Welcome to my birding blog - first launched 12th March 2012...
Week commencing Monday 11th February 2013
'To photograph flowers you need a Golden Eye...'
Monday 11th February
Well, so it was once said...
Birding seems to have dried up here in Yorkshire just a little or perhaps I'm just not at my best, not the birds. I know one thing, it's so cold I can't get warm if I stay outside too long. The camera must be feeling neglected!! So this afternoon I started something I planned to do this spring: photograph snowdrops in the garden. We have over a dozen different varieties in the garden now but it is hard to photograph them and show their individual characteristics. Backgrounds are another issue: you want to remove any distracting elements. I'm using a black scarf by the way!
Here's a few of my early attempts plus a couple of other early spring specials.
Galanthus nivalis - the common single snowdrop
Galanthus nivalis 'Flore Pleno'
The common double snowdrop multiplies so quickly it is almost as common as the single snowdrop. You have to look inside snowdrops to appreciate their subtleties.
One of the most famous cultivar snowdrops is S. Arnott - a very tall, large flowered snowdrop.
Galanthus S. Arnott
Also in flower on this cold February afternoon was this seedling of daphne mezereum. Self-sown this is the uncommon white form which occasionally appears on our front rockery as a seedling, descendant of a plant we once bought. Daphnes are short-lived shrubs but they do self-seed in the right conditions.
Daphne mezereum f. alba
Daphne bholua 'Jacqueline Postill' or Paper Daphne. Exquisitely scented.
Oh yes, remember at the beginning I said you need a golden eye? Well, here's one!
Photographed at Saltholme 7th February 2013
Thursday 14th February
It's funny just how often I set out to see one thing and end up seeing something completely different. This day was to be spent walking the beaches of Cleethorpes in search of the widely reported 30 snow buntings. I did know a Black Brant goose had been reported on Tetney Marshes but I assumed this would be a needle in a flying haystack job. However en route the pager said the goose was on pools at Humberston Fitties. Whatever they were.
So I set off to try to find these pools. There were signs to Humberston Fitties to my surprise. It turns out that it's a large caravan and dacha park [little old cabins of dubious weather-worthiness]. There was a RSPB sign too and loads of dog walkers. Oh well, I parked, looked around and spotted some Brent geese on the far side of the lake. I set off with scope and so as not to disturb the geese I watched from a distance. Must have been 60-80 geese. No sign of a Black Brant. Then more came in in batches ranging from 3 or 4 to 60 at a time. Soon there were hundreds of them milling around. And yes, I found my first ever Black Brant. I took my eyes off him on purpose to check I could relocate the bird and hadn't fooled myself. This adult is still there as I write [16.02.13] - no doubt pleasing a lot of Lincolnshire birders.
After walking the dunes and scanning the sands for snow buntings fruitlessly I returned to the car. I could scarce believe my eyes. A lady was feeding ducks and black-headed gulls by my car and, in a puddle at the front of my car was a very nice bird. I opened the back end and got the camera as quietly as I could. Nice one, Mr. Ruff!
Diversion!
Half way to Cleethorpes I pulled into a lay-by as I had heard my pager 'beep'. 'Waxwings on Beckfield Lane, Acomb, York.' I texted my wife who went up to the berry tree on the corner of Norman Drive and Beckfield Lane. Then she went home for the camera. Here are a few of her snaps!
There was a fieldfare in the berry tree: he tried to chase the waxies off until he was outnumbered!
I like the composition. Twins!!
These 2 photos are across the road from our house.
Finally this one is the best of the bunch when things got over-excited as they landed in the Christmas tree in our back garden. Our very own waxies!!
Friday 15th February: one of those special days...
On my way out to the main road I stopped at the berry tree just to have a look. I wasn't disappointed.
Looking for some easy year ticks I headed for Scarborough, sure the fulmars would be back in residence on Marine Drive. Luxury seaview apartments for rent!
The peregrines and fulmars seem to cope living close by. Perhaps you don't attack your neighbours - or there are plenty of pigeons still!
