Wild Wirral, the rushing tide, Hen Harriers & Short eared Owls hunting & Water Rails a scurryin'

I went on a trip to the Wirral last week with good birding pals Mikey, Mark & Nick (add 'Timbo' to that and it almost sounds like an pop group nobody under the age of 50 will remember👴😀 so I won't even go there!)

Always great when a plan comes of and despite almost being blown away at times by the force of storm Eleanor, everything we wanted to see came about. Apart from that it was just good to get away from the post Christmas & New Year fug and head somewhere new.

Our destination was Parkgate RSPB reserve on the northern side of the Dee Estuary and we were there mainly to see wintering Hen Harriers that frequent the area seeing as all the the Yorkshire birds seem to have been shot by mindless gamekeepers! 😠😠.. not gonna go there either, not here anyway, but you can -  by adding your name to the petition to ban this mind numbingly pursuit by adding your protest here - Ban Driven Grouse Shooting and save the Hen Harrier

Dee Estuary & Flintshire coast in the background

Rant over and on with the grand day out we had at Parkgate. We got there early, almost first light and caught sight of our first Hen Harrier, a female, floating across the saltmarsh and flushing scores of waders as she went. The first of several good sightings and then later a smashing male whilst we were walking back along the front for high tide.

Snapping away I was confident of plenty of good pics after a recent lens repair but sad to say, apart from the odd one or two, nothing came out as I'd hoped and my 'soft focus' issue persists. In short its gone back to Canon again and I've had to pinch a few pics for this post.

Hen Harrier (female), Parkgate, 04/01/18

Here's my record shots of male & female Hen Harrier on the day and a couple of quality pics of Parkgate Harriers the like of which I can only dream of till I get my lens back...and even then I'd have to seriously up my game!

Hen Harrier (male), Parkgate, 04/01/18

Hen Harrier (female), Parkgate. Courtesy of RSPB

Hen Harrier (male), Parkgate. Courtesy of RSPB

The Dee Estuary is one of those places where the tide rushes in at speed and where peak high tides  send all the small mammals to scurrying for dry land. This was such a tide and both birds and birdwatchers were aware of it ... cue hungry gulls awaiting rich pickings and in amongst them Short Eared Owls, not one or two but amazingly 9 of these magnificent hunters came out of nowhere just as the tide and many rodents began to rush in!

Short Eared Owl, Parkgate, 04/01/18

'Soft focus' or not, here's the best and a few 'so so' pics of this awesome spectacle that will live long on the memory.

Short Eared Owl, Parkgate, 04/01/18

Short Eared Owl, Parkgate, 04/01/18

Short Eared Owl, Parkgate, 04/01/18

Short Eared Owl, Parkgate, 04/01/18

 Rather conveniently the 'shorty' above decided to alight on a patch of dry land as the tide rushed in, pulled a funny face and then regained his, or her's, composure for a nice pose!

Short Eared Owl, Parkgate, 04/01/18

Short Eared Owl, Parkgate, 04/01/18

Wow! That's all you can say when 9 Short Eared Owls fly past!

Water Rail, Parkgate, 04/01/18

A bit later, as the tide reached it's zenith and storm Eleanor threw a freak half an hour or so of huge wind at us, there was a mad scurry of Water Rails coming off the estuary seeking shelter from the storm. This was a crazy sight and I wasn't alone in struggling to stay steady enough in the wind to get some shots off ... there were only 30 or so birders and photographers sheltering behind Mark's van to get the best shots!

Water Rails, Parkgate, 04/01/18

Water Rail, Parkgate, 04/01/18

Stonechat, Parkgate, 04/01/18

Throw in 2 cracking Merlin sightings, Marsh Harriers, at least 2 Great White Egrets, plenty of wader & duck species, loads of Stonechats and it was as they say, a day to remember!

Grey Heron, Parkgate, 04/01/18

That high tide brought us 9 Owls a hunting, rodents a scurrying and big winds in our sails,
Harriers floating, Great Egret's poaching, and who steal's the show ... 10 running Water Rails!



















Not my vid (it's courtesy of David Bowman) and sent to me by Mark P, here's some footage shot on the same day we were there featuring Hen Harriers, Short Eared Owls, GW Egret etc

Cairngorms road trip, Ospreys fishing, Spoonbills and a surprise herd of Reindeer!

