bluebirder

brambling

2012-01-28T13:50:00.000Z

Today's highlights at Bretton Lakes CP included Little Owl south of Menagerie Wood, Willow Tit in Bridge Royd Wood, the remaining female Goldeneye on Lower Lake and this very distant male Brambling with the Chaffinch flock from Cascade Bridge.

curlew

2012-01-24T21:48:00.001Z

The sound of curlews on the moors is incredibly special to me. I can't reproduce that here but this should conjure up the atmosphere.

This solitary bird was photographed at Wessenden Moor above Meltham.

dabchick

2012-01-21T12:52:00.002Z

Curious birds Little Grebes. Always interested in any strange sounds they hear. I discovered a while ago that they find the rattle of my camera's high speed motor-drive especially intriguing.

With the advent of digital, 'wasting' a dozen or two shots is no longer an issue. And if it gets me pictures like this, I'm more than happy to carry a spare battery or two.

american robin

2012-01-21T11:27:00.002Z

Whilst sorting through some older files, I stumbled across several pictures taken on Tresco a few years back.

At the time, usually due to the distance of the subjects, many of the photos were consigned to a 'record only shots' folder and forgotten.

With access to better software these days it's been possible to salvage one or two of this rather stunning American Robin that was present several weeks on the island during the autumn of 2006.

marsh harrier

2012-01-17T19:51:00.003Z

This close encounter at Ouse Washes RSPB reserve in Cambridgeshire is not quite what it seems.

The bird was actually too close to fit in the frame but thankfully I got enough pictures to enable me to stitch a couple together.

Not a masterly piece of post-processing but it was certainly a relief to at least be able to present the whole bird.

I've had decent views of Marsh Harriers in the past but nothing quite like this. After worrying the assembled Wigeon it made a bee-line for the hide and only at the last second did it spot the people in it.

The photos were taken at the moment the harrier realised, abruptly banking away.

Thank heaven for photoshop!

bretton update

2012-01-15T20:01:00.000Z

At least seven Gadwall and this female Goldeneye on Upper Lake were unexpected last Saturday, though the freezing over of most surrounding bodies of water may have had something to do with it.

Five Goosander were also present including two drakes whilst the clear sky brought up four Common Buzzards.

greenland white-fronted goose

2012-01-08T21:35:00.000Z

This bird was with Greylag Geese in fields north of Wintersett Reservoir near Wakefield today. Other highlights encountered at the reserve (though too distant to record) included American Wigeon & Smew - both drakes.

whooper swan family

2011-12-31T18:00:00.000Z

The Ouse Washes RSPB reserve in Cambridgeshire is a favourite place to see wild swans. Unfortunately no Bewicks were showing during this visit.

house sparrow

2011-12-30T20:58:00.000Z

House Sparrow (male) - an increasingly scare animal locally.

western sandpiper

2011-12-29T21:29:00.000Z

Finally caught up with this mega-rarity at Cley in Norfolk today.

Reports of it having been taken by a Sparrowhawk earlier in the day were thankfully exaggerated!

This photo was taken late morning as the bird fed with Dunlin on Arnolds Marsh.

eurasian wigeon

2011-12-29T20:34:00.000Z

Drake Eurasian Wigeon by Simmonds Scrape from Dawkes Hide at Cley NNT Reserve - photographed while looking for the Western Sandpiper.

snow buntings

2011-12-03T14:24:00.001Z

No Twite at the Deerhill feeding station this morning but the arrival of six Snow Buntings more than made up for their absence. Freezing cold wind and rain severelly hampered viewing but at least they were approachable - more than can be usually said for their moorland cousins.

This is my first encounter with the species in the Huddersfield area and I reckon six together must be a very rare occurrence around here. The birds disappeared for a while giving us the opportunity to put down a load more niger seed, and once returned they were exceptionally cooperative. Just hope there's no permanent damage to my saturated camera gear - or frozen joints!

bretton revisited

2011-11-05T12:05:00.000Z

It's been a long time (nearly nine months) since my last visit to Bretton Lakes. With all the work going on and limited access, I thought it best to keep clear until the 'improvements' were complete. I know many who kept popping in and telling tales of horrendous 'vandalism' and how it would be ruined for scrub-nesting birds etc, but let's look at what's actually happened.

I was around this age when I first came under the spell of Bretton so this poster resonates with me

The intention was to open up various views around the grounds by clearing undergrowth and selectively removing trees, in much the same way any managed woodland is cared for. The biggest concern for birders and naturalists though was whether the quiet unspoilt environment around the smaller Upper Lake would be ruined by the inevitable increase in visitor numbers.

The paths and bridges around the lake have been in need of some serious attention for a while and a great job has been done here without compromising the rich waterside habitat and fabulous bluebell woods. A slow walk around this morning in fairly awful weather revealed no shortage of birds with all the usual star turns very much in evidence. The lake itself was throng with duck including good numbers of Gadwall and Tufted whilst it was pleasing to see the Kingfisher perches had been left intact for those of us who like nothing better than to spend a morning snapping away.

Where the majority of the clearing has taken place, around Lower Lake, I was expecting the reduction of cover to have had an adverse effect on the normally shy and flighty wintering Goosander flock. The birds were there in good numbers though (around 30 at the moment) and to be honest the thinning out process has made them a lot easier to see and count.

At this time of year the under-storey of bramble in Menagerie and Bridge Royd Woods has died back and never looks likely to support the Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Willow & Garden Warblers that occur each spring. It's therefore premature to speculate on whether these birds will return to breed in the numbers they have in the past but I would say there are plenty of patches remaining in these two important areas and we all know how quickly bramble spreads.

A plague of new signs have appeared all over the park including this helpful one for 'bovaphobes'

Having recorded over 40 species at Bretton today and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of strolling through this magnificent park once more, I feel my worst fears have been laid to rest. There's no indication that the birdlife has been adversely affected and I'm looking forward to making my regular visits again. Of course the acid test will be the next breeding season, but I see no reason to be anything other than optimistic about the future of Bretton as a top local birding spot right now.

spurn week - half-time report

2011-10-05T14:07:00.001+01:00

If I say that Sunday & Monday were spent largely in the pub and yesterday I filled the washing machine three times with perfectly clean clothes to take full advantage of the superb drying conditions, then you'll have an idea just how good the birding is at Spurn right now.

Great Grey Shrike at The Triangle on Sunday morning. An early promise of things to come? Sadly no.

This time last year a decent run of easterlies had ensured there wasn't a dull moment and coming home at the end of the week had been a wrench - but right now Saturday can't come quickly enough. Below is about everything I've managed with the camera between pints of Landlord and pegging out shirts, and that includes sticking this dead dragonfly to a bush to add some, albeit morbid, variety. I new low and not something I'm proud of.

A moribund Migrant Hawker glued to some roadside vegetation. Note the lifeless eyes and tyre treaded wings.

Wheatears made a strong appearance on Monday, especially at Sammy's Point, but soon moved on in the favourable conditions.

This Spotted Flycatcher was a welcome distraction from the ale as it made it's way to Africa via the Crown & Anchor car park. (The bluriness of this pic might be attributable to the aforementioned ale!)

Had it not been for a passing Kestrel, this Whimbrel might have gone unnoticed at The Warren on Tuesday

It's now Wednesday afternoon and I'm swept with a new sense of optimism. Apparently a new beer from Wye Valley has hit the bar at The Holderness Inn, Patrington. More on this and other non-bird news later.

yellow-browed warbler

2011-09-28T07:38:00.000+01:00

As it's almost time for my annual autumn stay at Spurn, here's a re-run of last year's photographic highlight. I'd never had much luck with Yellow-broweds as their ceaseless movement through cryptic-coloured dying leaves makes them an exceptionally difficult subject.

This bird was shot through chicken wire (to add further complication) as it approached the entrance to a Heligoland trap behind Coastguards at The Point. The moment was the briefest, and normally the camera's auto-focus would choose such an occasion to make the wrong decision, but luckily everything clicked. I particularly liked the typical Yellow-browed setting and the contrast between bird and leaf, showing just how diminutive these stunning warblers are.

sedge warbler

2011-09-25T11:24:00.002+01:00

Summer visitors are moving out now and at this time of year virtually anything can turn up anywhere. The back garden of a suburban terrace might be the last place you'd expect to find a Sedge Warbler but every September we seem to encounter something a little odd lurking in the apple tree or around the over-grown fringes.

Best times seem to be mornings after an overnight downpour when the birds are grounded by rain. They aren't rare of course but finding them out of context doesn't half get you in the mood for the year's best birding season!

nightingale

2011-09-12T21:17:00.002+01:00

This is the best I've ever managed of this frustratingly camera shy species in Britain. We must have seriously pissed off the Nightingale in years gone by for it to have become so unfriendly. Even the blood-thirsty Mediterraneans get better views.

In Victorian times the birds were kept in captivity for their exquisite song but proved difficult to look after and were eventually usurped by the canary. Whether this or the bloody awful poetry was responsible for it's mistrust I've no idea, though managing to chop this fella's tail off won't have helped relations!

bridled guillemot

2011-08-16T19:22:00.007+01:00

Depending on latitude, anywhere between 1 & 50% of Guillemots are bridled. The further north you go the more bespectacled birds you'll encounter. The variants are not regarded as a subspecies, but merely an example of dimorphism.

These birds were photographed on Inner Farne island off the Northumberland coast (where approximately 3% are bridled). This is probably the best place in Britain to get close to auks.

barn owl

2011-08-13T10:47:00.002+01:00

Probably the best way to get up close to a Barn Owl is to drive there. The car makes an ideal hide, especially at this time of year when the birds can frequently be found during the daylight hours.

Roadside fence posts are a favourite perch for resting owls of several species and an early morning ride around quiet lanes can produce heart-pounding encounters.

pheasant demise

2011-08-10T02:37:00.001+01:00

Stately homes throughout the UK have been endeavouring to enliven their parks and gardens for hundreds of years with imported flora and fauna, not always successfully but at least providing a legacy that would fascinate future generations. Indeed my first childhood visit to Harewood House undoubtedly sparked an interest that is still very much with me today.

