Friday 9 October 2015

Hunting Kestrels, Ring Ouzels and first winter thrushes in at Flamborough,

Got some great pics of hunting Kestrels the other day whilst I was scouring the hedges and bushes at Flamborough for migrant warblers. Bright morning sunshine always helps but with a family party of 4 that were continually stooping for prey along the cliffs I couldn't fail!
Common Kestrel, Flamborough, 06/10/15
 

Common Kestrel, Flamborough, 06/10/15
 
Common Kestrel, Flamborough, 06/10/15
 

Common Kestrel, Flamborough, 06/10/15

A little trickier once the birds were against the cliff-side but one or two came out well including this one -

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Common Kestrel, Flamborough, 06/10/15
Much easier against the sky and the sea, and of course a good hovering Kestrel pic is a must for the collection and these are some of the best I've ever managed. At least 3 distinctly different individuals here including one which appears to have a chunk missing from its wing ... didn't seem to affect its flying ability however.

Common Kestrel, Flamborough, 06/10/15
 
Common Kestrel, Flamborough, 06/10/15
 

Common Kestrel, Flamborough, 06/10/15
 
Common Kestrel, Flamborough, 06/10/15
 

Common Kestrel, Flamborough, 06/10/15
Ring Ouzel, Buckton, 06/10/15

I failed abysmally to see any of the dozen or so Yellow Browed Warblers that were present on the headland but to my credit I did see a Barred Warbler (hopeless pic unless you like hawthorn bushes!) and there were passage thrushes everywhere, especially further up the coast at Buckton (adjacent to Bempton RSPB -  mainly Song Thrushes, Blackbirds, the odd Redwing, 3 Fieldfare and the undoubted highlights - 5 Ring Ouzels. Damn difficult to get close but a passing Sparrowhawk flushed one and enabled me to get some half decent 'in flight' shots.


Ring Ouzel, Buckton, 06/10/15









Very reminiscent of our common or garden Blackbird, Ring Ouzels are a tad bigger, males sport a distinctive white crescent across their breast and they have silvery grey wings. Fab birds, they breed in mountainous, hilly regions (there's a healthy population in the NY Moors) most of these however are likely to have come in from central Europe. Some excellent info here if you want to know more about these birds - Ring Ouzels

 
 

Ring Ouzel, Buckton, 07/10/15
 

Ring Ouzel, Buckton, 06/10/15
 

Ring Ouzels, Buckton, 06/10/15


Fieldfare, Buckton, 06/10/15


I got lucky with the Fieldfares I think - they just appeared after a bit of mizzle and then flew off south. To my knowledge, although there have been a few at Spurn, these are possibly the first records this Autumn for Flamborough.

Footnote re the Ring Ouzels - the next day and well tuned into their call, I had another of these birds at Fangfoss, no pic sadly but a mega record and the 80th species for my local patch. Well done me!




















and here's that bush with a Barred Warbler in it - I think maybe I should stick to photographing Kestrels!

Barred Warbler, Flamborough, 06/10/15
 
Barred Warbler, Flamborough, 06/10/15











Saturday 26 September 2015

September ins and outs down my way, young swallows venture south and the finches move in.

September .. the summer crops are gathered in and wild flowers are blooming their last. Nights are drawing in, temperatures are dropping, cricket's days are done and rugby takes centre stage, and small birds of many species are moving south .....

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Almost all of the Swallows around Fangfoss Park have now departed, slightly earlier than last year when I had good numbers well into the last week of September and then the odd late straggler into the first week of October. Their long and often hazardous flight down to sub Saharan Africa must be a daunting one for all this year's young ones and, although many other birds undertake the self same amazing journey, there is something endearingly magical about the annual departure of these vulnerable looking wee birds.


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Barn Swallow, Strensall Common, 10/09/15 

These youngsters were 2 of many that were massing together on Strensall Common a couple of weeks ago and obviously getting ready to go. They'll be well on their way now, their journey time south to Africa is a lot more leisurely than the dash back north in the Spring and these 2 can be reasonably confident of catching flies under South African skies within a couple of months but my they look so fragile!







Barn Swallow, Strensall Common, 10/09/15



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Blackcap, Fangfoss, 21/09/15

Departure time from Europe for many other birds too, including many warblers using the UK as a convenient stop off point and feeding station. The many hedgerows around my local patch here in Fangfoss have held many Willow Warblers, ChiffChaffs, Whitethroats and Blackcaps over the past few weeks and even a couple of Lesser Whitethroats ... sadly not able to photograph the latter but as with my Whinchat of a couple of weeks ago a welcome new species for the area.



Willow Warbler, Fangfoss, 22/09/15

Spotted Flycatchers bred here this year and this may be one of the youngsters but could equally be another individual on passage ... it was in amongst a roving group of tits and warblers.


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Spotted Flycatcher, Fangfoss, 15/09/15
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Lesser Redpoll, Fangfoss, 21/09/15


There's a lot of fruit laden hedgerows around the countryside at the moment and all worthy of a look if you're looking for migrants (and I don't mean Syrians!). Just as the warblers, chats and flycatchers feed up on this seasonal feast before heading south, other birds are arriving on our shores either to stay or in transit - Blackbirds, Robins and assorted finches have all increased in numbers of late and a small flock of Lesser Redpolls in amongst the more numerous Goldfinches is a sure sign of the changing season ...



Lesser Redpoll, Fangfoss, 21/09/15
Goldfinch, Strensall Common,


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No Redwings or Fieldfares have made it this far inland as yet but a steady increase in Blackbird numbers, like this one gorging on Elderberries.




















Good to see some healthy flocks of Lapwings back in the fields too ...

Lapwings, Fangfoss, 15/09/15
I'm glad my Aug 24th Honey Buzzard sighting finally made it onto the Flamborough bird observatory site here - http://fbo.org.uk/category/sightings/ It was the highlight of my day too, even though I had to study the pictures before I realised what it was!

Back here in the Yorkshire Wolds our own Common Buzzards seem to go from strength to strength with up to 8 in my immediate vicinity.

Common Buzzard, Fangfoss, 16/09/15


Common Buzzard, Fangfoss, 16/09/15


Lucky shot of this one calling as it swept past me!


Almost certainly I'll be heading out to the coast soon to catch some more visible migration ... maybe an October trip out to Spurn when the winter thrushes start coming in, but in truth I'm more than happy walking the lanes and hedgerows of my own patch!