Next stop because I just can't resist the temptation, Holbeck for the Mediterranean gulls. How many different ones can you spot? I think there are at least three. Adult:
Sub-adult. Notice the black.
Another: different leg colours.
They are dominasnt, aggressive birds. They can seem very long-necked when they wish to impose themselves:
Filey Dams was hosting a slavonian grebe so I hoped, given the small size of the reserve and the placing of the two hides, to get close views. The grebe had other ideas and stayed as far away as possible. Resolutely, even after two precious hours.
So it would be Hornsea Mere final stop to try to find the black-necked grebe. I never did find it but birding being the wonderful thing it is you never know what's going to happen next [just like cricket really]. And happen it certainly did. I spotted a flock of about 60 barnacle geese in the fields across from the bungalows, if you know where I mean. After a while I noticed a small group of birders in the little bay to the right of the entrance. The bay that backs onto the houses where the canada geese often congregate to be fed. I strolled over.
'Have you seen the bittern?' one chap asked.
'No,' I said almost disbelieving as I saw where they were looking.
Another man said: 'Have you seen the water rails?'
I shook my head.
'Follow me. There's six of them.'
I followed him. I never saw six but I did see three at once running round a very wet field, disappearing into the hedge and running out again! Full of the joys of spring. Totally changed my image of water rails.
I walked back to the bittern for another look.
A quiet man I have often seen on my travels began to pack his scope away.
'Good old Hornsea Mere,' he said.
I agreed. Good old Hornsea Mere.
144 UK
Sunday 3rd February - Monday 4th February 2013
The Barmston Beauty
I just can't resist a pretty gull - especially any kind of white gull, and, although I had already seen the Kumlien's gull at Barmston, I fancied sneaking back for another look. The opportunity came on Sunday when a ring-necked duck popped up on the pager at Tophill Low. The duck was eventually located on the far side of D reservoir along with several scaup. The hide was overflowing with helpful advice as there was an In-focus optics demonstration going on in there!
A quick call at the Visitor Centre produced a woodcock in the bottom of the hedge across from the bird feeders. I think I've seen a woodcock there in previous years too.
Time still remained to get to Barmston, so off I went.
By the time I had got the camera the bird was having a fly around, eventually landing back almost in the same place on the beach. I'm afraid there are a lot of pictures of this wonderful bird.
Time for an interval!
There were also other birds on the beach. I tried hard to get some nice pictures of the sanderlings.
They were busily checking every piece of mussel shell was cleaned of any nutriment.
Back to the gull.
Finally a few images to remind me that it's an easy life for me. I have a nice warm car and a nice warm home. I can leave the harshness of the natural world behind me. The sanderlings and the gulls have to brave the elements all day every day. And those elements are often bitterly cold, windy and unforgiving. Here's to the bravery of birds...
Farewell to Barmston. For now at least.
Monday 4th February: back to Hartlepool
Not a nice day and not a particularly rewarding one. There was no sign of the slavonian grebe that I wanted better photos of. [I remember being told at school never to end a sentence with a preposition. As a teenager I felt better when I later read that Winston Churchill was criticised for the same misdemeanour. He responded thus: This is the kind of criticism up with which I will not put!]
Anyway the black-throated diver was still around in the main basin at Harlepool Marina.
There were plenty of mergansers about.
Supposedly there were 20+ snow buntings at Seaton Snook. I walked miles along the sands. The marram grass on the dunes was more interesting than the bird life [i.e. there wasn't any].
Don't be misled by the blue sky. It was cold, windy and I was being sand-blasted. No doubt the snow buntings had more sense than I!
Manipulated the image changes. Looks like the top of someone's head, doesn't it!!
The sand was blowing over the rocks down by Seaton Snook. This picture has not been manipulated other than to sharpen the focus.
Oh well, I'll go to Saltholme. I was told the owls don't show when it's windy as they go really deep into the scrub. Very sensible.
At Phil Stead hide there were signs of better things to come. A pair of teal were sticking close together.
A pair of mallard were out in the middle. I noticed both of them started to furiously bob their heads, quite fast and both at the same time. Then the female swam in front of the drake.
Spring is on the way.
