpie was already feeling the heat.
Little egrets were plentiful.
The path to Ousefleet was closed for haymaking but no-one had told this pheasant!
At Marshland the spotted redshanks, mixed in with some commons, were showing well.
One green sandpiper.
Up to eight greenshanks.
And then the cuckoo appeared. I'll still be trying for a really top quality cuckoo photo but these are better than my previous efforts.
Big fat juicy caterpillar in bill!
Exploring Tocketts Lythe near Guisborough
Thursday 17th July
Sheila and I headed north in the afternoon planning to find the abandoned old road to Skelton at NZ 622 172 in the hope of locating a lifer butterfly: white-letter hairstreaks. We walked up the hill from where we had parked alongside the A173 near the north end of Mucky Lane. We soon saw butterflies. Commas.
A few likely suspects flitted into view and were gone over the tree tops. We returned to the brambles near the top of the rise hoping the butterflies would come down to nectar in the late afternoon.
Comma, worker bee and white-letter sharing the flowers.
Still time to go elsewhere we decided to head for South Gare near Redcar and look for grayling on the slag fields [try NZ 560 267]. That proved instantaneous. There were lots of them but they disappear on landing as they are so brilliantly camouflaged.
Whilst I looked for more this [juvenile?] stonechat perched up for me.
Coming up over a boulder...
The carline thistles carlina vulgaris were in flower.
Friday 18th July was one of those very rare days when the weather let me down. The forecast was misleading, the wind got up, the temperature plummeted out on the North York Moors [I put a sweater on for the first time in weeks] and then the rain came. No small pearl-bordered, dark green fritillaries or marbled whites. Just one solitary small skipper.
I drove home. There'll be other days......
10th-11th July 2014
Old Moor's Almanac!
Thursday 10th: at home in the garden
Jobs around the garden and a rather worn comma that kept appearing over the house roof and then disappearing again. Tended to appear as soon as I had put the camera down. Eventually caught it on the hop as it were.
On the leaves of the plant you make beer with, I mean.
A cheeky sparrow was waiting for me to skedaddle so he could return to the feeder.
Friday 11th July: Old Moor
Ruff, yaffles and co!
'And co' being some butterflies and a charming female blackcap. In this day and age one might just dare to wonder: why are birds always named after the male of the species? This could be a browncap. Blackbirds could be brownbirds!
This comma was quite smart.
Gatekeeper.
Small skipper male.
Ringlet.
Ruff down on the wader scrape.
Finally and best of all: the yaffles. My first ever photos of green woodpecker. [A small milestone: my 275th British bird species photographed - although a few could do with replacing with better shots!]
Juvenile.
Adult.
Cheers! Thanks for that!
4.7.14-7.7.14
Something for everyone!
Friday 4th July
Sheila and I went to Fairburn for peanuts but had a look round as well. My second visit in just a few days. A green sandpiper was on Pickup as was this greenfinch.
Nearby an emperor dragonfly was racing round the dipping pond. I tried to catch him in flight but failed. This young coot was an easy target!
Down at Lin Dike there were still a lot of little egrets - up to nine present...
...and the ibis was still feeding in the early evening light. I was pleased when it went for a short fly round.
Two lapwings were fighting over the best patch of mud. Note the head of the bird going to bite the other one's legs!
Saturday 5th July: lifer 403!
Just putting breakfast together when a black-winged pratincole popped up on the pager at Hurworth Burn reservoir. I knew the place quite well from a couple of visits last winter to see white-fronted geese. Hurriedly putting everything together, I scampered north. A big twitch but nothing to see: everyone knew where the bird was but it was not showing in the grass on the far side amongst the lapwings. Eventually we tracked it down and here it is: still pretty distant but visible between the two lapwings.
Cropping in quite hard helps but there is considerable loss in picture quality.
Eventually it came a little closer among the cattle along with the lapwings. But it kept its back to us. Can you spot it? Almost centre image.
Walking back to the car a fluttering moth caught my attention. Garden tiger moth.
Sunday 6th July
Plan was to go to Flamborough for a seawatch as a few skuas and shearwaters had started to be sighted. I was enjoying myself thoroughly watching manx shearwaters when visibility declined, mist turned to fog and the siren started up at the fog station. I retreated to Thornwick Pool. Little to note but after the previous night's heavy downfalls this linnet looked decidedly bedraggled.
This mipit was collecting food and looked like s/he had fared better in the downpours.
A common poppy papaver rhoeas looked stunning after the rain.
I headed inland for Tophill Low. I thought I might spend an hour or so in North Marsh hide and watch for the kingfishers. They never came but the rain did. Big time complete with thunder and lightning. Couldn't catch the last two but I iphone-filmed the rain!
