Photo Therapy! 'Lifers' at Crowle & Norfolk; Life & death sorted by the long walk at Spurn.

Reflecting upon what has probably been one of the toughest times of my life during which I have witnessed first hand my father battle and eventually loose his fight with dementia, I've come to realise the true therapeutic value of  having an absorbing hobby to turn to when the going gets just too much to bear. Support from family, friends and the various caring services has been crucial too of course during the past few months since I moved back home to help my long suffering mother cope and care with a once proud man who was challenging to the end.

All over now, bar the funeral - the end of one chapter and the beginning of another, especially for my mum. Looking back over my photographs for the period I was surprised that I found the time to take so many but maybe I needed that absorption, the space and time when nothing else matters except getting the right shot. I suppose you might call it photo-therapy!

A few days respite on the coast in Norfolk and Lincolnshire with good friends and fellow wildlife nuts was therapeutic too. I could and maybe should have stayed away longer but it was energising all the same and good for the soul.

Stifkey Marshes, Norfolk, 23/05/19

Burnham Overy, Norfolk, 24/05/19

Spoonbill, Holkham, 24/05/19

Birding highlights included my second UK lifer of the month, a pair of overflying Black Winged Stilts, 3 Turtle Doves, several Garganey ducks, Little Terns, Curlew Sandpiper, Whimbrel, a Turnstone in full summer plumage and several of the Spoonbills that are now breeding successfully in Norfolk - several good views of them flying over but never seemed to get the camera ready soon enough so had to make do with a long range shot from one of the hides at Holkham.

Mediterranean Gull, Titchwell, 25/05/19

Little Tern, Burnham Overy, 24/05/19

Summer plumaged Turnstone, Frampton Marshes, 25/05/19

Curlew Sandpiper, Frampton, 25/05/19

Garganey, Frampton Marshes, 26/05/19

Red Footed Falcon, Crowle, 01/05/19

 My second 'lifer' came earlier in the month after a tip off from my mate Mark - reports of 2 Red Footed Falcons on Crowle Moor, nr Thorne. It was a good opportunity for me touch base with me old mucker and Thorne / Crowle  Moors rarely disappoint so off I went 'a twitchin'. Not sure if I ever saw 2 together but we certainly got at least one Red Foot amongst many more Hobbies. No full on 'in your face' photo opps but some useful record shots of this regular invader from eastern europe.

Red Footed Falcon, Crowle, 01/05/19

 

Hobby, Crowle, 01/05/19

Hobby, Crowle, 01/05/19

Common Cranes, Crowle Moor, 01/05/19

The small breeding population of Common Cranes on the moor is not a secret anymore and I hope they do well this year. Whilst we were marvelling at the aerobatic feats of hawking falcons and trying to pick the Red Foots out from the Hobbies, a couple of Cranes drifted by some way off engaged in what looked like some kind of synchronised display flight.

 Crowle Moor, 01/05/19

Spurn Point, 26/04/19

 A day at Spurn Point on my own and a walk down the 3 mile peninsular and back has long been one of  my 'escape valves', a good way for me to clear my head, get to grips with myself and make decisions. Not a particularly good birding day but I didn't care - it was good head cleansing and more photo-therapy. Setting off in some dull and blinding mist of anxiety and a dark mood, I returned with optimism and mental fortitude refreshed.

Spurn Point, 26/04/19

Spurn Point, 26/04/19

 

Cirrus clouds at Spurn Point, 26/04/19

Linnet, Spurn Point, 26/04/19

Wheatear, Spurn Point, 26/04/19

Barn Swallow, Spurn Point, 26/04/19

I remember my dad bringing me to Spurn once (I must have been 14 or so) along with a couple of mates, all of us budding birdwatchers. He dropped us off and picked us all up a week later! We stayed in one of several self catering Nissan huts (since condemned and taken down) with minimal supervision apart from a nightly round up of bird sightings with the warden and the observatory regulars - it was a great adventure!