Although only introduced to be shot at or gawped at, pheasants are so much a part of the British countryside now that it's hard to imagine it without them. For over 900 years we've been releasing them, with the Common (or Ring-necked) variety still going strong due to continued breeding for the gun. But what about the more exotic - those that really take the breath away? Well unfortunately it's not all been good news.

Sadly this Golden Pheasant was the last I saw at Bretton Park. As part of an ongoing but now, I understand, abandoned release scheme (for one of the few breeds capable of maintaining a self-sustaining population), this was the sole remaining individual surviving in the park in 2006 and, perhaps surprisingly, I still feel the loss. Not just because however often I glimpsed a bird like this it never failed to quicken the pulse, but more importantly, without my first Golden Pheasant over forty years ago - a larger, continually challenging and forever fascinating world may never have opened up to me.

sardinian warbler

2011-08-09T19:45:00.005+01:00

Apologies for this stream of non-topical foreign species but I'm actually quite enjoying digging these oldies out for a spot of digital remastering.

Another familiar bird to anyone who frequents the Mediterranean region is the Sardinian Warbler (sylvia melanocephala). Seemingly common wherever scrub exists, they can nevertheless be very skulking and difficult to see well. Catching up with a preoccupied individual, as in the case of this brood-feeding male, will sometimes provide good photo opportunities though.

black-eared wheatear

2011-08-06T11:05:00.004+01:00

Continuing the Mediterranean theme, here's another favourite. All wheatears are beauteous but black-eareds are just the most stunning (admittedly I haven't seen red-rumped). Only once have I been fortunate enough to clock one in the UK and it was not a patch on this individual.

A spring trip to the Spanish heartland is preferable to hanging out in the Cornish valleys if you really want to appreciate them. This was photographed in the Jaen province whilst staying here.

four-spotted chaser

2011-08-05T19:40:00.008+01:00

Closer to home this 'quad' had unfortunately chipped a wing, thus remaining unpublished until now. Finding perfect insect specimens is much more difficult than the actual picture-taking process, but so often any damage isn't noticed until the image hits the PC.

rock bunting

2011-08-02T20:31:00.007+01:00

No new posts since Norfolk, so here's a picture of a favourite species of mine to enjoy whilst we wait for autumn.

Taken a year or two back, I can categorically state that this handsome male Rock Bunting (emberiza cia) wasn't photographed at Bolton Abbey, Bretton Lakes or anywhere else in the UK for that matter!

strumpshaw fen

2011-07-03T21:14:00.017+01:00

This trip had been booked way back in February so as regards weather we were in the lap of the gods. No worries though as temperatures soared along with Marsh Harriers and even a late Swallowtail. White Admiral (below) was the insect I most wanted to see and whilst still early in the season for them the bramble patches on the woodland walk provided some thunderous views.

Norfolk Hawkers are another speciality here and numbers were better than good with virtually every dyke holding at least one patrolling green-eyed monster. Commoner species such as Comma (my all time favourite butterfly - above), Large Skipper and Southern Hawker dragonflies helped make up the numbers on this most memorable weekend.

Four-spotted Chasers (above) are the real characters of this broadland reserve and seem to revel in striking great poses for the camera.

above: Southern Hawker, Norfolk Hawker & Large Skipper

bath time for the king

2011-06-20T13:11:00.006+01:00

As an accompaniment to yesterday's successful twitch of the American White-winged Scoter in Aberdeenshire, this beautiful drake King Eider treated us to ten whole minutes of ablutions. A drake Common Eider looked impressed with the royal technique.

bempton cliffs

2011-06-05T21:14:00.002+01:00

The lack of a good breeze ruled out decent flight shots this year so here's a couple of on the nest efforts. Lots of Kittiwake eggs and even a few chicks, whilst courting Gannets sized up potential ledges below.

north yorkshire demoiselles

2011-06-05T19:52:00.002+01:00

No glorious Honey Buzzard pics from Wykeham I'm afraid, despite regular views, but just around the corner at Forge Valley were these beauties. Calopteryx virgo or The Beautiful Demoiselle is a speciality of this North Yorkshire woodland and the weather and timing were perfect this weekend.

These fabulous insects are close relatives of the more familiar Banded Demoiselles but tend to inhabit faster flowing streams with sandy beds. In both species the male is predominantly inky metallic blue whilst the female is green.

north riding weekend

2011-06-04T13:29:00.000+01:00

Early June is the prime time for watching rare Honey Buzzards as they perform breathtaking displays over ancestral territories. Wykeham Forest, a few miles inland from Scarborough in North Yorkshire, has been an established breeding site for many years and for visitors the added attraction of a specially developed raptor watchpoint (map) overlooking spectacular countryside, makes for a memorable day out.

For the last few years our trips up to the forests have included pre-booked stop-overs at local pubs to make a weekend of it and consequently we haven't been able to choose the weather. Unfortunately last year was a no-show for the Buzzards despite decent weather and regular sightings - until we were back home again of course when they were showing three at a time!

Friday morning's visit to the watchpoint in beautiful warm weather was well timed with a pair of Honey Buzzards overhead after a mere forty minutes (not bad going by my standards). Crossbills were also seen in flight along with the usual Tree Pipit in his usual tree! At nearby Dalby Forest a new viewpoint overlooking Deep Dale came up trumps with several Turtle Doves, Redpolls, Siskins and more Crossbills but unfortunately no Goshawks this time around at either site - although they are seen most days.

Accommodation
The Anvil Inn at neighbouring Sawdon has until recently been the best choice for accommodation due to it's proximity to the watchpoint, excellent food and variety of real ales, but unfortunately a weekend stay is now out of the question. The new owners have decided to convert the original rooms into a letting cottage so it's been necessary to look elsewhere for quality pub digs. If you fancy a whole week in the area though, the Anvil is a great choice.
Last year we used The New Inn at popular Thornton-le-Dale, but new owners there were experiencing some teething problems and the quality didn't really live up to expectations or the cost! It may well be a lot better now of course but it was a case of once bitten and there is much competition nearby.

About thirty minutes drive west of Wykeham and adjacent to Cropton Forest is the picturesque village of Lastingham. There the Blacksmiths Arms can be found and this is one gem of a hostelry! A little further to travel for the Buzzards maybe but since Nightjars can now be seen in the locality, it isn't necessary to make a return journey to Wykeham in the evening.

Nearby, The New Inn at Cropton village is home to the local brewery and is also worthy of consideration if you are planning to stay in the area. The cost of a room is a little on the high side here though and I'm not personally a big fan of their beers (with one or two notable exceptions which they don't seem to brew anymore) - otherwise it comes highly recommended.

The quality of the food and beer at the Blacksmiths I can vouch for from several previous visits and is quite frankly top drawer. Guests do need to be warned about the almighty breakfast though - it's simply awesome requiring a major appetite that's often lacking after a night in the bar! But if you can tackle it, forget about taking a packed lunch - you certainly won't need it!

Booking at quite short notice, only the Friday night was available this weekend but from previous experience we decided to take it and look elsewhere for the Saturday. At £35 per person (including that breakfast) it's great value for such a popular holiday area at this time of year. Guest beers were from and were in superb condition. The Restaurant menu is so comprehensive and keenly priced that there is little point in going elsewhere. Game casserole, roast duck, lamb & mint pie and a wonderful seafood medley were sampled and it was easy to see why the place is so popular with local (& not so local) diners. Finally a mention must be made of the incredible friendliness of the local people here. I can't remember the last time we were made to feel so welcome in such a short space of time - life in the West Riding is surely not what it should be!

Nightjar Directions
I have a favoured spot for Nightjars in Wykeham Forest that has never let me down, but talking to locals at the Blacksmiths Arms it was apparently only necessary to travel ten minutes or so from Lastingham to find them. Despite a very misty evening we located a confiding bird by the roadside at Hartoft, plus several Woodcock and a couple of calling Long-eared Owl chicks before the dreaded mosquitoes homed in.

Directions are as follows: from Cropton travelling north on the minor road towards Rosedale Abbey turn right immediately after the Blacksmiths Country Inn (nothing to do with the pub featured here) then next left, signed to Egton. Follow the road up hill for a mile or so and then start looking and listening. A small car park on the right just before the road heads out on to the moor is a good place to begin, with birds 'churring' from the pines either side of the road.

Stopping for a couple of nights it was also possible to squeeze in a visit to the RSPB's Bempton Cliffs Reserve near Flamborough Head where activity is at a peak right now. The sight, sound and smell of tens of thousands of sea-birds is in stark contrast to the peaceful forest valleys but does complete a fantastic combination if you're keen to sample some of Yorkshire's rarest and most dramatic wildlife. Can't wait to do it all again next year!

norfolk weekend (part 2)

2011-04-30T19:14:00.002+01:00

Lakenheath RSPB

An April visit to this Suffolk reserve was fractionally early for Golden Orioles but bang-on for Hairy Dragonflies - a species I haven't seen for years and never photographed. Only armed with a non-macro 560mm lens made getting sharp depth pics difficult but I'd not even remotely considered seeing dragonflies today. Being the earliest hawker to emerge there are no confusion species on the wing so it's just a question of sex - interestingly all the insects seen were females.

Birds of the day were a pair of Common Cranes, now apparently established on the reserve, but today we were limited to distant flight views so here's a more obliging Reed Bunting.

norfolk weekend (part 1)

2011-04-29T13:12:00.001+01:00

With the weather remaining fine and the royal wedding dominating the news there was every excuse for getting away this weekend. On route to Norfolk this rather tatty immature White-tailed Eagle showed for a few minutes at Ruckland in Lincolnshire. My first since the north Norfolk bird in January 2005, these impressive creatures are always wonderful to see, the very size alone (a 9ft wingspan), simply awe-inspiring.

A nesting Lesser Whitethroat next door to my digs provided a challenge before breakfast each morning but by Sunday I'd got the shots I wanted. Always active but usually skulking, LWs are a nightmare to get near and in the end it was the camera's quick-fire shutter noise that got the bird's attention - similar to it's song perhaps?

above digley reservoir

2011-04-17T18:37:00.002+01:00

Despite failing in the two previous springs to see Ring Ouzels at Digley, the place is still a must visit at this time of year - especially when the sun shines.