Just got back from a jaunt up to the Cairngorms with my good mate Rob. The weather was less than perfect but it was a great road trip. I did all the driving, Rob all the cooking ... I like driving and he's chef, so it was a good deal! 102 bird species, some interesting flora and mammal species, stunning scenery and good music recorded every night bar one.... so without further ado and less than normal prose from myself  here's the pics!

Pick of the crop was a toss up between 3 majestic Ospreys hunting in tandem over Lochindorb in the rain and 2 Spoonbills at low tide on Findhorn Bay


Osprey_lochindorb, 29/07/15





Osprey_lochindorb, 29/07/15



Osprey_lochindorb, 29/07/15

As well as these 3 over Lochindorb (where we also had a single Black Throated Diver), we had 10 other Ospreys .. they're doing well up here and it seemed to us as if there was at least 1 on nearly every loch!



Spoonbill_Findhorn Bay, 28/07/15

Spoonbills_Findhorn Bay, 28/07/15

Spoonbills_Findhorn Bay, 28/07/15

Hooded Crow_Findhorn Bay, 28/07/15

Grey Heron_Loch Leven, 26/07/15



Orchid species_ Loch Moraigh, 26/07/15

I reckon we were up there at the peak season for wild flowers and a wide variety were in full bloom, not all identified as yet including these orchids .....




Amphibious Bistort_Loch Leven, 26/07/15

Wild Pansy_Loch Moraigh, 26/07/15



Spotted Flycatcher_Cheviots, 25/07/15

Precious few opportunities to photograph smaller birds and I failed woefully to get any decent pics of Crested Tits when about 25 or so suddenly turned up in a tit flock at Abernethy Forest (all too close, fast moving and then they were gone!). The flock also included about 30 Willow Warblers, 10ish Tree Pipits, 3 Treecreepers and 20 Spotted Flycatchers which were pleasingly plentiful throughout the trip .... this one was actually taken on the way up in the Cheviot Hills but it was the best pic!















A few landscapes from the trip and a few of the 'lads' ....



Abernethy Forest



 

Loch Leven

Lochindorb

Lochindorb

Photographing those Spoonbills at Findhorn Bay

 

Playing the Insch Marshes

 On the RSBP reserve at Insch Marshes we came across the perfect place for a bit of outside music and recording. On the elevated platform there we could play and watch the wildlife at the same time and when the rain came the we just moved downstairs and it was almost like being in a recording studio!

Got a single female Marsh Harrier here too - good for Scotland.

Recording at the Insch Marshes



Rob_up in the Cairngorms!

Rob_Wild flower spotting hunting, Loch Moraigh

Around Abernethy



Surrounded by Crested Tits in Abernethy Forest

No Red Deer sightings but plenty of Roes around and the most unexpected mammals were these semi wild Reindeer, a herd of 20 or so including a couple of young 'uns, near to the top of Cairngorm

Reindeer, young stag_Cairngorm, 30/07/15

Reindeer foal running with the pack_Cairngorm, 30/07/15



Roe Deer, Loch Leven

Like I said, and as you can probably gather from some the above, there were precious few 'golden hours' for photography and we had to invest a fair amount of time logged on to local weather forecasts in order to dodge the rain clouds, but this is all part of the fun and we did it successfully and didn't lose a single day to rain.

Sometimes you can try and do too much on a road trip .....I can remember driving right around Scotland many years ago in little over a week ... a great experience but too much of it spent behind the wheel. This was just right but even then we only covered half of the potential sites in the Cairngorms .... we missed out on some key species including Crossbill, Dipper, Ptarmigan and Golden Eagle but 102 species ain't bad for July and for the record here's the list -

