Welcome to my birding blog - first launched 12th March 2012...
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!
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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...
Back soon, I hope!
June 5th ff 2014
Bits'n bobs!
Stayed at home writing previous blog on June 5th. Sheila called me asking me to bring a camera: she had something interesting in one of the greenhouses.
Turned out it was a pair of lime hawk moths mating. Pretty impressive beasts too!
Visitors expected late morning on J6 so I got up very early and drove to Strensall Common to do the woodlark walk. And it worked: views perched on a dead branch on one side of a large pine tree and then doing its circling, moth-like tailless flight until it landed in a birch quite a way off. Next part of plan was to go to Blacktoft. Arrived there by 9am. Took forever to see bearded tits but did eventually succeed. Meanwhile I photographed heron...
...sedge warbler...
...and this whitethroat.
The problem is that it looks like a lesser with that darker area behind the eye, smoother more compact appearance, more white on the chest. But leg colour and lower mandible colour suggest common whitethroat. Nice bird anyway if a little skulking [which brings me back to lesser!!......]
Lockwood beckons!
A late start on Sunday 8th June for Barry and me. We headed back to Lockwood Beck reservoir to see if we could photograph the osprey. We knew it was still around and nothing especially exciting had been reported elsewhere nearby.
No sign after a while so we decided to walk round the reservoir - something we had never done before. Hoping for cuckoo and spotted flycatcher. We heard the cuckoo often enough and we saw a wren, a blue tit and a treecreeper! The anglers were fly-fishing. I was fascinated by this angler's case of assorted flies.
However about three-quarters of the way round the osprey appeared in the north-east corner, coming up over the dam and disappearing low down behind the trees to our right. I managed a quick shot.
Concluding our circumnavigation of the reservoir we rested on one of the benches by the outfall. Grey wagtails were around. Suddenly Barry said quietly: 'It's back!' It was. Here are just a few of the many photographs I took in the next few minutes. One of the most exciting birding/photographic experiences of the last few years.
Later we called at Scaling Dam and checked out the birds there. A willow warbler was singing from an alder that was swaying around quite violently in the increasing breeze. A few photos were in focus!
Finally we called at Sutton Bank but the turtle dove had turned!
30th May to 6th June 2014
Star Terns!
Monday 30th May: Crimdon Dene
Well, at least that's where we started our wonderful day's birding. Having arrived we were soon chatting to the wardens who monitor the little tern colony. After last year's vandalising [see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-23241488 ] it is to be hoped that young birds fledge successfully. The warden told us where to go to watch the birds and we also chatted more generally.
Barry enquired about burnt tip orchids and that's where we headed first [mainly because we carelessly got ourselves on the wrong side of Crimdon Beck and so decided to carry on and do the terns later]. They weren't going anywhere. The orchids were rumoured to be atop the cliff by the golf course. On our way we saw early purple orchid [flowering finished], twayblade as well as our quarry:
We headed back towards the beach. I photographed ringed plover.
Skylarks were abundant looking for food in the grass to feed their young.
Spider!
Barry meanwhile was down on the dry sand watching the terns on the water's edge.
They were flying back and forth past him from the fenced off shingle nest area.
I joined him and turned my attention to the view behind me beyond the fence. Fortunately the fence blurred itself away and it is virtually impossible to detect in the pictures.
Another walk to try to refind some stonechats produced not only stonechats but this meadow pipit on his lookout post. The post where I had seen the stonechat earlier. However I did refind them. First the rather nervous female showed up.
I glimpsed the male through a gap in the bushes.
He came nearer.
I saw some dame's violet hesperis matronalis by the beck.
Barry was photographing butterflies...
...including wall on wall!
The remains of the day were less photographic but great birding. An icterine warbler at St. Mary's church Hartlepool Headland rewarded us eventually with clear views as did distant bee-eaters [x2] at South Gare. Finally, amazingly, we had woodchat shrike at Hummersea. What a day! Last picture from that day of a singing willow warbler at Hummersea.
Back home Sheila had found an amazing insect in the conservatory with a 4cm ovipositor. Rhyssa persuasoria or giant ichneumon, we think.
Spurn & Strensall Common - June 1st
An early start and straight to Sammy's point where we eventually saw a golden oriole. Too quick for me to get a flight shot! Here's a whitethroat and a mallard instead!
All was quiet at the Canal Scrape. A swallow came within 4 feet outside the hide. I resorted to the iphone!
On to Kilnsea Wetlands and Beacon Ponds. A golden plover [initially mistaken for a grey plover] was present.
For once an orange tip allowed me to photograph it. Benefit of 400mm lens: I don't think I'd have got near it with a close-up lens.
Barry spotted a dragonfly - broad-bodied chaser.
Intially I thought it was a four-spotted chaser but the wing markings are wrong and the body much broader. Compare with this photo from last year of a four-spot with a clear spot in the middle of the wing.
Beacon Ponds delighted us with the terns. Maybe not as close as at Crimdon, but the images really pleased me. Not as bird photos particularly but in some cases as pure images. I wonder if you can see what I mean?
A showy reed bunting was at Beacon Ponds too.
In many ways Spurn was quiet. A seawatch produced little but a few large gulls.
We decided to leave and call at Strensall Common to try for the woodlarks Barry had seen earlier in the week. We didn't see them but it was good to find the shorter route than the very wet one we 'invented' last year. We did see things of interest however.
A new site for me for green hairstreak butterfly...
...and this time a four-spot chaser glinting in the sunlight.
Finally, a sheep was watching me protectively. Her triplets were nearby. Showing off her new jewellery!!
Cowpen Marsh: June 3rd
Fairly last minute after a family visit in Wakefield, we decided to drive up to Saltholme in the afternoon to try to see the buff-breasted sandpiper on Cowpen Marsh. The directions were pretty clear as long as I could find Holme Fleet car park. I knew it must be one of two places and we found it easily although only two cars were there. I expected more for such a cracking bird. Once Sheila and I had climbed over the fence with some hilarity we set off on the walk - about 500m I think.
We soon saw the bird: great scope views but a bit distant for the camera. However Sheila said I should try. The results are, I think, acceptable. Here's the bird.
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