Worlaby Owls

I went out to worlaby yesterday and it was third time lucky for me when the short eared owls put on a magnificent dispaly.
there was one perched almost motionles on a tree stump for quite a while before going into a fantastic display.
As it got nearer to dusk the light was fading rapidly and unfortunately there wa some cloud cover, but the owls kept on hunting and displaying right until it got dark and it looked as thought there might have been about 6 or 7.
apparrently they hang around while march so hopefully we be back again in better light.

North Yorks

I set off this morning with the intention of targetting 3 species, velvet scoter, mediterranean gull and iceland gull.

I started at Filey Brigg and got there for first light.

there were a few common waders on the car park including oystercatcher, redshank, knot, dunlin and bar tailed godwit.

Once on to the beach and heading for the brigg I saw some common gull species, grey plover, curlew,purple sandpiper wigeon and great crested grebe.

On the brigg itself it was quite rough and the scoters were keeping their distance as were the eider.

I also saw a small flock of snow bunting fly north.

I did not see a velvet but some of the guys down there spotted a couple.

next it was on to Scarborough and dodging between the squalls I managed some nice shots of the mediterranean gulls with a rainbow in the background.

Then it was on to the harbour.First thing I saw was a large seal then the great northern diver.

I threw some bread into the harbour and almost immediately a small group of large gulls appeared including the iceland gull.It posed nicely for about 20 minutes before disappearing.

After that I had a quick look at Scalby Mills at the wigeon flock but they were quite distant so headed for home mid afternoon.

Filey at dawn
Filey at dawn
Mediterranean Gull
Mediterranean Gull

Iceland Gull
Iceland Gull
Iceland Gull
Iceland Gull
Iceland Gull
Great Black Backed Gull
Great Northern Diver
Great Northern Diver
Great Northern Diver
Great Northern Diver
Shag

2010 Review Part 1

JANUARY



January got off to a good start with this black-throated thrush at newholme in North Yorkshire.The product of some very cold weather it hung around for quite a while.

FEBRUARY

Another cold month.I had a trip up to Filey and managed some record shots of these long tailed ducks, also plenty of common scoter and eider along with a sprinkling of common waders.The woodcocks at the feeder centre at Tophill rose to 3 always at a distance.

Long tailed duck

Woodcock

MARCH

We had a long weekend in North Yorkshire which gave me an opportunity to get some shots of a red grouse.Also the bittern at Tophill was a legacy of a very cold winter.

Bittern

Red Grouse

APRIL

April was a fairly steady month.Usual spring migrants at Spurn but nothing particularly outstanding. Of note the water pipit below was only the 16th ever at Spurn.

Ring Ouzel

Water pipit

MAY

May was a fairly quiet month plenty of the usual suspects including garganey at Swine Moor, common Spring migrants at Spurn, and odd common waders at Patrington Haven.The highlight for me being the purple heron at Welwick.The distant shot below was taken at Patrington Haven looking East.

Garganey

Purple Heron

Redstart

Reed Warbler

Swallow

JUNE

June was rather quiet around East Yorkshire so I went travelling to find the birds.I had a trip to Norfolk with 3 target birds in mind.Firstly I saw the stone curlews at Weeting Health, then over to lakenheath for the golden orioles and finally finished up at welnet for the long staying bluethroat-a long but great day out.I also wnt up to Fen Bog for the whinchats and also saw some good insects including large heath, small pearl-bordered fratilliary, golden ringed dragonfly and keeled skimmer. During yet another trip away I went to Frampton Marsh and Gibraltar Point-fairly quiet but the corn buntings and turtle doves were nice.

Bluethroat

Corn Bunting

Sanderling

Whinchat