Baggins on the Loose: Black Stork

Showing posts with label Black Stork. Show all posts

Tuesday, 24 August 2021

A jaunt to the Lincolnshire coast - waders galore plus Black Stork and a Pacific Golden Plover.

Gibraltar Point, Lincs, 18/08/21

Mid August and I took advantage of a few midweek days of dry and bright weather in what has been anything but a long hot summer, at least up here in the northern half of the country. So I rocked up in the campervan at Gibraltar Point on the Lincolnshire coast mid afternoon and strolled around the dunes for the rest of the day and the next morning.

Curlew Sandpiper, Gibraltar Point, 19/08/21

There's such a mix of habitats here - saltmarsh, freshwater lagoons & scrapes and acres of scrub amongst the sand dunes, that I wasn't surprised to rack up 72 bird species in less than 24hrs. Time of year helped with plenty of wading birds on the move with an impressive 17 species here including Wood Sandpiper (2), Little Stint (1), Black Tailed Godwit (c140) Bar Tailed Godwit (2), Avocets (c90), Spotted Redshank (11), Curlew Sandpiper (1) and I think my highest ever count of Spoonbills in the UK with at least 24 here.

Frustratingly, most of the good waders were on the far side of the lagoons and the light wasn't great but this Common Snipe struck a jaunty pose as it strode across the scrape!

Common Snipe, Gibralter Point, 19/08/21

Spoonbills, Gibraltar Point, 18/08/21

Lesser Whitethroat, Gibraltar Point, 19/08/21

The sand dunes here are extensive and more often than not covered with deep scrub, so finding good birds is sometimes very tricky, but in one particular sheltered area I came across a Spotted Flycatcher, a Lesser Whitethroat and several Chiffchaffs & Willow Warblers - all within a few square metres.

I stood for ages in this spot trying to get a shot of the Spotted Flycatcher but to no avail but as I hid away I was rewarded with some close views of a Chiffchaff passing food to one of its youngsters.

Chiffchaff feeding young, Gibraltar Point, 19/08/21

Cuckoo (juv), Gibralter Point, 19/08/21

The previous evening, again in and amongst the dunes I was treated to a nice but typically brief view of a Hobby and there was a juvenile Cuckoo also hanging around, whilst on the shoreline I had at least 5 Arctic Skuas that were harassing Sandwich & Common Terns. I'd never managed to photograph a single Skua species until this day - they've always been too far out to sea, so I was pleased to put that particular record straight, even though the results weren't that great!

Hobby, Gibraltar Point, 18/08/21

Arctic Skua, Gibraltar Point, 18/08/21

Arctic Skua pursuing a Sandwich Tern, Gibraltar Point, 18/08/21

Next stop, a bit further down the coast was RSPB Freiston Shore. Never been here before and didn't plan on visiting but I heard that there was a Black Stork frequenting the area (a rarity for the UK). Have to say the habitat here looked perfect for a stork species - with a bit of imagination this could be a wetland in Spain (Emporda perhaps?)

RSPB Freiston Shore, 19/08/21

And as luck would have it, moments after I took the above a dark shape appeared in my field of view and turned into said Stork, a juvenile so not the most striking of birds but I wasn't complaining, I had the bird to myself and my first Black Stork in the UK since 1974!

Black Stork (juv), Freiston Shore, 19/08/21

Greenshanks, Freiston Shore, 19/08/21

I watched it for maybe 10 minutes before it took off and headed south presumably heading for Frampton Marshes where it had also been reported from and my next destination. Other good birds from Freiston included 9 Greenshank and 10 Yellow Wagtails on the scrape.

I made it to Frampton by late afternoon and had time for a complete circuit of the reserve before darkness. I've been here several times before and it's a firm favourite of mine - mainly because of the wading birds it attracts and once again it didn't disappoint, but before I get on to the birds allow me a bit of a self indulgent pause - my normal everyday lens for bird pics (Canon Ef 400mm) was in for repair during this trip and I've been using a Sigma 120-400 - not a bad lens but not a patch on the Canon, however at 120mm and slightly above it produces some great results for long range landscapes and here's a selected few from Frampton Marshes in the evening sunshine - not just landscapes either, look closely and you'll see some good birds in these vistas.

Frampton Marshes, 19/08/21

On the edge of the Wash. looking SE from the flood bank, Frampton Marshes, 19/08/21

Frampton Marshes, 19/08/21

Floodbank, Frampton Marshes, 19/08/21

The stand out bird here was a rare vagrant from Asia, a Pacific Golden Plover and with less than 100 ever seen in the UK there was a steady stream of observers. A 'lifer' for me, I'd had it pointed out to me the evening before - 70 yards beyond the flood wall on the Wash side, but it was asleep and all I could see was its head! Same place the next morning it emerged a bit perkier and I watched for 30 mins or so wondering where this lost and dainty plover might end up, whether it will make it back to Asia😕

Pacific Golden Plover, Frampton Marsh, 20/08/21

Black Tailed Godwit, Frampton Marsh, 19/08/21

Renowned for attracting wading birds of many species and regular rarities, Frampton served up the goods once again with another 17 species haul (same as yesterday at Gib. Point) with many juvenile birds, especially Ruffs & Spotted Redshank causing many a second glance and a scratching of the head! Nothing out of the ordinary this time of year but not sure I've ever estimated more than 600 Black Tailed Godwit in one place! Here's one of them having a bit of a preen and a few other wader pics from here.

