Welcome to my birding blog - first launched 12th March 2012...
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!
226
18th June - 25th June 2014
A birder's week...
Wednesday June 18th
The day began with an early start for Redcar Stray, by the cafe, hopefully to see a black scoter. Not a lifer [seen at Llanfairfechan a few years ago] but a very rare duck nonetheless. Signs were promising when I arrived and I soon had a sighting only to lose track of the bird as the waves rose and fell or the birds dived. Anyway I gradually became accustomed to picking it from the midst of the raft on the seaward side [where it seemed to prefer to be]. The digiscopers had their day as far as photos were concerned.
I drove the short distance to South Gare. En route I spotted some opium poppies papaver somniferum on waste ground. Apparently in our climate [currently!] little of the active chemical is produced... They were rather splendid...double pinks...
...and single reds.
While photographing the poppies I spotted a cinnabar moth flying around. I hadn't photographed one before only the similar burnet moths. Here's a cinnabar.
Next stop: Greatham Creek to look for orchids and butterflies. A pyramid orchid was by the roadside on the bridge.
I saw many meadow brown butterflies and a few common blues. A female common blue posed for me...
...as did another cinnabar moth.
The marsh orchids on the stony ground were going over...
...as were a pair of angry avocets!
In the shelter of a bush I did find a nice northern marsh orchid still in flower.
This pale spike looks more like a common spotted.
A pied wagtail kept an eye on me.
A pair of mute swans had 3 cygnets.
More orchids in top condition were found in the dip just south of the road bridge as I made my way back.
On the way home I called at Sutton Bank to look for their turtle doves [2nd attempt!] without luck but did discover another feeding station which was apparently the one they [a pair] visit.
Thursday June 19th
Sheila and I went late morning to Wykeham raptor watchpoint. No sign of turtle doves there nor for that matter of any honey buzzards. One possible goshawk was seen: definitely not a buzzard. A peregrine flew over too.
There were a few common spotted at the viewpoint.
Saturday 21st June
Sheila spotted this amusing sight: wood duck with wood pigeon! Making friends.
Sunday 22nd June: The Farne Islands
Decided to try for the bridled tern. Whatever happened, the weather was set fair and I hoped for some nice images. I just missed the tern but otherwise I had a wonderful day, visiting Staple Island as well as Inner Farne. I'll start with the trip out to the islands...the party of of guillemots soon dived out of sight...
I tried to photograph the guillemots as they flew past using my 150-500mm Sigma lens that I take on boat trips.
Surprise! It's a razorbill. Puffins soon made their appearance.
When they are taking off the guillemots seem to run on the water.
As we approached Staple Island and the boat's engine was cut the birds seemed less anxious and swam close by [fish in bill].
First views on Staple Island.
The shags.
I expect dinosaurs made a nest like that. They do look prehistoric, especially the youngster!
More shags later.
'I'm not a tourist. I live here!!'
Fulmars and kittiwakes were nesting too.
It's puffin time. I spent a long time on Staple Island [you get two and a half hours on the all day bird cruise] trying to get flight pics of these charismatic little brothers. At some spots you can get really close!
Time for something else. Fancy a shag?
Sometimes the parent regurgitates the food straight into the youngster's throat. No it's not trying to eat its young. But it did look rather gruesome!
Guillemots. A ranger pointed out the very rare orange-billed guillemot.
Spot the chick and 2 bridled birds in the above photo?
More guillemots.
Unbridled beauty!
Bridled beauty. I like the bridled variety. Apparently, a ranger said, 5% of the Farne birds are bridled.
We left Staple Island to motor round Longstone Island and Grace Darling's lighthouse. She's still flashing!
Eider flew past. Grey seals watched us with mild amusement, I feel.
Shags, lesser black-backs, oystercatchers and razorbill.
Eventually we reached Inner Farne - about 20 minutes after the bridled tern left. It left a note: 'Gone fishing!'
I happily watched the arctic terns and suffered their attacks. It must have been a sensitive time in their breeding season as they were especially aggressive! One chap's head had more than just a peck!
When mating one pair seemed to show a degree of affection - or am I romanticising? Nice image though...