No great surprises today - still no rouzels - but good to see so many Wheatears, Curlews, Snipe etc.

My favourite pic though was of a bird I associate more with Bretton. This Treecreeper was surprisingly inert due to a persistant itch but between scratching bouts I managed to grab this.

The Snipe seemed reluctant to take to the air and perform their drumming display opting instead to tick-tock from atop the dry stone.

A calling Whimbrel was too distant for a picture but was probably the best bird of the day. The best insect was this tiny Green Hairstreak that did well to avoid being stepped on!

bretton update

2011-03-19T14:12:00.000Z

With clearing work proceeding apace now at Bretton, there's not a lot of reason to spend time there. In an effort to tidy the woodland, all the bramble patches, nettle beds and any other unsightly ground cover around the nature reserve (upper) lake is being cleared to provide views of the hall(?!).

There is no access to the hide or the path on the northern perimeter so anyone wishing to look for woodland species is pretty much going to be confined to Menagerie & Oxley Bank Woods. There's no point in getting upset until the final vision is unveiled, but with regard to this spring, the loss of habitat will undoubtedly mean the soon-to-be-arriving warblers will have to look elsewhere to breed.

One early arrival that was trying to set up a territory was this Chiffchaff (top) at Oxley Bank. This is my earliest, not to mention closest, encounter with the species at Bretton - let's hope it's not the last. In the surrounding hedgerows Yellowhammers continue to prosper, and this male (above) was a lot less timid than expected, allowing my first decent captures locally. A Long-tailed Tit (another species likely to suffer under the new management) shows we aren't the only ones to resort to tree-hugging when outraged by environmental vandalism!

norfolk weekend, 4th-6th march

2011-03-06T18:07:00.001Z

Not a classic due mostly to some poor weather but 95 species were seen in two & a half days and the accommodation in Blakeney excellent.

A series of wet weekends had seen my local birding come to a standstill recently so what a relief to be out and about again despite a biting wind and frequent showers.

A bad start at Holme with neither Ross's Goose nor Long-tailed Ducks seen but Titchwell provided another close encounter with Sanderling.

Cley's Shore Larks took some locating but using the sea defences as cover produced one or two pictures.

Little Egrets always seem to perform for the camera at Cley and this visit was no exception. The main targets were two Spoonbills but unfortunately neither came anywhere near enough.

Another disappointment was the lack of Rough-legged Buzzards after several weeks of daily sightings around Holkham & Burnham, though naturally enough there was no shortage of Pink-footed Geese.

Titchwell marsh & church.

iceland gull in scarborough harbour

2011-01-12T15:48:00.003Z

Not an image I'd intended keeping as the gull became more approachable, but decided I rather like it!

scarborough harbour

2011-01-04T07:59:00.002Z

A favourite place to do some early-year birding is Scarborough harbour. The odd diver or rarer grebe is almost a certainty and since it was the only area in the county likely to see any sun today, the decision to go was easily made.

In addition to a Great Northern Diver this very obliging 1st winter Iceland Gull was a real bonus.

Several Turnstones posed astonishingly close on the harbour walls whilst at nearby Holbeck at least three adult Mediterranean Gulls were coming to bread.

waxwings v thrush

2010-12-21T14:13:00.005Z

At least 75 Bohemian Waxwings in the tree at work this lunchtime - and the sky was blue and I'd brought my camera! On the down side, they were soon dispatched by the resident Mizza, though not before I'd managed to capture a few images - my first during this current invasion.

linnets

2010-12-09T19:02:00.005Z

At least ten of a hardy little Linnet flock have beaten the weather at work this week. The birds eke out a meagre living on the adjacent building site where weed seeds are once more available as the snow begins to thaw.

When disturbed, the tiny finches will sit in the only tree we have which is handily placed outside my office. Fortunately the window cleaners have just called allowing this shot through the double-glazing.

little egret at thornham harbour

2010-12-02T20:23:00.004Z

A late afternoon shot from Norfolk I almost forgot about. The light was wonderful - in fact the best part of a day spent almost entirely looking for the Harrier.

It's rarely I get such a combination of elements coming together in the viewfinder, and this sums up so much of what I love about this part of the world at this time of year.

norfolk weekend

2010-11-29T19:48:00.006Z

This November's annual wild goose chase was hijacked by an American Marsh Hawk (or Northern Harrier) that had been present on the north Norfolk coast for a while, though only recently identified.

These pictures are a sample of what was seen at Titchwell and Thornham from our various vantage points whilst waiting for the raptor to appear. Needless to say when we did finally get some views, the bird was too distant for the camera.

Arctic conditions and a crap trip list aside it was a successful weekend - a third new bird for the year was certainly cause for celebration!

Pics: Chinese Water Deer, Little Egret, Black-tailed Godwit & Redshank

lesser spot photo opp.

2010-11-08T09:52:00.015Z

Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers remain one of the most difficult birds to obtain decent views of let alone photograph. February is usually the best time to locate our tiniest tree-borer since the birds are very vocal prior to the breeding season, but careful study of autumn tit flocks can reap rewards too.

This male had hooked up with around forty Long-tailed Tits but would have gone unnoticed if it hadn't been for his persistent tapping. This is the first time I've managed to get anything on camera at a reasonable range at Bretton Lakes as they spend so much time in the canopy. The nest near Meltham last year provided my only previous close(ish) encounter.

Elsewhere in the grounds six Goosander were by Cascade Bridge, four drake Pochard on Upper Lake and the resident Barnacle Goose was once more with the Canadas at Middle Park.

spurn week 2-9 october

2010-10-08T17:01:00.028+01:00

With prevailing south-westerlies, our stay on Spurn Point in East Yorkshire was always likely to be a disappointment in terms of rarities. With temperatures in the upper teens though, it was difficult to complain, and the spectacle of common species moving south on mass was wonderful. For example over 10,000 Goldfinches moved down the peninsula during the week, including a record count of 4,975 on the Wednesday (charm doesn't quite say it!).

The early part of the holiday had been spent chasing the previous week's left-overs, but getting to see Barred & Marsh Warblers at close quarters made up for the lack of new and exciting arrivals for a while at least. Getting to grips with missed species from the summer such as Whinchat & Turtle Dove is all part of the magic of Spurn at this time of year, providing as it does, a last chance saloon to see many difficult birds before they disappear for the winter.

And whenever the passerines failed to perform there was always the daily spectacle of wading birds at high tide. Most are difficult to approach but just occasionally it was possible to grab some shots as the birds attempted to exploit the remaining few feet of shore before it submerged.

By Thursday a certain amount of ennui was inevitable and news that the south-westerlies were to give way to easterlies overnight was very welcome. A thick grey mist enveloped Spurn on the Friday morning and within moments of setting out it was obvious that large numbers of Scandinavian thrushes and finches (notably Redwings & Bramblings) had arrived.

Our last full day provided some of the better photo opportunities despite the poor light. It's difficult to imagine my old camera coping in such conditions so my recent upgrade couldn't have been more timely.

It was a real wrench having to leave on Saturday as tens of thousands of migrants descended on the peninsula, including, we were to learn later, Pallas's Warbler, Rustic Bunting, Red-breasted Flycatcher and even a Little Bunting in our cottage garden! The wonderful accommodation, peace and quiet and excellent birding will make this an annual pilgrimage though and the only question is why it's taken so long to organise a holiday at Spurn.

pics from the top: Barred Warbler, Jack Snipe, Marsh Warbler, Turtle Dove, Sanderling, Egyptian Goose, Little Egret, Brambling, Pied Flycatcher, Siskin & Yellow-browed Warbler.

bretton update

2010-09-05T08:38:00.000+01:00

A few images from a very quiet morning at Bretton where the only real action took place beneath the camera when a couple of shrews went head to head in the hide!

Nuthatch, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Bank Vole, Blue Tit

new bretton bird...

2010-08-30T18:26:00.006+01:00

...well for me anyway. A Bank Holiday stroll around Bretton produced my first new bird at The Lakes this year when a startled Common Quail briefly took flight by the Longside Gallery. It has been a better than average year for this species in Yorkshire and I've heard (though not seen until now) several during the summer. However it's always a special surprise to encounter our smallest game bird in the flesh - and nowhere more so than on your local patch!

Other highlights included seven Common Buzzards in the air at once over the north of the park around 10.30 this morning. Although distant, I managed to capture a couple of shots showing the magnificent bunch before they plunged into neighbouring woodland.

Activity on Upper Lake was disappointing due in no small part to a visiting group of spoiling Black-headed Gulls. Even the Kingfishers were chased around for their catches by the bullying gang. Both adult and immature gulls would outstay their welcome but inevitably turned out to be the only birds to come anywhere near the camera today. Bretton Bird List.

bretton update

2010-08-23T08:18:00.008+01:00

August's reputation for being the best month to photograph Kingfishers at Bretton remains intact after a solid display in front of the hide this morning. This bird was actually waiting for me to arrive and so a good deal of crawling about on hands and knees was necessary to get the shots without disturbance.

Elsewhere more Sparrowhawks were in evidence and my first Spotted Flycatcher of the year at The Lakes (though unfortunately no photos as it refused to come down from the tree-tops). Dozens of Chiffchaffs, old and young, were taking advantage of the warm conditions to bulk up ahead of their epic migration.

norfolk weekend

2010-08-08T08:29:00.009+01:00

Lakenheath

A rather dull day at the RSPB's fabulous Suffolk reserve was cheered up somewhat by the distant trumpeting of the resident Common Crane family. A visit a couple of months earlier would have guaranteed another evocative sound, that of the Golden Oriole, for whom the Black Poplar plantations here are the species last stronghold.

But whilst the Great Crested Grebes were still on eggs, the last of the orioles had already departed. Young Sparrowhawks were flexing their muscles over the woodland and the occasional Hobby dashed past in pursuit of the few dragonflies to brave the weather, but it all felt a tad depressing.

norfolk weekend

2010-08-06T18:43:00.000+01:00

Cley Marshes

With only a limited amount of decent weather expected this weekend, and most of that this morning, it seemed Cley was the best place to enjoy it. The Common Crane that had been commuting between the marshes and Blakeney was one good reason and whilst views were limited there were enough other encounters, in particular a stubborn Kestrel that wouldn't get off the path, to keep me busy until the rain arrived.