Typical of my dad to do that and as I reflect on the whole experience of his distress and merciful passing I remember a happier man, the one who allowed me to wander free and follow my passion from an early age. He bought me my first pair of binoculars and although not an enthusiast himself I know he appreciated the great outdoors in his younger days and always enjoyed telling me about different birds he'd seen coming and going from his garden - including what can only have been a young Bittern by the way he described it -  on the lake behind the house which he took a week to tell me about by which time it was long gone - took me ages to forgive him that one! So in his memory, both alive and kicking and now resting at peace, here's a final few from around York he might have taken a second look at ....

4 Spotted Chaser, Askham Bog, 23/06/19

Ragged Robin, Copmanthorpe, 23/06/19

Large Skipper, Askham Bog, 23/06/19

Bee Orchid, Copmanthorpe, 23/06/19

Pyramidal Orchid, Copmanthorpe, 23/06/19

Orange Tip Butterfly, Askham Bog, 04/05/19

Water Violet, Askham Bog, 04/05/19

Meadow Thistle, Askham Bog, 22/06/19

Singing Corn Bunting, Melbourne Ings, 24/06/19

Pochard, North Cave, 13/05/19

Field Scabious, LDV, 28/06/19

Banded Demoiselle, Askham Bog, 29/06/19

Jack Ward, 1938 - 2019. R.I.P Dad ☘

Titbits and the odd surprise as I stay local.. Black & Common Redstart, Lesser Whitethroats,Yellow Wagtail, Spotted Flycatcher, Great Egret, drumming Snipes, wild flowers and Damselflies.

Been so busy since getting back from Spain, busy and pre-occupied with all sorts of things and as often seems to happen, the spring was suddenly done and dusted before I realised it and got myself sorted! New camera gear, selling a house and a big personal project with a new website have all taken time away from the blog. Bit of a catch up then, no particular theme, just a 'potpourri' of pics from my local wanderings in April, May and June.

Got a decent rarity on my own patch here at Fangfoss Park back in April, a female Black Redstart. A real surprise and represented something of a local purple patch with a Ring Ouzel here the previous day!

Black Redstart, Fangfoss Park, 14/04/18

Male Yellowhammer, Fangfoss Pk, 21/04/18

Not rare at all around me but without a doubt declining nationally, Yellowhammers, especially the males, always look very smart at this time of year.

Grey Partridgees, 06/05/18, Fangfoss Pk.

Grey Partridges, another nationally declining bird but relatively common in East Yorks, were prominent around my local fields back in April .. so shy and tricky to photograph I was lucky to get a decent shot of this pair before they shot off.

Common Cuckoos, always easier to see when they first arrive, I was so pleased to see one whilst out with my daughter at Hornsea Mere where we also saw a Hobby hawking insects over the mere, Marsh Harrier and plenty of Reed & Sedge Warblers.

Common Cuckoo, Hornse Mere, 04/05/18

Ashberry, 20/04/18

 Here's a few landscapes I took on a fine and sunny day during a walk around the YWT nature reserve Ashberry, nr Helmsley. Precious few good bird photo opps but we did hear a singing Wood Warbler nearby and I got a reasonable pic of a Willow Tit.

Ashberry, 20/04/18

Ashberry, 20/04/18

Willow Tit, Ashberry, 20/04/18

Barn Swallow, Fangfoss Park, 10/05/18

Much talk this year about the lack of Swallows, Swifts, House & Sand Martins this year. They were certainly slow to return in numbers up here in Yorkshire and for what it's worth, I would say that House Martins and Swift numbers are most obviously much reduced from last year. Not an easy one to fathom but I've heard reports of a massive increase in the use of strong insecticides in some African countries which would certainly have an adverse effect on wintering populations of these birds.

House Martins, Fangfoss Park, 16/05/18

Barn Swallow, Pocklington Canal, 16/06/18

Common Whitethroat, Fangfoss Pk, 24/04/18

Conversely, Common Whitethroats, many of which winter in the same sub Saharan area as Common Swifts, arrived on time and in good numbers on my patch - an early May count of 8 breeding pairs along the common lane here at Fangfoss Park was better than any previous year. This was the first back.





....and this one gave me plenty of chirp as I was counting breeding territories!

Common Whitethroat, Fangfoss Pk, 10/05/18

More often heard than seen, at least 2 pairs of Lesser Whitethroats have also established territories here and generally seem to be present in good numbers including this nice one at North Cave.