136UK
Friday February 1st 2013
It can be so good just to be out birding...
I set off with lots of ideas but no matter, after a week of poor weather and very strong wind it would be good just to be outside again. I headed for Hartlepool with photography top of my agenda. Ticks looked a little unlikely but you never know...
I'll start at Saltholme with a goldfinch and a very accommodating reed bunting. She either had other things on her mind or really did listen when I asked her to: 'Just hold it there a minute!'
Further along the path a little egret was showing well [as the saying goes] on the Fire Station pool.
For some reason little egrets always look bigger in the photos than they do in real life.
I called at Hartlepool Marina next in the hope of getting better photos of the slavonian grebe. However there was no sign of the grebe or the diver so I had to settle for the resident little grebe who looked splendid in the good light, light itself enhanced by reflections from the little boats moored nearby.
I caught this nice image of a 'no longer there' little grebe!
On then to Seaton Carew, North Gare and so on, calling at Newburn Bridge to see my med. gull friend. He was on his lamp-post.
A birder, scoping the sea, hadn't noticed there was a med. gull just above his head! Anyway, the bird was quite vocal that morning and flew about for me, transferring from lamp-post to lamp-post. Quite a photogenic bird!
I was impressed with how the camera coped when panning flight shots following the gull around - even when a lamp-post got in the way!
Enough! Ok. Well, nearly.
Bye, Medusa! Yes, I'll call her Medusa.
Saltholme again. Another site, another reed bunting! This time near the Wildlife Watchpoint hide.
Photo of the day came from here too. My best ever, I think, of a shoveler. All credit to the light not to me.
Finally after failing to find long-eared owls [I did see a shortie driving from Saltholme to Hartlepool earlier] I thought about Skinningrove and called at Majuba Road beach car park, Redcar to put the satnav on as I hadn't a lot of time left before dark and didn't trust myself not to take an over-long route. A bird popped up in front of me. I immediately thought 'twite', jumped out of the car and began to photograph this little flock of about 8 birds. I should have thought 'twit' instead.
They're linnets!
UK 134 [including a green-winged teal seen with Barry at Dorman's Pool on Saturday - very cold and windy. I'm afraid the camera never got used. We also saw 2 redneads and a white nun at Dorman's.]
Saturday 26th-Sunday 27th January 2013
'You can't always get what you want...'
Rolling Stones: 'Let it Bleed' album 1969
Before we begin, here's a little teaser. What bird is this?
Saturday: Barry and I made a relatively late start and set off for Scarborough to see a glaucous gull in the harbour. We parked on Marine Drive and soon picked up the peregrine that a young woman birder was watching. Thanks very much for the help if you read this!!
A distant red-throated diver was out in the bay.
A cormorant came in to land nearby.
With no sign of the gull we tried Scalby Mills where it had also been seen. Barry picked up a slavonian grebe there.
Before going back to the harbour I drove up to Holbeck to see if any med gulls were about. I thought they might be pleased to see me if I shared my lunch with them.
'Did you say pilchard sandwiches?'
Back to the harbour for a longer walk round produced no white gull. A stump-footed turnstone seemed to trot around unimpeded by his handicap. I wonder what happened to him?
On the harbour wall I spotted a lone purple sandpiper.
We walked along the top of the harbour wall, overlooking the rock armour. Something disturbed some redshanks.
Then something quite unexpected happened. A large flock of purple sandpipers followed the redshanks and began to swirl around in front of us before landing back on the rock armour. Every picture tells a story...
As we walked back to Tiggy a cormorant surfaced alongside me.
Before setting off for home I decided to boost our day tally with a visit to Scarborough Mere. there was still a lot of ice. This herring gull was playing with a shell.
Here's the answer to the teaser I posed earlier:
A swan goose. Some sort of hybrid bar-headed goose was also present or at least a bird whose forbears had once met a bar-headed goose...
...and Barry very cleverly found both a red-crested pochard and a mandarin. More of the mandarin later but here's the pochard. I included the first photo to show just how big this bird is compared to the tufted ducks.