From the top: The Crane is escorted onto the marsh by a sizable corvid flock. A Marsh Harrier quartering in the early morning. I had to walk around this Kestrel in the end as it held it's nerve. It did fly off strongly a while later but was astonishingly bold. A Little Egret also allowed a close approach from East Bank. Common Sandpiper and juvenile Shelduck were amongst several species close to the hides.

camera upgrade

2010-07-26T11:18:00.013+01:00

It takes something a little special to get me down to Bretton in high summer. And on this occasion it wasn't the wildlife but the opportunity to test a possible replacement camera. I have needed an upgrade for a while since my ageing Canon 20D started showing the early signs of senility, so the opportunity to purchase a mint condition 50D was too good to pass up.

As ever when getting your hands on new gear for the first time, everything either goes into hiding or the heavens open. This morning wasn't as bad as I'd anticipated though and, thanks to the curiosity of this young Wren, I was able to try the camera in exactly the sort of circumstances I'd have prefered - ie a small active bird in a gloomy woodland setting.
The camera was everything I hoped it would be and whilst it has many more features than I'll ever need, it's the increase in pixel count, giving that little bit of extra reach (all important when tackling diminutive subjects like the wren), that really sells it to me. I think it's safe to say that I'll finally be making the long overdue upgrade!

bretton update

2010-07-10T21:24:00.000+01:00

My least favourite time of year at Bretton can nevertheless deliver the odd surprise, such as last summer's wash 'n' go Wigeons for example. Saturday morning's extended visit was fairly quiet on the bird front, as is to be expected now, but this latest heatwave has been just great for insects.

In addition to the enormous numbers of Ringlet and Speckled Wood butterflies, the lakes held impressive numbers of Southern & Brown Hawkers, Four-spotted Chasers and Black-tailed Skimmers. These dragonflies are the more robust and impressive of the park's odonata of course, but for sheer numbers the little Common Blue Damselfly was easily the stand-out animal. The surface of Upper Lake in particular was shimmering with them - even the fish couldn't resist the occasional snap at this exceptional bounty.

gannets

2010-06-16T08:25:00.005+01:00

A blustery day at Bempton RSPB Reserve on the Yorkshire coast provided the right conditions to snap Gannets as they hung in the wind above the giant cliffs. The birds were waiting their turn at the grassy knoll by Jubilee Corner, one of the few spots where nesting material could be collected.

Even youngsters were getting a little practice in for when their day comes.

norfolk weekend

2010-05-31T08:07:00.001+01:00

A largely uneventful weekend in Norfolk due in no small part to a cool northerly airflow that both held up migration and limited the amount of time spent outdoors. Between the showers I managed to enjoy good views of a male Montagu's Harrier near North Creake though - my first for a few years.

Montagu's Harrier, Barn Swallow, Sedge Warbler, Moorhen

bretton update

2010-05-23T20:37:00.002+01:00

It was kids day in the sunshine at Bretton with tiny foxes, ducklings and even not-so-cute emergent damsels.

High in the tree-tops the last remaining young herons contemplate making the leap into a larger world - but it was heartbreak for the grebes below whose second breeding attempt has again ended in tragedy.

The weather, or an over-zealous woodpecker has revealed the inside of last year's hornet nest (see Bretton Diary), a real work of art I thought and worthy of a picture.

common whitethroat

2010-05-17T07:42:00.010+01:00

Working on the edge of an industrial estate by a busy road junction doesn't provide very many interesting distractions bird-wise. Even at this time of year there's seldom more than a passing swift or swallow to indicate spring migration is upon us, and as for true song birds, we normally have to rely on our sedentary thrushes and blackbirds for any musical interlude - traffic noise permitting.

However the last two or three years have seen the emergence of a sizable area of bramble scrub between an adjacent housing estate and the main road, which in turn has attracted a species of migratory warbler more commonly associated with heathland and countryside hedgerow. The Common Whitethroat it has to be said is no great songsmith nor indeed a looker, but nevertheless it's here - in this unlikely setting - and it's scratchy tuneless renderings, just audible either side of morning rush-hour, are as welcome to my ears as any Nightingale in a southern wood.

iberian chiffchaff

2010-05-16T19:11:00.000+01:00

A scruffy Iberian Chiffchaff was my third new Yorkshire bird this year equalling 2009's total county lifers with only four and a half months gone! This singing male at Potteric Carr Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Reserve in Doncaster did a sterling job to compete with the traffic noise from the busy M18 this morning and even popped out of the dense foliage occasionally to pose.

The simple but loud and distinctive song is the best way to identify this relatively recent split from the familiar Common Chiffchaff - it's just unfortunate that this bird's condition won't win him any Mr Photogeniality awards.

holmfirth reservoirs

2010-05-09T19:56:00.004+01:00

A frustrating morning behind the lens saw me making a bear's breakfast of some great photo opportunities. Singing Redstart, calling Cuckoo and displaying Buzzard all put themselves on the proverbial plate but a combination of slow reactions and wrong settings meant I failed to capture any of them.

The scenery was a delight though and a chance encounter with a Tawny Owl at the Ramsden Reservoir picnic site was some recompense. The Siskin shot was more luck than good judgement as again my attempt to capture him singing from the tree-top was a fraction late. Some early nights and less time in the pub might be the answer!

Meltham Cop

2010-05-02T10:59:00.006+01:00

Free time and good weather have rarely synchronised of late meaning fewer posts, but this Bank Holiday weekend has at least made a promising start. Not a lot of visible migration locally despite decent conditions though so it was a routine search for elusive Stonechats at Metham Cop this morning.

Unfortunately no sign again but a pair of Wheatear and several nesting Willow Warblers were some recompense. Other gorse specialists such as Linnet were much in evidence but recent reports of Ring Ouzels couldn't be confirmed. A trip to Bolton Abbey is planned before work resumes so hopefully a more interesting piece soon.

Bretton Update

2010-04-10T14:31:00.012+01:00

Well - no eagles, ospreys or cranes to bring you from Bretton today, but it was a beautiful spring morning and the wonderful light gave some old favourites new life.

A couple of interesting nest discoveries might provide some decent photo opportunities in the weeks to come but in the meantime let's just enjoy this glorious weather!

Today's rollcall: Mute Swan (pair incubating), Canada Geese, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Goosander (pair), Great Crested Grebe (pair), Grey Herons (many pairs now feeding chicks), Coot (three pairs nesting), Moorhen, Red-legged Partridge (pair), Woodpigeons, Stock Doves, Kingfisher (pair), Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Green Woodpecker, Robins, Dunnocks, Wrens, Blackbirds, Song Thrush, Blackcap (5 singing males), Chiffchaffs (12+ singers), Goldcrests (3 pairs), Great Tits, Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Long-tailed Tits, Nuthatches, Treecreeper (pair), usual corvids, Chaffinch (pair), Goldfinch (pair), Bullfinch, Yellowhammer

Swallows Return

2010-04-03T11:25:00.001+01:00

Migrants are arriving thick and fast at Bretton right now but it's the bird most synonymous with summer that is always the most pleasing to discover. Approximately 25 Swallows were present over Lower Lake this morning before they assembled in the taller trees for a communal sing-song.

Amongst their number was a solitary House Martin (below & fourth from the right) but surprisingly no Sand Martins. Other arrivals included further Chiffchaffs (around 15 singers) and 3 male Blackcaps but the highlight of the day was a group of four Common Buzzards over Midgley on the journey home plus a further single low over the road at Bretton roundabout.

Best of the rest: Mute Swan (pair), Greylag Goose, Mallard (25+), Teal (4 pairs), Tufted Duck (12), Goosander (7), Great Crested Grebe (6), Great Spotted Woodpecker, Goldcrests (3 pairs), Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Yellowhammer

Goldcrest

2010-04-02T13:17:00.004+01:00

The chance discovery of a partially built nest in a yew provided a rare photo opportunity at Bretton this morning. It's not often Goldcrests linger in the viewfinder for more than a split second so being able to snap this industrious sprite was fantastic.

Far from ideal light meant I could have lingered longer than was fair, so this shot at an extreme 1600 ISO was the best I could manage without upsetting the birds. With improved conditions and more cunning fieldcraft, the weeks to come may provide better.

Early Arrivals Beat The Cold Snap

2010-03-31T11:19:00.010+01:00

The weather this week has been a real reminder of the exceptionally cold winter just gone, but although spring is now on hold (and the camera back in the cupboard), there have been some unusually early arrivals in the neighbourhood.

Having taken advantage of the fortnight of decent conditions, migrants such as Blackcap & Willow Warbler have joined the already settled Chiffchaffs and should get a decent head start on those competitors now held up.

Sedentary species are looking at their finest as they go about nest building and egg-laying and indeed many herons already have chicks to feed! 'The weather might be doing it's worst but there be no stoppin' these people!'

From the top: Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Nuthatch, Little Grebe, Grey Heron

Bretton Update {8.30>10.30am sunny SW7}

2010-03-21T18:08:00.006Z

Spring was fittingly ushered in by singing Chiffchaffs at Bretton Lakes this morning. The end of the third week in March is the time to start looking and listening for these vanguards of the new season and a couple of birds were in full song on this first equinox of the year.

Further signs of spring could be found in the hide where a Wren was hurriedly knocking a nest together, and in the bramble patches where several pairs of Long-tailed Tits were wasting no time.

No sign of any young herons in the Upper Lake nests yet but the Great Crested Grebe pair had done a little construction work during the week and now egg-laying looks imminent!