1. Red Grouse (Lagopus lagopus scotica)
2. Red-legged Partridge [sp] (Alectoris rufa)
3. Common Pheasant [sp] (Phasianus colchicus)
4. Greylag Goose [sp] (Anser anser)
5. Canada Goose [sp] (Branta Canadensis)
6. Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
7. Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
8. Gadwall [sp] (Anas strepera)
9. Mallard [sp] (Anas platyrhynchos)
10. Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
11. Common Teal [sp] (Anas crecca)
12. Common Pochard (Aythya ferina)
13. Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
14. Common Goldeneye [sp] (Bucephala clangula)
15. Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)
16. Black-throated Diver [sp] (Gavia arctica)
17. Little Grebe [sp] (Tachybaptus ruficollis)
18. Great Crested Grebe [sp] (Podiceps cristatus)
19. Eurasian Spoonbill [sp] (Platalea leucorodia)
20. Grey Heron [sp] (Ardea cinerea)
21. Little Egret [sp] (Egretta garzetta)
22. Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus)
23. Great Cormorant [sp] (Phalacrocorax carbo)
24. Common Kestrel [sp] (Falco tinnunculus)
25. Peregrine Falcon [sp] (Falco peregrinus)
26. Osprey [sp] (Pandion haliaetus)
27. Western Marsh Harrier [sp] (Circus aeruginosus)
28. Eurasian Sparrowhawk [sp] (Accipiter nisus)
29. Eurasian Buzzard [sp] (Buteo buteo)
30. Common Moorhen [sp] (Gallinula chloropus)
31. Common Coot [sp] (Fulica atra)
32. Eurasian Oystercatcher [sp] (Haematopus ostralegus)
33. Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
34. Grey Plover [sp] (Pluvialis squatarola)
35. Common Snipe [sp] (Gallinago gallinago)
36. Whimbrel [sp] (Numenius phaeopus)
37. European Curlew (Numenius arquata arquata)
38. Common Redshank [sp] (Tringa totanus)
39. Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
40. Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
41. Dunlin [sp] (Calidris alpina)
42. Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)
43. Common Gull (Larus canus canus)
44. Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)
45. Herring Gull [sp] (Larus argentatus)
46. Lesser Black-backed Gull [sp] (Larus fuscus)
47. Common Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus)
48. Sandwich Tern [sp] (Sterna sandvicensis)
49. Rock Dove [sp] (Columba livia)
50. Woodpigeon [sp] (Columba palumbus)
51. Eurasian Collared Dove [sp] (Streptopelia decaocto)
52. Common Swift [sp] (Apus apus)
53. Great Spotted Woodpecker [sp] (Dendrocopos major)
54. Eurasian Jay [sp] (Garrulus glandarius)
55. Common Magpie [sp] (Pica pica)
56. Eurasian Jackdaw [sp] (Corvus monedula)
57. Rook [sp] (Corvus frugilegus)
58. Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone)
59. Hooded Crow [sp] (Corvus cornix)
60. Common Raven [sp] (Corvus corax)
61. Great Tit [sp] (Parus major)
62. Blue Tit [sp] (Parus caeruleus)
63. Coal Tit [sp] (Parus ater)
64. Crested Tit [sp] (Parus cristatus)
65. Collared Sand Martin [sp] (Riparia riparia)
66. Barn Swallow [sp] (Hirundo rustica)
67. Northern House Martin [sp] (Delichon urbicum)
68. Long-tailed Tit [sp] (Aegithalos caudatus)
69. Eurasian Skylark [sp] (Alauda arvensis)
70. Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)
71. Willow Warbler [sp] (Phylloscopus trochilus)
72. Common Chiffchaff [sp] (Phylloscopus collybita)
73. Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix)
74. Blackcap [sp] (Sylvia atricapilla)
75. Common Whitethroat [sp] (Sylvia communis)
76. Goldcrest [sp] (Regulus regulus)
77. British Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes indigenus)
78. Eurasian Treecreeper [sp] (Certhia familiaris)
79. European Starling [sp] (Sturnus vulgaris)
80. Eurasian Blackbird [sp] (Turdus merula)
81. Song Thrush [sp] (Turdus philomelos)
82. Mistle Thrush [sp] (Turdus viscivorus)
83. European Robin [sp] (Erithacus rubecula)
84. Common Redstart [sp] (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)
85. Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra)
86. Spotted Flycatcher [sp] (Muscicapa striata)
87. House Sparrow [sp] (Passer domesticus)
88. Dunnock [sp] (Prunella modularis)
89. Yellow Wagtail [sp] (Motacilla flava)
90. Grey Wagtail [sp] (Motacilla cinerea)
91. Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii)
92. Meadow Pipit [sp] (Anthus pratensis)
93. Tree Pipit [sp] (Anthus trivialis)
94. Chaffinch [sp] (Fringilla coelebs)
95. European Greenfinch [sp] (Carduelis chloris)
96. Eurasian Siskin (Carduelis spinus)
97. European Goldfinch [sp] (Carduelis carduelis)
98. Common Redpoll [sp] (Carduelis flammea)
99. Common Linnet [autochthona] (Carduelis cannabina autochthona)
100. Eurasian Bullfinch [sp] (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
101. Yellowhammer [sp] (Emberiza citrinella)
102. Reed Bunting [sp] (Emberiza schoeniclus)