Little Stints, Frampton Marsh, 19/08/21

Ruff (juvs), Frampton Marsh, 20/08/21

Spotted Redshank, Frampton Marsh, 19/08/21

Spoonbills were again much in evidence with at least 25 congregating on the lagoons and flying over the reserve, that's another UK high for me and just great to see these once scarce birds becoming part of our wetland sceneries.

Spoonbills, Frampton Marsh, 19/08/21

Spoonbills over Frampton Marsh, 19/08/21

Spoonbills, Frampton Marsh, 19/08/21

Out of interest here are my wader counts from Frampton - Oystercatcher (4), Avocet (c70), Pacific Golden Plover (1), Ringed Plover (c20), Little Ringed Plover (5), Northern Lapwing (c40), Whimbrel (1), Black Tailed Godwit (c600), Ruff (c70), Dunlin (c50), Little Stint (3), Common Snipe (c50), Common Sandpiper (1), Green Sandpiper (15), Spotted Redshank (c30), Common Redshank (c15), Greenshank (4), plus there was also a Wood Sandpiper and a Curlew Sandpiper there that both eluded me😖

Reed Warbler, Frampton Marsh, 19/08/21

Other good birds I had here included a single Short Eared Owl perched up on a post in the saltmarsh beyond the flood wall, a juv Scaup, Wheatear, Kingfisher, a probable Whinchat and still plenty of Sedge & Reed Warblers.

Scaup (juv), Frampton Marsh, 20/08/21

Northern Wheatear, Frampton Marsh, 19/08/21

Walking testosterone machine, Frampton Marsh.

Away from the birdies, I watched a water channel favoured by Water Voles for a full hour without any luck, but did witness a impressive looking Bullock striding along the flood wall as I waited, and later on spotted a nice Painted Lady butterfly and got a nice pic of a Common Hawker dragonfly perched on a reed stem.

Painted Lady, Frampton Marsh, 20/08/21

Common Hawker, Frampton Marsh, 20/08/21

Roe Deer, Theddlethorpe, 20/08/21

On the way back home to Yorkshire I popped into a part of Theddlethorpe dunes I hadn't visited before, the southernmost section just north of Mablethorpe. With the benefit of hindsight (and looking at a map) I maybe should have walked south from here along a public footpath that borders the Viking gas terminal and some good looking habitat instead of struggling across the very overgrown dune system near Crook Bank - saw hardly anything noteworthy apart from a Blackcap (a new bird for the trip) a single Swift and a bunch of Sandwich Terns on the beach, oh and I disturbed a young Roe Deer as I was thrashing my way through!

Much easier going at Donna Nook, my last destination before home. It was mid afternoon, grotty cloud cover, and a with a brisk Westerly wind I'd already dialled down my expectations which were not to be surpassed on this occasion! The relatively new wetland area here seemed a bit like the poor relation compared to the rich pickings at Frampton and I had to be satisfied with 60 or so Redshank, 3 Greenshank and a healthy count of Yellow Wagtails (23) for my efforts to circumnavigate a changed access route to the reserve due to some sort of construction work going on in the car park. If truth be told, although a bit weary after putting maybe a few too miles in my old legs, I would've gladly turned around and done what I often feel like doing - headed back south, even if it is just as far as South Lincolnshire! There was nothing at Donna Nook tempting me to reach for the camera so here's a final few from Gib. Point & Frampton to round off this post .....

Sanderling, Gibraltar Point, 18/08/21

Juv Chiffchaff, Gibraltar Point, 19/08/21

Wonderful Phragmite Reeds, Frampton Marsh, 19/08/21

The 360 degrees hide at Frampton Marsh, 19/08/21

Massing Starlings over the floodbank, Frampton Marsh, 19/08/21

Lapwing, Frampton Marsh, 19/08/21

Ruff, Frampton Marsh, 19/08/21

Spotted Redshank, Frampton Marsh, 19/08/21

Monday, 10 April 2017

Last leg up through France, La Brenne revisited ...Osprey, Black Stork, Camberwell Beauties & a cracking Grey Ghost!

All a bit arse about face I know but my still damaged laptop means I can't access my pics from earlier on in the trip so here's the very last leg (March 31st - April 3rd) .. up through the middle of France towards Dieppe and a short but glorious few days back in La Brenne. (La Brenne info here)

Some of the best weather since leaving Spain and I was basking in 25c whilst I lounged around alongside a splendid 'etang' in a part of La Brenne I hadn't visited before (not difficult to do in this vast area of lakes and wetland). The area around Vendouvres & La Caillaudierre is generally referred to as the Foret de Lancosme. I found it to be a very quiet neck of the woods, very few people about, especially given that it was a w/e, but so rich in wildlife and although I had some difficulty in establishing which lakes were which in this watery landscape it didn't matter, it was all good. I mean when you wake up somewhere like this ...