Today's Rollcall: Mute Swans (pair), Canada Geese (30+), Mallard, Tufted Duck (9), Teal (single drake), Pochard (3), Goosander (5+), Great Crested Grebe (pair), Pheasant, Great Spotted Woodpecker (several drumming), Green Woodpecker, Kingfisher, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper (2 pairs), Rook , Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Yellowhammer

Marsden Moor

2010-03-14T17:36:00.015Z

An optimistic attempt to see an early migrant or two above Marsden was rewarded with little more than you see here. Wheatears have been found just across the Colne Valley at Scammonden Water already, but there wasn't so much as a solitary Meadow Pipit from Lingards to Black Edge this morning.

I find the scenery beautiful though, especially the view across Holme Moor from Deerhill (above), and in any case it won't be long now before ouzels, twite & plover join the handful of Lapwing to bring these desolate tops to life once more.

Bretton Update {7.30>11am light rain, NE6}

2010-03-06T14:54:00.016Z

Despite a return to some miserable wet weather, Bretton was a restless place this morning. Barking herons, grunting grebes, wheezing pochards and drumming 'peckers ensured any peace and quiet was kept to a minimum.

Nuthatches and tits were five deep at the bar whilst canadas, teal & tufties kept the lakes rippling. Of course they're no substitute for an accidental egret, but it all points to the onset of spring, which, after the winter we've just experienced, is surely something worth celebrating!

Today's Rollcall: Mute Swan (2), Canada Goose (30+), Mallard (16), Teal (2), Pochard (8), Tufted Duck (15), Goosander (1 fem), Great Crested Grebe (2), Grey Heron (50+ with most nests occupied), Pheasant (6), Black Headed Gull (35+), Wood Pigeon (very few), Great Spotted Woodpecker (5-7), Green Woodpecker (1), Wren, Dunnock, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Goldcrest (pair in yews at Bridge Royd Wood), Coal Tit (1), Great Tit (num.), Blue Tit (num.), Nuthatch (num.), Rook, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow,Magpie, Jay (2), Chaffinch, Yellowhammer (unusually 2 singing males in Middle Park hedgerows)

Song Thrushes On The Increase?

2010-03-05T12:23:00.012Z

Only a few years ago it seemed like the Song Thrush's days were numbered, with alarming reports of population crashes throughout the UK. The list of villains thought responsible for the demise had the usual suspects such as Magpies, Sparrowhawks and cats featuring prominently, whilst those involved in serious study would cite farming practices and slug pellets as being the main contributors.

This last couple of weeks has got me thinking about how these birds are doing now as it seems I'm hearing them virtually everywhere I go. I realise we will all have to wait for the publication of the BTO's latest findings in it's new atlas to get the true picture, but in the meantime I felt obliged to carry out my own little unscientific study this morning.

Having been woken up several times this week by a particularly strident thrush I decided to drive to work slowly with the window down (it was 6.30 and the roads were quiet incidentally) and count the number of singing birds. The seven mile journey takes me through a good mix of habitat including grazing pasture, a wooded valley, two villages, a sprawling council estate, a town centre and finally an industrial estate.

And quite astonishingly, for all but about half a mile, there were Song Thrushes singing throughout - an amazing eighteen in fact, including one on our work's roof! Now I don't want to jump the gun, but if a similar picture is emerging elsewhere then clearly things are looking up for our most beloved of song birds. Some good news at last? Let's hope so!

Ring-billed Gull in Mirfield

2010-02-26T08:55:00.013Z

My lack of immunity to the latest virulent strain of the S&D bug may have cost me the best bird at Bretton in nearly two decades but it couldn't prevent a second county tick of the year.

Dejection over the missed Great White Egret was all but forgotten with the discovery of a near-adult Ring-billed Gull in Mirfield this week, and despite frustratingly brief views, initially, and some god-awful wet weather, I was finally able to get to grips with this fine bird.

This record shot was at extreme range (100yrds) in pouring rain at just after 7am (barely light) and has been cropped greatly (excuses, excuses, excuses!), but I will return to try again if conditions improve.

Although loosely associating with Common Gulls at this relatively new site at Sands Lane, the Ring-billed is most definitely a free agent and regularly disappears on it's own. Other places worth checking if it's not immediately obvious are the adjacent marina and the stretch of the River Calder through Ravensthorpe to where it joins Spen Beck.

The bird flew off high to the north at 7.30 this morning in the direction of the infamous Dewsbury Moor, where things have a habit of vanishing, only to reappear in the unlikeliest of circumstances!

Winter Wren

2010-02-17T20:47:00.008Z

Spring may still seem a long way off, especially now the snow's falling again, but there are one or two early signs of it about. Although one of several species that sing all year round, the Wren is now moving into overdrive as the days lengthen.

After a very cold couple of months it's highly likely that these tiny birds have suffered heavy casualties, so finding and meeting a suitable mate might well be tricky. In such circumstances having a big voice is a huge advantage - and ounce for ounce they don't come much bigger than this!

Linnets

2010-02-16T10:24:00.011Z

Working in an industrialised suburban setting, seeing virtually any bird other than the ubiquitous Magpie, Crow or Starling can be deemed note-worthy. A flock of up to 35 Linnets on an adjacent building site has been just such a standout event here this winter. Even the local Kestrel pair have been taking a keen interest during the harsher weather.

Most will have acquired their breeding colours now, like this handsome male, though for the younger birds it might take a year or so (the brighter the red - the older the Linnet it's said). Soon they will be dispersing back to the moorland fringes where they will colonially nest amongst prickly gorse and sharp-eyed Merlin.

Holmfirth Mandarins

2010-02-07T20:04:00.003Z

A couple of these beguiling little ducks can presently be found in Holmfirth. Best viewed from the Co-op supermarket car park, the two drake Mandarins are never far from the regular gang of Mallard and are easily approached.

Also on this stretch of river is a Dipper though obviously it's a little more difficult to catch up with. A better bet is the stream at Eastergate (Close Gate) Bridge near Marsden where a little patience should be rewarded. A single bird was ranging quite widely there this morning.

Bretton Update

2010-02-06T19:11:00.001Z

Not a lot to report this week. Goosander numbers are down a little on Lower Lake and with Upper Lake still largely iced over it's just a handful of Teal & Mallard that make up the rest of the fowl.

Best bird this morning was a female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker again, this time at Cascade Bridge. It was way beyond camera range in the tree tops but showed well for around five minutes before disappearing into Menagerie Wood. A mixed flock of finches containing good numbers of Siskin & Redpoll along the riverside was another notable find.

The herons are refinding their tree-legs as they start to get territorial whilst at the feeding station I got some filthy looks from the usual freeloaders for forgetting to bring any treats.

Roll Call: Grey Heron (30+), Mute Swan (3), Canada Goose (50+), Mallard, Teal (8), Goosander (21), Kestrel, Black-headed Gull (150+), Wood Pigeon, Stock Dove, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (1 fem), Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, Wren, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Nuthatch, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Jay, Starling, Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, Goldfinch (Year List 43)

Late Waxwing Invasion?

2010-02-03T10:17:00.024Z

As has been reported on the UK400 Club blog, many thousands of Bohemian Waxwings have been pouring into towns and cities in southern Sweden this week. There's nothing too unusual about this as the birds are well known for their irruptive migrations when food becomes scarce, but should supplies of berries and fruit in their native countries become exhausted, then they could be in trouble.

Any deciding to risk the North Sea crossing to the normally milder UK may well end up making a one way trip. With the enormous wintering flocks of Scandinavian thrushes being forced off the fields by the snow, there's precious little left in the way of rowan and hedgerow berries - the Waxwing's preferred diet.

Having recently witnessed hundreds of frenzied Fieldfare in the centre of Dewsbury stripping all the berry-bearing trees in next to no time (a bizarre sight that turned many a head), and noted evidence of similar behaviour in Huddersfield, any Waxwing making it to this part of the world in the next few weeks could seriously struggle.

The West Riding conurbation has hosted spectacular numbers of this beautiful species during my time birding - but let's hope they decide against gracing us on this occasion for their own sake.

Good Geese - Dumb Decision

2010-01-31T19:30:00.005Z

Flamborough was cold this morning....boy was it cold! And we hadn't accounted for heavy overnight snow either so hopes of seeking out the three scarce-ish goose species on the headland were soon fading. Then literally out of the blue, having been spooked by the local police chopper, two Eurasian White-fronts and a Tundra Bean Goose accompanied by a couple of Greylags (just the five of them), over-flew us at very close range.

Quite unforgivably I had chosen to leave the camera in the car, so unfortunately no prize-winning pictures of this spectacular grouping (if you like geese!) exist. The Pale-bellied Brent didn't show at all for us but a fly-by Merlin was some compensation. Your goose related picture compensation, dear reader, is Barney here, who continues to delight all-comers at Bretton Lakes - well me anyway!

Bretton Update

2010-01-30T11:16:00.008Z

Only my second visit this year due to weather and other excuses but then the place isn't much fun when the lakes are frozen.

A handful of Mallard on the Dearne were the only wildfowl at the beginning of the month so it was good to see that useful numbers of Goosander had returned after the thaw.

At least forty were noted on Lower Lake this morning along with a similar number of Grey Herons - many of which were already reclaiming nest sites for the fast approaching breeding season.

Roll call: Great Crested Grebe, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Barnacle Goose (usual single with Canadas), Mallard, Teal, Goosander (40+), Grey Heron, Pheasant, Moorhen, Black-headed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, Wren, Robin, Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Bullfinch (Year List 40)

More Coastal Attractions

2010-01-27T19:37:00.017Z

Better weather is on the way this coming weekend and with it a return to the coast will top the agenda. Two weeks ago the Black-throated Thrush (still present incidentally) was the star turn but since then a decent selection of fowl has assembled at some of Yorkshire's top resorts, including Tundra Bean, European White-fronted & Pale-bellied Brent Geese plus Long-tailed Duck & Velvet Scoter - all a little less pedestrian than this bunch from my last visit, bless 'em!

From the top: Common Eider, Common Fulmar, Common House Sparrow & Common Snipe

Desolate Deerhill

2010-01-24T18:36:00.010Z

Not a weekend for the camera due to such poor light levels but at least yesterday's trip to the East Riding pushed this year's county list comfortably over the one hundred mark. Closer to home and a miserable walk up Deerhill produced just a solitary Red Grouse of note in a little over two hours this morning.

