Friday 19 August 2016

High Summer around Yorkshire and Lincs, butterflies at last and returning waders

Well that's another Summer nearly over and, barring a wet spell in June, not a bad one weather wise. I'm looking forward to the autumn colours now, not least because after many months of frustration I finally have my investment property in Hull and will have a bit more time on my hands. Feels like ages since I posted on here back in June and I'd half expected to get all my business sorted, buy a small camper and do a bit of traveling in the UK. No worries, an enforced lapse into mid summer slumber, playing my guitar at campsite socials has been a heap of fun and of course I've managed to squeeze in a few trips out, mainly local plus a 3 day excursion to the Lincolnshire coast. So in no particular order here are my high summer pics neatly themed into butterflies, dragonflies, wild flowers, birds and landscapes.

Banded Demoiselle, Howsham Mill, 20/07/16


Here's my haul of decent butterfly and dragonfly pics with the odd moth thrown in there too


Broad Bodied Chaser, North Cave, 21/07/16

Common Blue (female), Wharram Quarry, 06/07/16

Common Blue (male), Wharram Quarry, 06/07/16

This next one was new for me, much more widespread down south, its an Essex Skipper and almost identical to the more familiar Little Skipper apart from the black tips on their antennae. They're spreading northwards but still scarce in Yorkshire and this one was just across the Humber in Lincs at Donna Nook.

Essex Skipper, Donna Nook (lincs), 27/07/16
Small Skipper, North Cave, 21/07/16



Not a great comparison pic but here's a Little Skipper





















Gatekeeper, North Cave, 21/07/16

6 spot Burnett, Donna Nook, 27/07/16

Marbled White, Wharram Quarry, 06/07/16

 This was a sight for sore eyes too, never abundant and a Yorkshire first for me

Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary, Cropton Forest, 12/07/16

Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary, Cropton Forest, 12/07/16

Common Darter (female), North Cave, 21/07/16

Birdies next; July is never a great time for birding but the month had its moments, especially towards the end with masses of early returning waders around the Wash.

Dunlin flock, Gibralter Point, 29/07/16

Greenshank, Gibralter Point, 29/07/16

Whimbrel, Donna Nook, 27/07/16
Black Tailed Godwit, Frampton Marsh, 28/07/16

Nothing better than seeing migrating birds, the Whimbrels above were just a few of maybe 60 or so we saw flying overhead around the Wash. At RSPB reserve Frampton Marsh we had many thousands of waders - Black Tailed Godwit, Redshank, Avocet, Lapwing & Dunlin made up the vast majority but also Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Ruff, Knot, Bar Tailed Godwit, Spotted Redshank, Greenshank and a surprise rarity - a White Rumped Sandpiper


Black Tailed Godwits, Frampton Marsh, 28/07/16

Black Tailed Godwits, Frampton Marsh, 28/07/16

Dunlin, Frampton Marsh, 28/07/16

White Rumped Sandpiper with Dunlins, Frampton Marsh, 29/07/16

Some selected raptors, starting with the best pic - a stunning female Sparrowhawk in the road and stood on top of a recent kill (looks like an ex wood pigeon to me!)

Sparrowhawk, Wharram le Street, 06/07/16

Marsh Harrier, Humber, 21/07/16




During an unsuccessful attempt at tracking down a reported and scarce Montague's Harrier around the Humber we spent a pleasurable few hours watching the comings and goings of birds on the estuary, including at least 5 Marsh Harriers.


Hobby, Gibralter Point, 29/07/16
I photographed at least 4 different Hobby's during the Lincolnshire trip and got lots of blurry grey / blue  shapes always going away but this one sailed right overhead, caught a dragonfly in mid air and I managed an in focus shot of it eating on the wing.

























This time of year there's lots of juvenile birds about and they all need feeding! This Sedge Warbler is clearly a youngster ....

Sedge Warbler (juv), Frampton Marsh, 28/07/16
.... and guess what he's having for supper!

Sedge Warbler (juv), Frampton Marsh, 28/07/16

At any tern colony around this time of year you'll see almost continuous feeding by the adults in order to get their young fledged and flying. I photographed these Common Terns at North Cave Wetlands where both young and old seemed to be thriving.