The rain went on and on [like the video!] but eventually it relented. I watched lots of reed warbler action but failed to get a decent shot. I decided to set off back. Opening the door of the hide I immediately spotted what looked like a big ball of fur rolling around on the path.
Tophill Low can deliver even when you least expect it. The stoats were more interested in playing than in me. The light prevented really fast shutter speeds but here are some views of young stoats at play.
Help! He's coming straight at me!!
Final call would be at Blacktoft where I found much better weather. Plenty of distant spotshanks, an upside down konik pony...
...and a smart looking sedge warbler in a grey willow. Not a lot else although cuckoos were known to be on site.
Monday 7th July
A day at home, I thought, but a report of the common crane at Arram along with a fairly precise location tempted me to try again. [A recent attempt to see the bird at nearby Leven Carr had proved a waste of time.] A long walk north along the drain from Arram Grange proved tiring carrying scope, camera and bins plus a heavy anorak in the heat. I went wrong twice but along one ditch I snapped this four-spotted chaser.
Heavy grey clouds meant the anorak was a wise but as it turned out unnecessary precaution. Before I reached the grid reference I spotted a large group of swans in a field. I scanned the flock through my bins.
UK 2014: 229
British Isles life list 403
28th June ff
More than I bargained for!
Monday 28th June
A trip to Saltholme to try to photograph the roseate terns if they were still about. That depended on them being down at Paddy's [where I had read they spent some of the time] rather than outside the Visitor Centre on the distant spit. I popped into Phil Stead's when I arrived but soon left. A birder was down the path to the fire station pool but looking into the grassy areas to the right. I knew this was where the 'gropper' lived but in spite of various attempts I had previously neither heard nor seen anything other than whitethroats.
The birder had just seen the bird in question and moments later I heard it. Grasshopper warbler loud and clear. We waited a while...
We saw him move right. Minutes later he started up again. Then a third birder who had just arrived spotted him. Reeling.
News was that the tern had left Paddy's but would probably return eventually. I headed in that direction. The hide was pretty full. Some said the bird was just out of view on the other side of the island. It turned up minutes later on a post.
Then it disappeared behind the island until, bless it, it decided to perch up outside the hide!
A mite smaller than a common tern, black bill, paler grey and a flushed chest.
A great crested grebe juvenile swam past us and was later given a fish by its parent.
The roseate spent quite a while on the 'goalposts'...
...but eventually flew off...for a wash...
...and a fly around.
Other bits! I presume this is the exuvia* of a dragonfly. [*shed larval skin]
This young fox was drinking outside the visitor centre.
Rosy pastor in Burnley: Monday 30th June
The place was found without difficulty: Sycamore Avenue. The bird was not located until we had walked around the neighbourhood for nearly two hours. Lockyer playing field. This was not my first rose-coloured starling [I had seen a very drab juvenile at Easington, Spurn a few years ago] but it was my first pristine adult. Great scope views: no photos I'm afraid. Many thanks to Sheila for wandering the streets of Burnley and for fetching the scope while I kept an eye on the bird hoping it didn't disappear. A very good spot!
Tuesday 1st July
Day at home in the garden. A comma butterfly appeared so I got the camera. Unfortunately the comma put a full stop to my photographic plans. I resorted to trying to snap the swifts that were overhead. Here's one of my better efforts. In some shots there's just blue sky!
If you don't like kingfishers look away shortly!
Wednesday 2nd July
Un grand départ of a slightly different kind! Mon petit tour de Yorkshire - I began at Fairburn to pick up some peanuts, fish food and mealworms and a glossy ibis down Lyn Dike way.
Five little egrets were on a pool west of the hide.
I stopped in the village by the old gaol where sand martins use the old sandstone cliff/wall at the roadside. Good to see good numbers of birds there.
Next stop would be North Cave - just a quick break on my way to Tophill Low. Meadow brown and small skipper butterflies were plentiful.
Up to five common terns were fishing on Far Lake.
I spotted my first common darter of the year too.
Funnily enough one of the first sightings at Tophill Low was another ruddy darter immature.
By the woodland pond black-tailed skimmers were very active and never pausing in their constant chase around the pool. A juvenile moorhen was precariously advancing along a reed stem that lay across the water. What enormous feet!!
A red admiral paused on some bramble...
...and a common spotted orchid was still in flower in a clearing.
North Marsh hide is the best place I know to photograph kingfishers. Always approach and enter the hide as quietly as possible: the kingfisher may be there before you! As he was this time. I'll sign off now with an album of kingfisher images.
He heard my shutter click!
Going fishing!
Bird watching!
The contortionist!