In fact Carrion Crow & Magpie were the only other species recorded up there with no sign of the Twite flock (presumable still displaced in the wake of the heavy snow) or for that matter any Dippers around the feeder channels. I think I'd rather have the snow back if this is the alternative!

pic taken at Wessenden Head last winter

Mediterranean Gulls in Scarborough

2010-01-17T19:38:00.030Z

The early acquisition of Whitby's Black-throated Thrush allowed plenty of time to tour the Yorkshire coast today. One attraction at this time of year is the Holbeck car park in Scarborough where a handful of Mediterranean Gulls reside.

Sunshine had replaced the earlier gloom giving me the opportunity to practice some flight shots too for a change. These four birds (adults and 2nd winters) were present at lunchtime amongst the Black-heads and were typically ravenous. I don't mind sharing my sandwiches though as the photo opportunities afforded are always plentiful and wholesome - just like the sarnies themselves in fact!

Black-throated Thrush in North Yorkshire

2010-01-17T18:13:00.013Z

The 'miracle of the vanished snow' on Friday night was a blessed relief and couldn't have been better timed. With safe crossing of the North Yorkshire Moors possible once more, it was off to Newholm on the outskirts of Whitby this morning to finally kick start the new year with a stunning rarity.

This female Black-throated Thrush had been quickly identified as something a little different by a sharp-eyed village resident, and the resulting increased supply of apples beneath the garden feeders ensured the bird stayed put. Viewing was fantastic today, albeit in rather poor light, and the thrush (my first in Yorkshire) didn't appear in the least bit fazed by the proximity of it's assembled admirers.

Garden Watch

2010-01-15T11:34:00.001Z

With every pond, lake & reservoir frozen for miles around and hedgerows virtually stripped of their berries, the only place to bird has been the back garden.

Now, thankfully, the thaw has begun so it's back out with the camera this weekend and hopefully something new to post. In the meantime these are all I have to show for a fortnight of enforced incarceration.

New Year's Day

2010-01-02T11:31:00.006Z

The frozen start to twenty-ten was just perfect for enjoying the two wintering Bitterns at Pugneys Country Park near Wakefield this morning. This individual emerged from the reedbed and performed the sort of near neck-breaking routine I've been practicing on the pavements of Huddersfield this week! The second bird had the right idea and flew from one end of the bed to the other - a much safer way of getting about.

2010 Year List

2010-01-01T20:34:00.010Z

121 - Goshawk (Holme Woods 7/3)
120 - Red-legged Partridge (Coxwold 28/2)
119 - Ring-billed Gull (Mirfield 19/2)
118 - Red-necked Grebe (Wintersett 13/2)
117 - Dipper (Marsden 7/2)
116 - Mandarin (Holmfirth 7/2)
115 - Tundra Bean Goose (Flamborough Head 31/1)
114 - Eurasian White-fronted Goose (2 at Flamborough Head 31/1)
113 - Merlin (Flamborough Head 31/1)
112 - Eurasian Curlew (Flamborough Head 31/1)
111 - Yellowhammer (Flamborough Head 31/1)
110 - Pink-footed Goose (approx. 70 over Bracey Bridge 31/1)
109 - Lesser Black-backed Gull (Bracey Bridge 31/1)
108 - Barnacle Goose (Bretton Lakes 30/1)
107 - Red Grouse (Deerhill 24/1)
106 - Barn Owl (Blacktoft Sands 24/1)
105 - Little Egret (as above)
104 - Peregrine (as above)
103 - Hen Harrier (as above)
102 - Snipe (as above)
101 - Marsh Harrier (as above)
100 - Stock Dove (as above)
099 - Sparrowhawk (North Duffield Carrs 24/1)
098 - Golden Plover (as above)
097 - Ruff (as above)
096 - Pintail (as above)
095 - Whooper Swan (as above)
094 - Willow Tit (Fairburn Ings 24/1)
093 - Reed Bunting (North Cave GPs 17/1)
092 - Red Kite (South Cave 17/1)
091 - Marsh Tit (South Cave 17/1)
090 - Common Buzzard (as above)
089 - Tree Sparrow (Bempton RSPB 17/1)
088 - Skylark (Filey 17/1)
087 - Knot (as above)
086 - Bar-tailed Godwit (as above)
085 - Dunlin (as above)
084 - Purple Sandpiper (as above)
083 - Turnstone (as above)
082 - Oystercatcher (as above)
081 - Rock Pipit (as above)
080 - Meadow Pipit (as above)
079 - Red-throated Diver (as above)
078 - Gannet (as above)
077 - Guillemot (as above)
076 - Eider (as above)
075 - Common Scoter (as above)
074 - Mediterranean Gull (Scarborough 17/1)
073 - Shag (Scarborough 17/1)
072 - Great Black-backed Gull (as above)
071 - Fulmar (as above)
070 - Shelduck (A1/A64 junc)
069 - Black-throated Thrush (Newholm 17/1)
068 - Linnet (Dewsbury 4/1)
067 - Blackcap (Huddersfield 3/1)
066 - Redwing
065 - Fieldfare
064 - Song Thrush
063 - Mistle Thrush
062 - Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Bretton CP 3/1)
061 - Long-tailed Tit
060 - Lesser Redpoll
059 - Siskin
058 - Great Spotted Woodpecker
057 - Bullfinch
056 - Greenfinch
055 - Green Woodpecker (Bretton CP 3/1)
054 - Pheasant
053 - Collared Dove
052 - Jay
051 - Goosander
050 - Rook
049 - Carrion Crow
048 - Smew (Calder Wetlands 1/1)
047 - Ferruginous Duck (Pugneys 1/1)
046 - Lapwing
045 - Cormorant
044 - Ring-necked Duck (Calder Wetlands 1/1)
043 - Bittern (Pugneys CP 1/1)
042 - Treecreeper
041 - Nuthatch
040 - Greylag Goose
039 - Canada Goose
038 - Kestrel
037 - Tufted Duck
036 - Gadwall
035 - Teal
034 - Shoveler
033 - Wigeon
032 - Coot
031 - Moorhen
030 - Water Rail (Pugneys CP 1/1)
029 - Blackbird
028 - Robin
027 - Wren
026 - Dunnock
025 - Pochard
024 - Mallard
023 - Little Grebe
022 - Great Crested Grebe
021 - Goldeneye
020 - Redshank
019 - Black-headed Gull
018 - Common Gull
017 - Herring Gull
016 - Wood Pigeon
015 - Kingfisher
014 - Grey Wagtail
013 - Pied Wagtail
012 - Goldcrest
011 - Great Tit
010 - Coal Tit
009 - Blue Tit
008 - Magpie
007 - Jackdaw
006 - House Sparrow
005 - Starling
004 - Chaffinch
003 - Goldfinch
002 - Grey Heron
001 - Mute Swan

2009 Highlights

2009-12-30T09:13:00.021Z

With only 67 species recorded at Bretton this year it's not been a classic for me but surpassing the one hundred mark with the addition of Woodcock & Eurasian Wigeon was very satisfying. My inability to find my favourite park resident in 2009 was thankfully made less frustrating by the news of a breeding pair of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers near Meltham.

The hide at Bretton provided my best shots to date of the park's Kingfishers, with July to September now firmly established as the optimal time for close encounters.

The feeding station there has been especially popular with Great Spotted Woodpeckers again but the absence of Willow Tit for much of the year has been a worry. A rather disappointing summer locally failed to produce many photographic opportunities but as ever it was short-lived with little of the promised sun.

Away from the park, news of a White Stork at Ossett Sewage Farm in March was always likely to refer to one of the Harewood wanderers. But let's not forget the wild pair that came so close to breeding at Horbury just five years ago - a reminder that each and everyone of these fabulous birds should at least be afforded the courtesy of a thorough study.

On a kite-watching picnic to Drewton Manor in April, this inquisitive Marsh Tit was an unexpected bonus. A migrating Osprey that day was another, and only my third county record. That same month a visit to the Strines for a wintering Great Grey Shrike yielded this handsome Black Grouse warming down beneath the trees after a tiring lek.

Five Dotterels appeared in sheep fields at Blackmoorfoot in May. This traditional staging post for the species has been a little hit and miss recently so this trip was greatly appreciated by local and visiting birders alike.

2009 has been my best year for new species in a while with three additions to my UK life list. Without doubt this Eastern Crowned Warbler in October was the pick of the crop. Present for just three days in Co. Durham I was delighted to manage a few record shots of this first for Britain.

Just a week earlier I had travelled to London for distant views of what has since become a very popular and long-staying Brown Shrike - in fact the bird has only just recently moved on. The return journey through Oxfordshire afforded a somewhat closer encounter with this Azorean Gull near Didcot - and I even had this shot published in Birdwatch & Dutch Birding magazines, another first!

The on-set of what looks like being another proper winter brought several Great Northern Divers to the county at the beginning of December. This Ferruginous Duck was a welcome visitor that's been absent for far too long from the region. And with recently arrived Ring-necked Duck joining Red-breasted Merganser and Smew in the Calder Wetlands area there will be plenty of photo challenges to meet during the first few days of 2010.

Happy New Year!

Blackcap Evolution

2009-12-21T21:40:00.012Z

According to recent research, Blackcaps wintering in the UK are showing signs of accelerated evolution due to their shorter migration and altered diet. Scientists studying German bred birds here in Britain have noted rounder wings and longer bills than those of their counterparts making the journey to Africa - early indicators on the long road to becoming a new species perhaps?

Nothing, however, has been mentioned about larger stomachs. Ours (one male & one female thus far) have already developed a taste for great quantities of suet, apples and peanuts this winter - and often all at one sitting! Perhaps once the birds have become sufficiently different to be separable in the field, we could name them Fatcaps!

Barn Owl

2009-12-15T19:51:00.012Z

Watching Barn Owls during daylight hours is normally a summer privilege, so this brief encounter was something of a surprise. In the arable and pasture land around home it's the Little Owl that's most often seen, usually hunting from telegraph poles at dusk or snoozing by day in the crook of an ancient tree - but they just don't compare.

