Tuesday 27 October 2015

Highlights Before Half Term

Black-tailed Godwits
 Leucistic Carrion Crow
 Male Blackbird
 Female Bullfinch after eating ornamental rose hips
 Greenfinch
 Lesser Redpolls
 Lesser Redpoll
 Ditto
 Oystercatchers
 Beetle Species
 Speckled Wood
 Red Admiral
 Female Hen Harrier
 Ditto
 Record shot of Hen Harrier
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Kestrel
 Kestrel
 Ditto
 Black-tailed Godwits
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Record Shot of Peregrine
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Fighting Cows
Scarborough Castle

Wednesday 21 October 2015

Day of Two Halves at NCW

It was a very gloomy morning at North Cave Wetlands.  One of the highlights was a flock of 23 Lesser Redpolls flying around far Lake, and another 15 at various points in a hedgerow along Reedbed Lake. The latter seemed to be feeding on Willowherb seeds.  They were much harder to locate in the afternoon, but when we did find a couple, the light was much improved!  The Kingfisher showed both am & pm.
Lesser Redpoll - pm
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Ditto
Lesser Redpolls in the bad am light 
(c) 2015 Aileen Urquhart
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Greylag Geese Landing (c) 2015 Aileen Urquhart
 Sloe Berries in the afternoon sunshine

Friday 16 October 2015

Final Day at Spurn: Ending on a High

Today was pretty much a rerun of yesterday, but in much stronger winds.  This time the Great grey Shrike was seen sat next to its prey, which it dropped then carried into a hawthorn, where it was seen to remove feathers.  The actual eating of the small bird was hidden behind many twigs.  We had views of a delightful Pallas's Warbler hovering after insects in the Crown & Anchor car park.  All but the couple from Ossett made our way back to our cars.  Only minutes after we left a Firecrest showed well, and Mike managed to take the record shots below!  The Pallas's Warbler, the Firecrest, together with the Jack Snipe were lifers for all those who saw them!  Although we didn't see any "mega" rarities, we saw plenty of birds, and some of the intimate encounters with the Goldcrests will remain in the memory of those they almost touched for a long time.
Record shot of Firecrest (c) 2015 Mike Woods
 Record shot of Firecrest (c) 2015 Mike Woods
Female Brambling
 Fieldfares
 Willow Warblers
 Willow Warbler? (c) 2015 Mike Woods
 Record shot of Great Grey Shrike (c) 2015 Mike Woods
 Record Shot of Great Grey Shrike with its prey
 Record shot of G G Shrike with its prey (c) 2015 Mike Woods
 Stonechat Firecrest (c) 2015 Mike Woods
 Redwing (c) 2015 Mike Woods
 Knot (c) 2015 Mike Woods
 Record Shot of Pallas's Warbler (c) 2015 Mike Woods
 Pallas's Warbler (c) 2015 Mike Woods
 Pallas's Warbler (c) 2015 Mike Woods
 Continental Robin