Meanwhile Back On Our Patch !

Date: 04/06/2015

Location: Patch - Newton St Loe 

Observation: With all the excitement of Bempton and our Yorkshire trip fading time to do a patch walk.

Work still hectic at Newton Mill with workmen everywhere ! Not many butterflies on Bank, don't think we'll see Marbled Whites this year :( Walking through could here lots of birds though mostly Robins, Blackbirds, Chaffinch on up to Dog Walk there was Blackcap high in trees and well hidden but not much else. On lanes to Seven Acre Yellowhammer and as usual get about 25ft distance and off they go ! 

While watching 4 Skylark's soared in sky all singing frantically,

This another terrible shot of sky bound lark !

This female Yellowhammer let me get a bit closer, Cheers !

Pheasant making a break for it !

Then todays Highlight a Large Skipper on Stony Lane! Only managed a couple of shots before it disappeared. Seen last year on 26th June 2014.

Barn Swallows at Village with young around 40 swallows, also a charm of Goldfinch feeding in road, quiet out through church yard and to fishing lake which was full of fishermen and 4 Mute Swans, Carp looked like they were spawning on Top Lake.

On Top Lake the Mute Swan sat on nest  ! 

1 Egg !! Was wondering where the rest have gone and then ........

After I watched her stand up and really sort nest out by pulling large bits of reed and grass on top of nest she sailed off to reveal 5 cygnets !! No ideal where they were hiding was watching for around 10 minutes never saw any signs of cygnets, will check on last egg next week, but think its a dud :(  still 5 out 6 not bad ! :)

Weather: Blue Skies + Sunny 

Other Species: Blackcap, Yellowhammer, Whitethroat, Buzzard, Goldcrest - Plus the usual.

Butterflies: Large Skipper, Large White, Small White, Brimstone, Peacock, Tortoiseshell.

 Thanks For Looking !

Bempton Cliffs and Yorkshire

Date: 25/05/2015 - 27/05/2015

Location: East Yorkshire, Bempton, Blacktoft Sands

Observation: First time to Yorkshire and Bempton Cliffs, hoping for Tree Sparrow, Gannets and Puffins! 

We got to Bempton around 8am and on getting out van there were Tree Sparrows in car park !! 

             Only walked about 10ft !

Arriving at cliff edge the sound and slight smell reaches you with Gannets sat on cliff tops and flying past.

Kittiwake's screeching Guillemots and Puffin's groaning! 

Superb place Birds everywhere.

 Beak on this one !

+ Fulmars cruising past, Great Bird !

Quite a few Gannets, Kittiwake's, Puffins were either sat on nests or building.

Seen at least 20 Puffins excellent little chaps and lasses !

And there were things we didn't expect to see like.... I'll call him the Bempton Barnie, seen the owl numerous times flying right in front RSPB visitors center and across the footpaths at midday !

RSPB Bempton Visitors Center and Barnie 

 This Skylark who didn't seem to care as we were stood 10 foot from him !

 Then this we watched a Peregrine Falcon a number of times hunting the cliff faces.

While following him a Rock Dove flew past us in panic as the Falcon was in hot pursuit then smashed into the poor Rock Dove!

  The Rock Dove ended up the Falcon breakfast !! Amazing to Watch !! 

On way home dropped in to Blacktoft RSPB reports of the Montague's Harrier and Weasel my year challenge to get a photo of one. Failed but did see a Weasel cross path in front of us!

And this stunning Yellow Wagtail.

Marsh Harrier a plenty there, we spotted 6. Also nesting noisy Avocets with chicks. 

Would recommend East Yorkshire, Bempton is a must 

We will end on another Puffin from Bempton Cliffs to end a fantastic trip with my birding buddy Lauren check her Flickr Out !