Lesser Whitethroat, North Cave, 02/05/18

Water Dropwort, Askham Bog, 19/05/18

Late spring is the undeniably the best time of year for emerging wild flowers with new ones sprouting every few days  - here's a few of my favourite wild flower pics from May going into June ...

Water Violets, Askham Bog, 19/05/18

Pink Campion, River Derwent, 09/05/18

Wild Garlic (Ramson), River Derwent, 09/05/18

Lesser Periwinkle, Foggathorpe, 17/05/18

Wild Poppy & Barley, Thornton Ings, 07/06/18

Marsh Woundwort, Pocklington Canal, 27/06/18

Marsh Orchids, Thornton Ings, 06/06/18

By all accounts 2018 has been a generally poor year for butterflies and although the recent warm weather has brought an upsurge in numbers back in May I certainly struggled to find any to photograph apart from this nice Green Veined White on my local patch.

Green Veined White, Fangfoss Pk, 22/05/18

There are 20 species of Damselfly to be found in the UK ...Wow, I never knew that and it's made me look a bit closer at these smaller relatives of the more familiar (to me anyway) dragonflies. They're a nice challenge to photograph!

Large Red Damselfly, Askham Bog, 19/05/18

Female Blue Tailed Damselfly, Pocklington Canal, 27/06/18

Banded Demoiselle, Pocklington Canal, 27/06/18

Red Eyed Damselfly, Pocklington Canal, 27/06/18

On the look out now for an Emerald Damselfly and pretty sure I saw one the other day in my parent's back garden of all places but of course no camera!

Scarce Chaser, Lakenheath, 21/06/18

I went down to Norfolk last month with a few mates for the Summer Solstice and got a couple of 'lifers' - Stone Curlew at Weeting Heath, sadly no pic, and continuing on the dragonfly / damselfly theme there were several Scarce Chasers at RSPB Lakenheath where we also saw at least 4 Bitterns. Here's the Chaser and a few more local pics from late Spring / early Summer.

Great White Egret, Wheldrake Ings, 25.04.18

Probably classed as a semi rarity these days such is there onward expansion into the UK, this 'big white flapper' flew over Swantail hide at Wheldrake on the same day I recorded my first 2 Swifts of the year and I saw the same individual a week later over Thornton Ings.

Common Snipe, Thornton Ings, 21/05/18

The eastern side of the Lower Derwent Valley around Thornton / Melbourne Ings is only 5 miles away from me and has become a regular haunt for me lately. Great for scarce local breeding birds such as Snipe, Corn Bunting and Yellow Wagtail and the wild flower meadows have been something else this year!

Yellow Wagtail, Thornton Ings, 06/06/18

Corn Bunting, Thornton Ings, 06/06/18

Wild flower meadow, Thornton Ings, 31/05/18

Wild flowers at Thornton Ings, 31/05/18

 Snipes a drummin!

Common Snipe, Thornton Ings, 21/06/18

Such an unreal sound they make with those tail feathers as they zoom around like tiny helicopters over their breeding grounds and I reckoned on at least 6 pairs here at Thornton Ings.

Common Snipe, Thornton Ings, 21/06/18

Common Snipe, Thornton Ings, 21/06/18

Redstart, Newton Dale, 12/06/18

I helped out with the North Yorks Moors Turtle Dove project again this year and although no Turtle Doves present on our first outing there was plenty of breeding birds on show including a nice pair of  Redstarts.

Common Whitethroat, Newton Dale, 12/06/18

Yellow Wagtail, Fangfoss Park, 07/06/18

Back around my spot at Fangfoss Park, Oystercatchers have been in and around the local fields since early spring and have probably bred somewhere nearby with up to 3 flying around together. I keep hearing brief snatches of Lesser Whitethroat song so maybe they've bred too and this looks like a juv Yellow Wagtail to me.

Oystercatcher, Fangfoss Park, 08/06/18

Juv Common Whitethroat, Fangfoss Park, 16/06/18

Spotted Flycatcher, Thornton Grange, 27/06/18

Spotted Flycatchers bred here 2 years ago and I saw another one a few weeks ago but none since. They're breeding not far away though near to the Pocklington Canal - this is one of a pair at Thornton Grange.