I like to photograph the sandwich terns as they hover over the nest area on Inner Farne.
It was time to leave. I took a few more sandwich terns from the jetty.
At sea we passed an eider creche.
Monday June 23rd
Sheila drove me up to Saltholme. To cut a long story short I saw the Temminck's stint but Sheila had to walk back from where her car was parked and missed the bird because it was flushed [or trodden on] by the belted cattle that all trendy reserves seem to have these days!
I photographed a pipit and a black-tailed skimmer dragonfly.
Later we called at Sutton Bank to look for the turtle doves. Five minutes before closing time Sheila said she was going back to the car. I was watching the feeder station from inside the shop. She said 'You won't see them now.' I did. They came! Brilliant!
Thursday 2th June
Adwick Wetlands near Old Moor for green sandpiper. Nice lapwing portrait.
No green sandpiper luck but tracked one down at Wombwell Ings. Passed a butterfly sunning himself on the path.
The End!
UK 2014 224
June 11th ff
All quiet on the Eastern Front!
Wednesday June 11th was a lovely day so in the afternoon I decided to explore the Pocklington Canal. It was warm and bright with little wind and I was hoping for damselflies and dragonflies. I saw very little - just a few common blue damselflies. The canal is more overgrown than I expected. For some distance no water at all is visible; later a channel emerges through the reeds. There were a few birds: whitethroat and reed warbler [heard], moorhens and a few pairs of tufted ducks. This male was quite unafraid.
On Friday June 13th a black-winged pratincole at Saltholme came up on the pager. A potential lifer, I dashed north but it had gone by the time I arrived. The weather was very pleasant so I took a few pictures. Firstly of a whitethroat and a wren outside Phil Stead's place.
Then I spent over an hour with the damsels and dragons down near Back Saltholme. En route I spotted this cluster of what I believe are small tortoiseshell caterpillars.
One of the first damsels I saw was this blue-tailed damselfly.
The four-spot chasers were perching at the side of the pools.
After a while I decided to have a go at getting flight photos of the four spot chasers. These are not perfect results but I was nevertheless quite pleased as hand-held flight shots of dragonflies are pretty tricky!!
Saturday 14th June: Barry and I set off after 2pm for Saltholme in hope of seeing a roseate tern that was showing from the cafe. It had left when we arrived. I photographed a mystery damselfly [hoping for help from ispot] and then spent some time experimenting with f14 and f18 exposures of perching four spot dragonflies to see if I could hand hold, maintain focus and get better depth of field. The day was bright and I was quite pleased with the results. Also featured below: fox through glass from the visitor centre; reed bunting from the car park. Here they all are... [I especially like the magpie - not always easy to get a relaxed shot like this one!]
16th June: Quality time
Pecsand reported on Sunday at New Swillington Ings on the causeway. Went today late morning but bird had flown off. Long story but probably never went far and emerged from the thistles on the concrete path near a standard white poodle and its mistress.
While we waited for the bird [that probably hadn't gone away at all] to come back I snapped this common tern.
Here it is: a very confiding bird. Don't suppose I'll ever be this close to a pectoral sandpiper again. The birder next to me just kept repeating: 'Unbelievable, unbelievable!' The bird looked, kept calm and carried on!
Here's the star of this posting:
I may add more when I have time!
From the footbridge over the River Aire I saw several large stands of giant hogweed, heracleum montegazzianum.
June 10th 2014
Jungle safari in Hartlepool!
Also known as a trip to Ward Jackson Park. Unfortunately on the blog you can't hear them scream!
They are probably all juveniles as they don't have a rose-coloured neck collar.
Next I went to Saltholme. Things were pretty quiet there although I was surprised to see an auk in the car park.
I had hoped to see the sandwich terns that had left by the time I had walked to the far hide. I did see plenty of common terns.
I turned my attention to dragonflies.
First of all a couple of damsels. Azure.
Common blue.
Then a few four-spot chasers.
Later at the Wildlife Watchpoint I saw my first ever bank vole plus a water vole - both visiting a feeder cage where they could be watched but were safe from predators. Compare the sizes - bank vole first! Same carrot in each photo unless it's an apple...