Early Summer snippets from North Yorkshire - Pied Flycatchers & Redstarts at Strid, Chimney Moths & Mandarin at Jefrey Bog plus lots of flowers!

Pied Flycatcher (male) pic courtesy of D.Cookson

Out with the lads at Strid Woods (nr Bolton Abbey) recently I was thrilled to see up to 15 or so Pied Flycatchers. One of my favourite 'small birds', they bring back happy memories of my first forays into birding during family holidays in the Lake District when used to wander off into the woods for hours on end and cause my parents much anxiety!

Smart birds, they seemed quite numerous back then and still hold their own there and in Wales but in common with so many insect eating birds habitat loss both here and in their sub Saharan wintering grounds due to de-forestation has seen their numbers decline by 25 - 50% in last few decades. To my knowledge, Strid Wood is about the only place in Yorkshire where they breed nowadays.

Redstart (male) Strid Wood. 8/06/15

To my chagrin I didn't manage a single decent shot.. poor light down I the gorge is barely half an excuse, but we all marvelled at their aerial prowess as they darted hither and thither over the river catching Damselflies. Plenty of Spotted Flycatchers there too along with Redstarts, Grey and Pied Wagtails all feasting on as many winged insects as I've seen this year so far.

Redstart (male) Strid Wood. 8/06/15

Strid Wood itself is a smashing and invigorating walk. The path meanders through the woods and along a section of the River Wharfe that has narrowed and deepened into some dramatic gorges, and eventually ends up at Bolton Abbey. The tea rooms at Strid and the usual tourist trappings of the Abbey have made it a popular place even on weekdays so my to would be to go early!



Strid Wood & River Wharfe

Dipper, Strid. 08/06/15

Kingfisher, Strid. 08/06/15

Meadow Crane's Bill, Strid, 08/06/15

The lads (Mikey & Nick), Strid. 08/06/15

At some point along the walk there's some stepping stones across the river to negotiate and I was devilishly looking forward to taking a pic of Mikey trying to cross with his dodgy knee but we took a detour so it never happened ... but this young Curlew with legs akimbo reminds me now of that missed photo op!

 

Curlew, Strid, 08/06/15

 
 


Same Mikey was after a Mandarin Duck for his UK list, and he got several, but he needn't have gone so far -  a couple of days later I spotted this female on the River Derwent at YWT reserve Jefrey Bog!

Yet another YWT reserve ticked off and visited (that's 62 out of 98 now).










A tranquil place this one and for once the sun shone and there was warmth. Should have brought the butterflies out but it was late in the day so I had to settle for some reasonable pics of Chimney Moths amongst the Ragged Robins, Yellow Flag Iris and Marsh Marigolds .....

Chimney Moth, Jefrey Bog, 09/06/15



Chimney Moth, Jefrey Bog, 09/06/15

Ragged Robin ... interestingly backlit, Jefrey Bog, 09/06/15

Marsh Marigold, Jefrey Bog, 09/06/15

 A few more early Summer snippets from round and about and in no particular order to round things off before the Solstice tomorrow - I'll be on Hatfield Moor again and praying for good light!

Red Campions, River Seven at Normanby, 20/05/15



Speedwell, River Seven at Normanby, 20/05/15

Dog Rose, Askham Bog, 14/06/15

Lastingham with the NY moors beyond, from Normaby, 20/05/15

Marsh Orchid, Askham Bog, 13/06/15

Marsh Thistle, Askham Bog, 13/06/15

Singing Yellowhammer, Wykeham, 10/06/15