Bank Holiday

Bank Holiday

25/05/2013 to 27/05/2013

Scarborough Area

Mixed bag of birding and wildlife over the weekend due to family visits, too much alcohol and too many late nights, but here are the highlights.

Friday night and some cracking views of a couple of Barn Owls hunting near Scalby over the coastal road.

 

Saturday and a ride to Brompton Ponds to show off the family of Mute Swans and Cygnets, along with a few Mallards and Ducklings.

 

 

Sunday a ride to Troutsdale and a good view of the local Dippers and a Grey Wagtail feeding it's fledgling on the river bank.

No views of the Kingfishers, though reported to be there the weekend before, no signs of them were evident.

 





Brompton Ponds

Brompton Ponds

20/05/2013

Brompton By Sawdon

Usual lunch time wonder at Brompton Ponds

A nesting Little Grebe, far to near the public footpath and deep water for my liking, she will either be disturbed to much by passers by or the little ones will be Pike food!!

A new clutch of 'Ugly Ducklings' appeared over the weekend, as there was no sign of them on Friday.

 

 

 

 



 

Bluethroat (Red Spotted)

Bluethroat (Red Spotted)

19/05/2013

Filey Brigg

A reasonably short search on a very foggy and misty Sunday mid morning to early afternoon proved fruitful with though quite distant and flighty at all times good views of a male migrating Red-spotted variety Bluethroat.

A first for me again (it's not difficult!!!) and what a stunning bird.

Thanks to Dave Mansell for the approximate location and apologies to Mike Randall, indeed he did come out to play about fifteen minutes after you went!!!! but good to see you.

Red Backed Shrike

Red Backed Shrike

16/05/2013

Scalby Beck Area

A few views (a first for me me!!!) of a male Red Backed Shrike on his migration route to probably Scandinavia.

He stayed around for around a day and a half with me unfortunately being the last to see him on the early morning of the 16/05/2013 around 7.15 am when he left his roost position and flew around the larger hedges on the opposite side of the clearing and footpaths.

 

Roe Deer, Castle Headland

Roe Deer, Castle Headland

14/05/2013

Scarborough Castle Headland

Last week while checking out wildlife around the castle headland I got a glimpse of a Vixen Fox, this week (tonight) a fleeting view of a Stag Roe Deer, over looking the Toll House!!!

Amazing what you see if you look!!!

Peregrine Update (Possible Young)

Peregrine Update (Possible Young)

12/05/2013

Scarborough Castle Headland

Breaking news that the Peregrines usual activities have changed slightly with both off the nest at times, though not far away, bringing in small amounts of food, both fresh and from the various larder areas surrounding the nest.

Hopefully this is the first signs of young (fingers crossed).

One of the various larder areas

Returning to the nest site

Shags

Shags

04/05/2013

Inner Farne, Northumberland

A few photographs of the very few Shags breeding in viewable positions on Inner Farne, Northumberland, due to the very late spring.

Beautiful Northumberland

Beautiful Northumberland

04/05/2013 to 07/05/2013

Northumberland

Cracking weekend in Northumberland, with just a disappointment on the trip to The Farne Islands, where as previously stated not many birds were about due to the late spring, but than it's always a good excuse to return!!!!

Holy Island

Dunstanburgh Castle

Bamburgh Castle

Longstone Lighthouse (where Grace Darling rowed from, with her father to save lives, from a sinking paddle steamer)

Eider Ducks

Eider Ducks

04/05/2013

Warkworth and The Northumberland Coast

Eider ducks were one of the highlights of, though a lovely weekend, a poor birding weekend to the Farne Island and Northumberland, as many of the birds had yet to arrive due to the very late spring, indeed hardly any Puffins were about, along with even fewer few terns, though a few photographs will follow these amazing looking ducks in the next couple of days.

Foxy Lady

Foxy Lady

08/05/2013

Castle Headland, Scarborough

At last, after a couple of years looking at the Peregrines and seabirds, a decent sighting of a Fox, previously seen by other local birders but never me. This a Vixen which seems to be heavily pregnant, in search of food below the various nest sites.

Murder at Brompton Ponds

Murder at Brompton Ponds

02/05/2013

Brompton Ponds

Two Lesser Black Backed Gulls, at Brompton Ponds, on my usual Lunchtime wonder taking very small ducklings at will. Not nice to see, though very interesting how the Gulls worked together, with one distracting the adult Mallards away from the ducklings and the other doing the snatch and grab raid.

Please note I did try, but to no avail, to disturb the Gulls, with a little whistling, shouting and waving of arms.