Common Tern, North Cave, 21/07/16
Common Tern, North Cave, 21/07/16
Reed Warbler, Frampton Marsh, 28/07/16

Yellow Wagtail, Frampton Marsh, 28/07/16

Here's a little floral selection ...

Pyramidal Orchid, Wharram Quarry, 06/07/16

Marsh Woundwort, River Derwent, 20/07/16

Harebell, Fangfoss, 18/07/16

Common Cranesbill, Wharram Quarry, 06/07/16

Rosebay Willowherb, Fangfoss, 20/07/16
.... and here's a few landscapes that captured my imagination during July

Cropton Forest, July, 2016

Donna Nook, July, 2016

Donna Nook, July, 2016

Faxfleet, July, 2016

Faxfleet, July, 2016

Gibralter Point, July, 2016

Gibralter Point, July, 2016

Roe Deer, Cropton Forest, July, 2016















































Monday 4 July 2016

Sir David Attenborough pops into Askham Bog


There's only one way to kick off my early summer round up of wildlife happenings and boy did we need something to brighten up the wettest June on record, so a visit to Askham Bog by the one and only Sir David Attenborough as part of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's 70th birthday celebrations was the most welcome of shining stars to lighten up our landscape!


Sir David Attenborough at Askham Bog, 17/06/16
Sir David was genuinely fascinated by Askham Bog's unique habitat describing it a jewel every bit as precious in conservation terms as York Minster and that local people should feel rightly proud of it. It was a good recruiting there the next day!

The great man and very special guest spoke at length and answered questions from a packed audience at York university later as part of our 70th birthday celebrations.












Follow that Baggins!

Tricky, but the obvious link has to be Askham Bog and despite the inclement weather all summer so far you can't stop a jewel from shining. Here's a few selected pics from the past month or so...

Ragged Robin, Askham Bog, 26/06/16


Brimstone butterfly, Askham Bog, 26/06/16
Ragged Robin, Askham Bog, 26/06/16
Brimstone butterfly, Askham Bog, 26/06/16






Large Skipper, Askham Bog, 19/06/16



Skullcap, Askham Bog, 19/06/16


Water Violets, Askham Bog, 30/05/16



Sir David Attenborough liking Askham Bog, 17/06/16

Wishful thinking to follow an Attenborough pic with a link to the Antarctic or perhaps Madagascar but the furthest I've been since I got back from Spain is the North Pennines... an overnighter in my tent for a bit of variety away from the flat lands of the vale of York and every bit as photogenic as Madagascar!


Grassholme Bridge, Lune Valley, Durham, 07/06/16
Grassholme reservoir, Lune Valley, Durham, 07/06/16

Grassholme reservoir, Lune Valley, Durham, 07/06/16


Bollihope burn, North Pennines, 07/06/16



Old quarry, Bollihope moor, North Pennines 07/06/16



A short trip cut even shorter by drizzle and mist the next morning but not before I'd bagged my first UK Dippers and Redstart of the year plus breeding Wheatear, Snipe, Woodcock, Common Sandpiper & Redshank, passage Spotted Flycatcher and the usual Curlew, Oystercatcher, Grey Wagtail & Meadow Pipit.


Northern Wheatear, North Pennines, 07/06/16

Common Snipe, North Pennines, 07/06/16

Meadow Pipit, North Pennines, 07/06/16

Common Snipe, North Pennines, 07/06/16


Spotted Flycatcher, North Pennines, 07/06/16




Common Whitethroat, Givendale, 03/06/16
Back down here in Yorkshire Wolds I'm not seeing anything like the number of insects on the wing you might expect in mid June and my guess is that many small birds, warblers for instance, are struggling to feed hungry mouths right now - This Common Whitethroat  seemed to be doing ok though ... a nice tasty bug was one of many I observed him taking back to a hidden nest.















Common Whitethroat, Givendale, 03/06/16
Sedge Warbler, Thornton Ings, 23/05/16


This Sedge Warbler was one of at least 4 singing birds along a short stretch of the Pocklington Canal back in late May. Not been back since so I don't know how well they've done -  I'll pop back but doubt that I'll get better pics than these classic 'Sedgie' profiles!





Sedge Warbler, Thornton Ings, 23/05/16


Sedge Warbler, Thornton Ings, 23/05/16
That's how I'd like to photograph a Moustached Warbler one of these days .. I can dream!