'...but if you try sometime, you just might find you get what you need'
Rolling Stones: 'Let it Bleed' album 1969
Sunday: on my own this time, I set off for Barmston to see a Kumlien's / iceland gull. No-one seems to have agreed which it is - Kumlien's being an iceland variant anyway. However news the night before of a white gull at York University prompted a first call at East Heslington lakes. No sign of the gull, but near the bus stop shelter by the main lake I saw multiple meadow pipits and a pair of mistle thrushes. A good start to the day!
I arrived at Barmston after driving through some impressive flood waters on a TomTom cross country short cut to avoid Bridlington. It saved time as I was keen to get there. The bird had come up on the pager!
Unsure where to go and confused by a man with a big lens photographing something down on the beach [turnstones and ringed plover] I set off along the boulder clay cliff top hoping to find a way down. A rook was on the grass nearby.
It wasn't intentional but one shot caught him blink!
I soon met some birders who told me where to go. [In a nice way, I mean.] The bird wasn't on the beach but in a dip in a field. I headed that way. Next moment the bird is in the air in front of me. Ever an opportunist photographer I checked ISO and f number in between each set of shots. Here we go.
Slightly dirtier looking than an iceland?
But still pretty white...
...especially on the ground.
I headed for Bempton to see if I could add to my 3 ticks with a gannet and/or a fulmar. They told me at the visitor centre that the fulmars were back. I couldn't find any.
First gannets of the year - albeit very distantly.
Rock doves were on the cliffs. Some look pretty well like the real thing! [esp. the one at the top]
A great black-backed gull flew slowly past.
I decided to check out the harbour in Scarborough again. No sign but the peregrines [2 of them] were more active. One was on the cliff.
The other was flying around in the same area.
It then joined the other one.
Finally I called back at the Mere in case the pochard or mandarin were any closer after the thaw. No sign of the pochard but the feisty little mandarin was battling with the big boys by the car park as a family were feeding the birds. The light was fading and was a contrasty mix of shade and late light. If you know what I mean. The results were quite nice - if you like this kind of thing!
I'm out of here. Bye-bye!!
UK 133
Tuesday 22nd January 2013
Out & About in Birdland
I had to pop down to Fairburn Ings RSPB today to get more peanuts and bird seed. It's crisis time for my garden birds if I can't top up the feeders in this weather. I started by visiting Pickup hide as the light was ok when the sun was shining which it did off and on. As someone said, the light was best when the birds weren't around. I expect his glass was half empty. Mine's full. Ordinary birds but they look nice, I think...
Long-tailed tit
Cheerio!
Great tit, greenfinch and goldfinch
Good image this one!
The bird I had hoped to see showed up too!
Willow tit
A pheasant skulked down below...
...and a shoveler looked pretty miserable on the ice near the visitor centre. I think he's about to fall over...
The Elusive Smew part two: on the trail of a White Nun.
Thursday 24th January 2013
Today I went first of all to Yeadon Tarn - it sounds very much out in the country but it's on the edge of a small town and right next to the Leeds-Bradford airport runway. However rumours of a drake manadarin were well-founded. Conditions underfoot were lethal so I left the camera and scope in the car. Pity as the drake mandarin was very close and confiding.
Next target was to be Sands Lane GP, Mirfield for the ring-billed gull. No sign but a couple of grey wagtails added a second tick of the day.
I resolved to go to Pugney's yet again as I had discovered that the white nun preferred a fishing lake north of Pugney's CP. So I walked. Signs in English and Polish warned me not to trespass... Was I near the Iron Curtain? No but I was near to my goal.
A crow loitered in my path.
As I reached the fishing lake I saw the smew immediately confidently swimming out in the middle of the ice-free lake.
Do you believe in angels?
I was distracted by birds passing behind me on the River Calder. A swan looked pretty contrasting with the black water.
This goldeneye showed just how green his head is.
Oh yes, out of devilry I've inserted this photo wrong way up! The reflection is at the top!!
The smew swam nearer into the brighter water. Black and white lines!
On the way back the black-headed gulls were gathering on the fence posts.
A shape attracted my eye near the car. I raised my bins.
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