Spurn 24th-28th Sep' 2012

An interesting five days at Spurn with varied weather and varied birds.
Greenish, Barred and Yellow-browed Warblers featured along with
Red-breasted Flycatchers and commoner migrants too.

Hawfinch being shown at the Warren prior to release

Northern Wheatear over thirty seen during the week

Garden Warbler

Whinchat

Good numbers of Redstart were around all week

Osprey, one of three seen

No longer a rarity but a cracking bird still, Greenish Warbler

Awaiting the release of R b Fly' 

Red-breasted Flycatcher

Digi-scoped rbf

Siskin digi-scoped

Med' Gull

Bizzare cloud formation

Bridlington rspb cruise, 15th September 2012

My first trip on the Yorkshire Belle from Bridlington and although the
boat was fairly crowded it was a better trip than anticipated. We didn't
see big numbers of Seabirds but the weather was pleasant and we had
brief, but excellent views of Sooty Shearwater. A distant single Pom' Skua,
plus a handful of Arctics and Bonxies.

Sooty Shearwater

Gannet juvenile

Great Skua

Fulmar

Great Black-backed Gull

Gannet juvenile

Manx Shearwater takes off

American Black Tern, Pennington Flash, September 1st, 2012

Showing for the most part, quite distantly but nice to see it flying around

with a Black Tern.

The abt (left) gives up it's buoy perch for the Black Tern.

Norway, 9th- 15th August 2012

Another mini-tour of Europe in the campervan this summer and Norway
was the destination. We travelled through Belgium, Holland, Germany
and Denmark before catching the ferry across to Kristiansand and
travelling around South West Norway.

It was generally very poor, bird-wise, although my expectations weren't
high, (this being a non-birdy holiday) i did expect to see little more. The
scenery was stunning, with lots of waterfalls, fjords and mountains.

Some bird highlights were: Red-backed Shrike, Icterine Warbler, Sea Eagle,
Rough-legged Buzzard, breeding plumaged Red and Black-throated Divers,
and Grey-headed Wagtail. While travelling on the mainland i saw a 300 strong
flock of Black Terns along with Barnacle Geese, 35 Spoonbills, and Ruddy
Shelduck.

Rough-legged Buzzard was a superb sight, hunting over

Hardangervidda

The awesome Pulpit Stone

Common Tern

My first sighting of Beaver!

Icterine Warbler

Porpoise were very common

Common Gull

Leighton Moss 31st July- 2nd Aug' 2012

I spent a few nights at Leighton Moss in the campervan and spent most
of my time in the Eric Morecambe Hide. I managed to see some good
birds; Spoonbill, 2 Osprey, Green Sand's, Spotted Redshank, Bearded
Tit and a huge, male Otter.

The Waders showed very well from the EM Hide and Kingfisher too!

Common Redshank

Black-tailed Godwit and others

Grey Heron

Common Redshank

Swift

Osprey with prize

Spotted Redshank with Common Redshank

This day old, Moorhen Chick fed by the path

Great-crested Grebe

Black-headed Gull

Kingfisher at the Eric Morecambe Pool

Local Birds, 29th July 2012

A summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwit was a surprise, as it
slept on the bank of Upper Foulridge Reservoir with Black-headed
Gulls. With brim-full water levels this year the Wader passge at the
Foulridge res's has been very poor. A Common Sandpiper and a
single Oystercatcher were present too.

On the Lower Res' a juvenile Med' Gull dropped in and was present
for a short while.

Black-tailed Godwit

Med' Gull

Later in the evening i visited a Long-eared Owl site. With the chicks now fledged,
i found it a little odd, that an adult Bird is still flying around in the early evenings.