I've no idea how numerous Barn Owls are in these parts but I can count my sightings on one hand in the five years since I arrived. I'm told there was a time when these ghostly apparitions could be found quartering any suitable habitat, but whilst numbers are slowly recovering in many parts of the county, they're still very much that rare and beautiful thing on my patch.

Grey Partridge

2009-12-09T12:54:00.018Z

Inherently English but increasingly rare, the Grey Partridge is like a good village pub or an honest MP - indeed you can go a long time without even hearing of one let alone actually having an encounter.

Then suddenly, whilst skirting some field on a crisp winter's morning, they erupt out of a hole in the ground, sending heart-rate rocketing and expletives flying. By the time calm is restored the birds are long gone, but not before their whirring wings and creaking calls have identified them. And this is as much as most of us get to see of our only native farmland game bird - but just occasionally this happens.

Bretton has often been a happy hunting-ground for me where this species is concerned (not literally I hasten to add!) but only rarely have I been able to observe them for any length of time at such close quarters. Normally foraging and roosting in parties (coveys), it's unusual to find one out on it's own - whether this accounts for the bird's apparent fearlessness I've no idea - but what a moment to savour!

Second Great Northern Diver at Blackmoorfoot

2009-12-05T14:40:00.004Z

Better weather and a second diver at the reservoir were excuse enough to make another trip up the hill this morning. One bird (the newer one I think), was keen to see what the Mallards were up to at the feeding area and was certainly quite approachable for a while.

The sunshine had also bought the dog walkers, joggers, equestrian types and god-knows what else to Blackmoorfoot, so getting these shots was not as straightforward as I'd hoped it would be. The reservoir has a habit of hanging on to it's rarer visitors though and I have a feeling even better opportunities may yet present themselves.

Ferruginous Duck in Wakefield

2009-12-04T15:27:00.005Z

Determined not to be at the mercy of another piss-poor weekend of crappy wet weather, I was guilty of a little twagging this morning in order to bring you conclusive(ish) proof that the incumbent Ferruginous at Pugneys Country Park is a kosher, legitimate, bona fide ....... duck!

After a minor altercation involving the park's retarded male Sparrowhawk (he thinks trying to scare stuff twice his size is really the way to go - a Wakey thing no doubt), Mr. Fudge obligingly settled on the nearest island for a kip - but not without first displaying his credentials.

Ring-free, wary and aggresive towards the encroaching male Pochards should be enough to clinch his place in the record books, and surely one or two amorous approaches towards females of another species can be excused - it is Wakefield after all.

Birds Behaving Badly

No. 1 The Fabulous Flatulent Fudge Duck

Pugneys Pair

2009-11-29T18:40:00.000Z

I scored a 'double duck' at rain lashed Pugneys Country Park near Wakefield this morning, which included my first Ferruginous Duck in the county for nearly twenty years! Also in the company of the recently arrived 300+ Northern Pochard was a striking drake Red-crested Pochard.

Both were happy to sleep through the atrocious conditions, waking only when the wintering Bittern put in a brief appearance. Other birds on site included a singing Cetti's Warbler, now present for over a month, but proving typically difficult to see of course.

Great Northern Diver in Huddersfield

2009-11-28T12:29:00.015Z

We experienced the first snows of winter this morning and with them a displaced Great Northern Diver at Blackmoorfoot. After a week of continual westerly gales it was odds-on the local reservoirs would produce something unusual, though unfortunately nothing quite as extraordinary as the Magnificent Frigatebird reported over Huddersfield last Tuesday!

The diver was certainly getting about the large reservoir but never got frame-fillingly close during an hour's visit - though anyone with a little more staying power than me in sub-zero temperatures could well be rewarded. A further GND was newly arrived at nearby Anglers Country Park today so the remnants of the storm may yet have a sting in their tail.

Missing!

2009-11-25T08:23:00.007Z

Has anyone seen our Stonechats? It's now late November and I'm yet to see a single one in the Huddersfield area this year. Our walks around Deer Hill, Meltham Cop and the Holmfirth reservoirs of Brownhill, Ramsden, Riding Wood & Digley have never failed to produce them in the past but something dramatic appears to have happened in 2009.

The general consensus amongst local birders is that the majority had become sedentary due to the string of mild winters and were caught out spectacularly during the prolonged cold spell earlier this year. If this is indeed what's happened then it could be a while yet before birds from further afield begin to move in and repopulate the desolated areas. In the meantime our Sunday morning strolls are all the poorer without this beautiful little bird.

Winter Warblers

2009-11-22T20:13:00.001Z

Not good weather for getting out and about so it was gardenwatch time in central Huddersfield this weekend. With all the leaves finally off, it was almost a surprise to find the feeders still hanging there, but after a quick top-up we soon settled back to enjoy the freeloading hordes. What was really unexpected though, amongst the usual spuggies (the magnifcent seven as we affectionately refer to them on account of there's always exactly seven, year in year out), Collared Doves, Jays and Goldfinches was a pair of Blackcaps.

At the beginning of last year this female (below) hung around the garden for the better part of two months, getting well stuck into the fat-balls until she finally turned into one and disappeared. Whether or not this is the same bird we'll never know but we like to think she's come back, bringing her mate (from Germany or wherever these wintering birds originate) to show him our fine town and unrivalled cuisine! So far though they're not confident enough to pose, but I'm sure it won't be long.

The Jays must have forgotten where they buried all the walnuts last month as they too are engaged in fat-snatching. It's not easy for them being so shy, but they seem to be learning by watching the Magpies, who's trick is to use a little team work. One bird will hack away through the bars whilst the other stands underneath collecting the bits. It's all clever stuff of course but I really do need to get back to Bretton before I start writing letters to Birds magazine or something equally lame!

Raven at Meltham Cop

2009-11-15T14:05:00.010Z

Not many photos from this morning's walk but a Raven at Meltham Cop (10am) is worthy of mention, as are the 80+ Pink-footed Geese that over-flew Blackmoorfoot reservoir going east an hour earlier.

This is my first record of Raven from the immediate Huddersfield area, where the species is just starting to get a toe-in. The bird had appeared from the direction of Deer Hill/West Nab but despite a swift interaction with a couple of mobbing Rooks, continued it's journey northwards without lingering.

I failed miserably to get any kind of decent shot despite being armed with a long lens and having the bird in view for a good minute at least. I really do need shooting sometimes!

Norfolk Weekend

2009-11-09T10:50:00.021Z

Snettisham RSPB reserve over high tide got the holiday off to a flier, so to speak, with tens of thousands of wintering Red Knot doing their thing over the Wash at daybreak. But whilst the huge flocks of waders provided the spectacle, it was a goose species that received the nomination for individual star turn.

Bar-headed Goose is a native species of Asia and holds the avian altitude record, with birds witnessed over the Himalayas during migration. In Britain a feral breeding population is slowly establishing itself whilst birds from the larger continental stock arrive regularly on our east coast in autumn. Surely it's only a matter of time before this handsome high-flier is officially added to the UK's list of wild fauna.

Holkham Hall is a must visit site at this time of year especially if the dawn breaks cold and clear. With the rut having just come to an end, stags of both Fallow & Red Deer begin to recover their strength and the views during sunrise can be quite stunning.

Another quality early morning walk can be had at Warham Greens just to the east of Holkham & Wells. Here the marshes provide fabulous encounters with Barn Owls and Little Egrets as they quarter the vast expanses in search of a meal.

The work to protect the fresh water lagoons at Titchwell is well under way with an enormous bank having been created this summer. As a consequence the Parrinder Hide has had to be demolished, though a replacement will be built once the sea defences are completed some time late next year.

This year's wild goose chase drew to a close with our number one target collecting all three points in a hard fought battle of cunning versus stamina. Despite putting in the hours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, we were out-witted by north Norfolk's wintering Snow Goose which under normal circumstances would have been a bitter pill - but the beautiful weather this weekend was the real saviour. In fact just being able to get out and walk from dawn till dusk was reward enough, besides I'm sure the furtive fowl will still be about when we visit again next month.

Bretton Update

2009-10-31T18:36:00.017Z

After a couple of weeks of chasing up and down the country, it was great to be back at Bretton this morning. The weather was stunning - in fact classical for autumn, with beautiful light and colour - though unfortunately there was little in the way of non- arboreal subjects to 'tog'. Not that I was particularly bothered 'cos I've had a brilliant October, and whilst the pics have been - shall we say - not great, the experience did provide me with some flashbacks to those glorious twitchy days in the 90s when life was so much sweeter!

Black-headed Gulls occasionally make it down to Upper Lake, but whenever they do, it usually means trouble. This bird though seemed like it was practicing for a local gurning competition in the 'mirror'! It's not often they get anywhere near the hide but I'm so glad to have captured this jaw-stretching performance which actually lasted several minutes so wasn't just an impromptu yawn.

It's becoming apparent that the resident Dabchicks (all two of them) have adopted an unfathomable fascination for camera noise. The moment my (rather embarrassing) 20D gets firing, the little monkeys make a bee-line for the hide and won't leave until I'm spent. My theory is that being responsible for some of the daftest noises on the lake, they can't resist an even sillier sound! I wish the same applied to some of the more photogenic species at Bretton - but alas this female Teal was the best of the rest today!

Red-flanked Bluetail at Bempton Cliffs RSPB

2009-10-25T18:49:00.005Z

Definitely not the best day to catch up with the latest in a seemingly endless stream of Flankers on the east coast of Britain. Having missed two at Spurn last week I was determined to add this latter-day mega to my stagnating Yorkshire list, but after celebrating Friday's ECW a little over-zealously (I always accompany a new tick with a soda or two), Saturday became something of a non-starter!

Saturday was the day though, despite the wind and rain. The little multi-coloured Asiatic tart had been dancing on lens hoods all afternoon but unfortunately wasn't in the mood for a repeat performance this morning. After going missing shortly before our arrival the bird was finally relocated three and a half wet and windy hours later in the bottom of a hedge two hundred yards back down the approach. This caused some rather typical twitching naughtiness on the very narrow road with some visiting puffin-botherers getting particularly riled (even more so when they found out all the puffins had disappeared - chased off no doubt by the rabid hordes!... :o/).