Etang de Grand Brun, La Brenne, 03/04/17

... and the first thing you see when you poke your head out the window in the misty early morning sunshine is this ...

Great Crested Grebe, Etang de Grand Brun, La Brenne, 03/04/17

Osprey diving in for breakfast, la Brenne, 03/04/17

... and then the next thing you know there's an Osprey over your head ... its time to grab the camera and hope that, that Osprey is looking for some breakfast! I got lucky this time, nothing razor sharp but some great action shots ...

It must have been a biggish fish because after entering the water there was an obvious struggle and the Osprey was totally submerged at one point and stayed in the water looking 'preoccupied' for at least a minute before finally getting a hold on and launching free of the water.

Sadly he, or she, emerged without a fish. I think it was just too big to enable take off!

Osprey struggling with a whopper, La Brenne, 03/04/17

Still struggling!

Getting there!

Almost there but its a slippery fish

Take off but I see no fish!

What a way to start the day .. took all of the above from out of the side window and have to say the van has been great for that this trip.

Flushed male Garganey, La Brenne, 03/04/17

Moments later, kitted up and scanning across an equally good looking lake on the other side of the road I flushed a couple of Garganey and then spotted some more on the lake. I've been seeing these little migrant ducks all the way up from Spain and given their relative scarcity it was tempting to think that some of these individuals might be the self same as those I saw in eastern Spain.

Like little flying chocolates, that's the random thought that keeps coming to mind and I was pleased to get some decent flight shots of these dapper ducks.

Male Garganey in flight, La Brenne, 03/04/17

Garganey distribution map

Our Garganey's spend the winter months south of the equator in Africa and although a scarce breeder in the UK they have a broad range right across Eurasia.

Male Garganey, La Brenne, 03/04/17

Shy and easily missed, especially the females, early April is the time when one might turn up on your local wetland..

Female Garganey, La Brenne, 03/04/17

Bittern booming site, La Brenne

The same morning I added yet another bird to my trip list - heard a Bittern booming several times from this nearby reedbed, and then around midday yet another with a lucky Black Stork looming in the sky when I just happened to turn around and look up.

Black Stork over La Brenne, 03/04/17

It didn't hang around and definitely drifting north .. heading for Germany?

Black Stork over La Brenne, 03/04/17

As well as the above highlights there were Cuckoos aplenty, 4 Yellow Wagtails, a single Sedge Warbler (got to 200 species with this one), a Booted Eagle, scores of Great Crested & Little Grebes, 5 Black Necked Grebes and although waders were in short supply a count of 16 Green Sandpipers on on a dried up pond was a good record. All great birds and a great morning but 'blogwise' maybe a bit bird heavy and my eye wasn't focussed solely on feathers and wings, this lizard for example held my attention for several minutes, not sure if its anything other than a distinctively marked big Wall Lizard but mighty impressive close up..

Lizard sp, La Brenne, 03/04/17

European Pond Turtle, La Brenne, 02/04/17

The previous day I managed a half decent European Pond Turtle crossing the track ahead of me and in such sunshine and warmth it was no surprise to see many butterflies on the wing with Orange Tips, Brimstones, Red Admirals & Speckled Woods commonplace and a new butterfly for me at least 3 Camberwell Beauties around the tracks alongside the Etang de Bellebouche.

Orange Tip, La Brenne, 02/04/17

Brimstone, La Brenne, 03/04/17

Camberwell Beauty, Etange de Bellebouche, 03/04/17

Not as vast an array of wild flowers on show this far north but field full of Early Purple Orchids I stumbled across was an exception ..

Early Purple Orchid, La Brenne, 03/04/17

Other highlights from Le Brenne included my first and long awaited Whitethroats, a couple of Grasshopper Warblers, Bonellis Warbler, Pintail and still the odd Wigeon. From a photographic point of view I'm always pleased to get a good Sparrowhawk shot and this big female was a willing performer ..

Female Sparrowhawk, La Brenne, 02/04/17

Nice male Pintail, La Brenne, 03/04/17

Singing Bonellie Warbler, La Brenne, 03/04/17

Male Hen Harrier, nr Maintenon, 04/04/17

I didn't want to leave the relaxing warmth of Le Brenne but my ferry back to the UK was booked and I had to push north. A stop off for the night somewhere near Maintenon, about 60 kilometres SW of Paris brought an improbable 2 new species in the shape of a Long Eared Owl across fields and Grey Partridge in the same spot the next morning, and best of all a pair of Hen Harriers floating around in the local fields the next morning as I was about to make my dash for Dieppe. Lucky for me I had time to spare because this beauty came right over the van! Such a perfect ending to my trip ....photographing this most iconic birds of prey with 206 bird species already in the bag. It felt like a job well done! Here's the results plus a few other random shots from my return trip up through France.