Weather: 3 days Cloudy with Blue Skies at times - Temperature average 12 - 17c

Other Species: 
Bempton: Puffin, Gannet, Kittiwake, Fulmar, Barn Owl, Kestrel, Guillemot, Razorbill, Tree Sparrow, House Sparrow, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Skylark, Peregrine Falcon, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Swift, Jackdaw, Crow, Corn Bunting, Herring Gull
Blacktoft:  Stove Dove, Black-Headed Gull, Yellow Wagtail, Marsh Harrier, Avocet

Other: Grey Seal, Wood Mouse

Thanks For Reading 

Cheers For Now :)

Westhay - Draycott Sleights - Priddy Mineries

Date: 21/05/2015

Location: Westhay - Draycott Sleights - Priddy Mineries

Observation: I've been without my 400mm lens, Been dodgy for a while but gave up completely 2 weeks ago, sent it of to Colchester Cameras £202 quid later its back !! Seems sharper too! So this morning more butterflies on the cards ! But thought i'd let the day warm up a bit first so headed to Westhay, heard Booming Bitterns x2, Cuckoo x1 saw lots of Swifts, a distant Marsh Harrier to try lens on, didn't try on Swift's thought i'd just depressed! So Marsh Harrier it was, distant through the reeds but better!

Lots of Common Blue Damselfly about & Common Blue Butterflies

And this Four Spotted Chaser

A flypast Hobby the sound of strimmers (clearing grass in front hides). So back to van it was and Draycot Sleights, never been before was worried about parking but no problems.

Headed up over slope seeing Common Blues, Small Heath, Orange Tip + Small Copper also Dingy and Grizzled Skippers, wind at this point was picking up and the Skippers & Heaths. Chased anything that landed making pictures difficult. 10 species seen.

Did see this little chap just before I left think its a Tiger Beetle, correct me if I'm wrong!

Apparently if Usain Bolt had a race and the beetle was Usain's size the Tiger Beetle would run 9 times faster  !! 200mph + !! Wow, Also at top speed they go blind, the beetle not Usain!

Thought Priddy Mineries would be less windy, not really headed across towards pond.

 Small Heath was it, on pond there must have been 1000+ tadpoles !

 After scouting with Binoculars for a Cuckoo calling, and not seeing, went over to Stockhill and through woods not much here on returning to van this Downy Emerald landed briefly never seen by me before and a nice end to day :)

Weather: Blue Skies, 16c, Some Wind  

Other Species: Whitethroat, Buzzard, Bittern, Hobby, Reed Buntings, Reed Warblers, Blackcap, Goldcrest, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Marsh Harrier, Cuckoo, Kestrel

Butterflies: Common Blue, Orange Tip, Red Admiral, Brimstone, Small White, Large White, Small Heath, Small Copper, Peacock, Comma, Dingy + Grizzled Skippers.

Thanks For Reading 

Check back soon as off to Bempton Cliffs for a few day back Wednesday :)

Puffins...Guillemots.....Gannets........ :)

Mandarin's On The Lake !

Date: 19th May - 2PM

Location:  Newton Park Lake Circular

Observation:  Started off walk, still busy with workmen in campsite, so headed straight up to Seven Acre, usual 2 Buzzards and 2 overhead Swifts, 4 Yellowhammer and 2 Skylark. Not much else here, in Village there were 30+ Barn Swallow, and 2 juvenile Blackbird. Just before the Lake at Butterfly Alley there were a few more Blackcap and Goldcrest (recently opened this part up so nice to see more birds there!), although there were no butterflies! Onto the Lake, still no Little Owl. At Top Lake just come over the brow of the hill and 2 Mandarin Ducks were there! 1 Male and 1 Female. First time seen on our patch and the Lake so was a nice surprise and patch tick! 

Felt like I was being watched so turnt around and a female Roe Deer was right there! After a quick stop watching the Mandarin, the Mute Swan was still on nest, unsure if still eggs or cygnets now though as she didn't get up.

 There was also 1 Marsh Tit in the trees heading out the Lake. Moving on up over Home Farm, there were a small flock of Linnet (6+) and a few more Yellowhammer by the farm. The last bird of the day on the walk back were 3 Bullfinch. Nice to see new birds on patch, starting to get a little busier on the walks now, fingers crossed for some good ticks soon!

Weather:  Sunny Intervals, Warm, Some Wind

Other Species: 2 Buzzard, 4+ Swift, 30+ Barn Swallow, 2 Mandarin (1M + 1F), 6+ Linnet, 10+ Yellowhammer, 3 Bullfinch, 1 Blackcap, 2+ Goldcrest, 1 Marsh Tit - Of Note

Thanks For Looking !