Anyways, to cut to the chase, the result is possibly the worst likeness of the critter you'll see - so bad in fact that I felt compeled to include a picture I made earlier (precisely twelve months earlier in fact) in north Norfolk, even though I didn't manage to capture the blue tail then either.

Never mind, the season will soon be over and I'll be back to stroking kingfishers before you know it!

Eastern Crowned Warbler in Co. Durham

2009-10-23T19:22:00.013+01:00

Having finally recovered from the excitement of last weekend I was anticipating a quiet stroll around Bretton today and getting back to a little underwhelming nuts and bolts patch-work. Never in a month of monkeys did I expect this! A first for Britain from my favourite genus and less than two hours drive away - the birding gods are certainly smiling on me right now, and it's about bloody time!

Identified only after the finder's photos were analysed, it was late last night before news of the UK's first recorded Eastern Crowned Warbler was released, giving birders planning the early morning dash to the north east plenty of organisational headaches. There were hundreds on site by the time we arrived early afternoon though and sunny conditions meant fantastic views of this stunning Asian sprite as it ceaselessly flitted around the Sycamores and Elders in a disused quarry on the outskirts of South Shields.

With another Red-flanked Bluetail at Bempton today and Dusky Warbler at Flamborough, what price a Siberian Rubythroat at Filey tomorrow - just to round off a truly remarkable week? Not that I'm greedy you understand!

2009 Duck Broken

2009-10-17T18:24:00.010+01:00

A spot of twitching this weekend involved a 450 mile round trip that ended my 18 month barren streak. The Staines Moor Brown Shrike continued into a second week on the west London nature reserve and provided my first UK list addition since the Norfolk White-crowned Sparrow back in February last year.

The bird gave typically prolonged views as it hunted from the scattered hawthorn bushes but unfortunately never came close enough for a decent photo. Endless small flocks of Ring-necked Parakeets over-flew the site as did the worlds largest jet airliners. How on earth the residents of Stanwell Moor village (placed rather inconveniently at the end of Heathrow airport's main runway) can hear themselves think from dawn until dusk every day is a mystery but ninety minutes of it did for me!

Another recent split of the Yellow-legged Gull complex was all the excuse we needed to depart the noisy capital and head for the blissful serenity of the Oxfordshire countryside. At a waste disposal site (where else?) near the town of Didcot an adult Azorean Gull had been making regular visits. A small pit adjacent to the landfill was the best place to catch up with this brute of a bird as it performed it's daily ablutions alongside several hundred Lesser-black Backs and a handful of Western Yellow-legged and Caspian Gulls.

We only had an hour or so to wait, which was good going by all accounts, but had to be quick. Almost as soon as the bird had been picked out of the throng, it flew off over our heads and disappeared out on to inaccessible farmland. I did manage to grab these few flight shots as it did so which amply illustrate what a striking species this is. A real evil-looking heavyweight and not a bird you'd ever imagine overlooking!

Despite endless roadworks we were back in God's Own for five o'clock and straight to the pub for a quick celebratory. For the record my UK life list is now 483 and after this weekend I could seriously get back into this twitching lark - I could, I seriously could!

Andalucian Paradise (Updated)

2009-10-13T07:30:00.006+01:00

It will soon be time to start thinking about next spring's holiday destination, so I thought it might be a good idea to give one of my favourite European places another unsolicited plug!

Jaen is one region of Spain that few tourists would be able to point to on a map let alone say they've visited. Sandwiched between the Andalucian provinces of Granada and Cordoba (both a little more familiar sounding), Jaen (pronounced kha-yen) is around two to three hours drive inland from the Costas of Blanca in the east and del Sol to the south, making it accessible from a number of popular holiday destinations and their associated airports.

Beautiful landscapes are a feature of the Sierra de Segura (photo: J. Blackburn)

Dominated by high sierras and woodland, the scenery here can be both spectacularly dramatic and the epitome of beautiful rural serenity, all within a short distance - providing naturalists, photographers and artists with no end of wonderful subjects. But due to it's more limited habitat and lack of accommodation bases, the area has never proved particularly popular with birders, despite boasting some of the best raptor watching in southern Europe.

Olive grove specialities such as the Azure-winged Magpie are here too but are rarely documented, along with sought after passerines like Orphean Warbler and Rock Sparrow. But, with the exception of a few intrepid individuals and those stopping briefly en-route to the better known regions, this magnificent corner of Spain and it's wildlife have been largely ignored.

Griffons are a regular sight at Cortijo Rosa Blanca but all four vulture species can be encountered

Enter Mel & Wendy Squires from Yorkshire, armed with a well conceived business plan, a beautifully converted farmhouse and - most importantly of all - the language. Surviving in this remote mountain outpost without the ability to communicate would be quite impossible, as those who have tried will tell you - and it's not just a smattering - Wendy taught Spanish at college in the UK for many years before emigrating and indeed now finds herself, time permitting, teaching English to the village youngsters! Making sure they were accepted by the locals was an important part of ensuring this project got off to the best possible start.

Disused trout farm near Santiago de la Espada(photo:J.Blackburn)

Spending a week at Cortijo Rosa Blanca (white rose farmhouse) in the village of Los Teatinos (map), I was able to set about exploring the immediate area and was amazed by what it had to offer the visiting birder. The garden itself in April produces Western Bonellis and Melodious Warblers a-plenty with Serin, Spotless Starling, Hoopoe and Scops Owl breeding close by whilst a continual assortment of raptors soars overhead. Three of the four European vultures are present around the village whilst trips can be organised to the nearby Lammergeier recuperation centre between May and September where the reintroduction of these remarkable birds is underway.

Melodious Warblers are an abundant Spring migrant

A disused trout farm just a couple of miles away holds good numbers of Nightingales plus Cetti's, Western Subalpine, Sardinian and (the aforementioned) Orphean Warblers. Ancient cave paintings have also been found here and access can be arranged to view this fascinating discovery. Bee-eaters can be encountered just about anywhere whilst Black-eared Wheatears were the cause of regular roadside stops during my trip.

I suspect this is merely scratching the surface and that many more rewarding sites will be discovered by visiting birders. Indeed since my visit an even better area for the magpies has been located offering fantastic photo opportunities for those interested in this most charismatic of birds.

Embalse del Tranco - an Azure-winged Magpie stronghold photo: J.
Blackburn

The farmhouse itself is fitted out to a high standard and depending on the level of relaxation you're seeking can be used as a base for your own exploratory excursions or the hub for a fully guided package - indeed you can be met off the plane and taken to your target species by people-carrier if desired! Flexibility is what it's all about - if you need breakfast at six rather than eight, you've got it. Mel has even managed to get the local bar to stock a wider range of bottled beers to suit more northern European tastes (you've just got to love the man!)

Short-toed & Booted Eagles are resident in Sierra de Segura

As a birder this brief introduction to Cortijo Rosa Blanca obviously concentrates on the feathered attractions, but make no mistake this place has all sorts to recommend it. Any lover of the great outdoors is going to have a ball here!

For all the details and accommodation availability check out the website now.
Click here

Missed Opportunities

2009-10-10T13:08:00.015+01:00

A truly beautiful autumn morning at Bretton Lakes deserved better pictures - but I overslept. Thirty minutes earlier and glorious shots of mist rising off the lakes during a fabulous sunrise would have been mine, all mine.

And if that wasn't hard enough to take I had to suffer further ignominy at the hide - a solitary Wren and sympathetic Dabchick were the only avian visitors during a three hour vigil!

Then finally, just after I'd finished packing up to go home, a Grey Squirrel jumped onto the Kingfisher perch, climbed right up to the top and threw itself into the water before performing the backstroke all the way out to the island! I sh*t you not! Well maybe not the backstroke but it might just as well have been. Some mornings are definately made for staying in bed!

Bretton Diary

2009-10-01T11:25:00.018+01:00

After a year or so using Wordpress to record my Bretton Lakes visits I've decided, for simplicity's sake, to unite the two blogs here. Can't say I ever got comfortable with WP and trying to remember how everything worked after a week or two's lay-off was frustrating. For those who didn't get around to looking, here are some highlights from the past twelve months.

Sunrise over a frozen Lower Lake

Kingfishers become a regular feature in front of the hide after the addition of one or two perches

The Great Crested Grebes reared four chicks this spring after a couple of barren years

Blue Bells in May at Bridge Royd Wood

Setting up a feeding station behind the hide last winter created some fantastic opportunities for photographing Great Spotted Woodpeckers

A couple of Cormorants spent most of the summer menacing the fish at Upper Lake

Meadow Pipits are an increasingly common sight around the sheep fields at the end of the breeding season

Dippers

2009-09-13T18:58:00.001+01:00

Several young Dippers are currently being seen at Marsden between the Tunnel End pub and Eastergate Bridge (map). The birds will have moved down from the hills, away from their parents' territories, and be looking for suitable stretches of river to sustain them during the winter months. The scaly plumage is the best way of telling them apart from the adults.

These are two of three birds I encountered on a half hour walk and both were remarkably confiding. The adults are generally difficult to get close to but these youngsters were quite happy to sit and pose even where the river wasn't very wide - I shall certainly be giving them another go in better weather.

Deer Hill

2009-09-06T18:06:00.000+01:00

The bleak moorland above Huddersfield is a favourite place to escape to. This morning at Deer Hill the leaden skies and rugged hillsides looked wonderfully mean and moody, and with just the whistling call of a solitary Whimbrel (a good bird round these parts!) as soundtrack, it was blissful - until the gun club opened for business that is! Still, we all need some place to unleash our latent aggression I guess and there's only so much room at the local football stadium.

The star attraction up here is the viable flock of Twite that gather for the handfuls of seed that a few of us are thoughtful enough to pack on our ramble. Over thirty of these hungry, rather nondescript finches were present but as ever were a real pain to get near. Of all the passerines in these parts, only Meadow Pipit, Ring Ouzel and Wheatear will venture to the high altitude realm of the Twite - hardy little souls indeed.

On the way back down we watched this Common Kestrel take forever to home in on it's prey only to emerge from the grass empty handed - or is that taloned?