Local Hoopoe

There have been quite a few hoopoe reports around just lately and I was hoping for a chance of one this spring as its quite a while since I had my last (and only) one near York a few years back.

After a showery day I was just packing up for work when news of a hoopoe near Beverley was broadcast.

A quick dash home for the camera and before long I was watching the hoopoe on a lawn in a private garden somewhere in the back of beyond.

It was eating leatherjackets and worms nearly all the time staying mostly in the shade.It did however venture out into the sunshine and later on when everybody had gone it came remarkably close.

One of our more exotic looking birds, they really are something to marvel.

Spurn Today

I had a drive down to Spurn today in the hope of some Spring migrants, although judging by recent form I wasn't really expecting much.

And so it turned out, there was a very smart redstart at the back of cliff farm, 3 whinchat, red-breasted mergansers on Beacon Ponds, quite a few wheatears, a single white wagtail and a couple of yellow wagtails and that was about it really.

It seems a bit slow this Spring, winds have been off the sea but yet to have a proper Spring fall.

Theres still time.

Marsh Harrier

I set out yesterday with the intention of photographing water voles, and unfortunately they did not really play ball and I only had a very brief view of one as he swam across a channel between reed beds.

It is fair to say that I didn't really go at the best time so I shouldn't be too surprised at the result.

I did however get a very fine compensation in the form of this magnificent marsh harrier.

Initially it dropped on to a bank about 70m away but then flew much closer and landed about 30m away.

The autofocus was struggling a little with the varied background but it came around 3 times at varying distances so in the end I was more than happy with the afternoon's work.