Spring is in the air.

A few shots from last Saturday at Far Pastures.

Spring is in the air (Mallard)

Spring is in the air (Moorhen)

Treecreeper

Robin

Nuthatch

Roe Deer

Do you get the impression it wasn’t pleased to see me

 

Saltholme & Hartlepool

I had a drive down to Saltholme on Friday. There was no sign of the Penduline Tits while I was there however; the Long-eared Owl was in its usual spot. It was nice to catch up with people I have not seen for a while both at Saltholme and at my next destination Hartlepool where I finally caught up with both the Snow Bunting and Shore Lark.

Long-eared Owl

Snow Bunting

Shore Lark

Goldfinch (Saltholme)

 

Owls

Had a tip that a Little Owl was showing in a regular spot so went and had a look this morning. Sure enough it was but by was it hard to spot it took me ages to get onto it. The afternoon was spent waiting for the Short-eared Owl to show. After around an hour it did but not for very long.

Little Owl

Short-eared Owl

 

The usual suspects

At Far Pastures this morning.

Red Kite

GSW

Treecreeper

Great Tit

Blackbird

Blue Tit

Reed Bunting

Robin

Grey Wagtail

Nuthatch

 

Penduline Tit

Saltholme today for the Penduline Tits and as expected the hide was full. After around an hour, the birds showed well right in front of the hide and I managed to fire off a few shots in the rush to see them. A bonus was as I pulled up onto the drive at home, a Red Kite flew over the house. A canny morning out.

Penduline Tit

Red Kite

 

Northumberland 03.02.16

I went to try to see the long staying Arctic Redpoll at Birling the other day. I thought I was off to a good start because whilst walking to the spot where it had been seen I met a bloke who showed me some cracking shots he had just taken of it sitting on a fence post. I thought “get in” all I have to do is walk to the spot and it’s in the bag. It didn’t come near (at least not near enough to get any shots). I did at least see it through a scope so that’s something. Off to Druridge Pools where I got a lifer in the form of Water Pipit which showed briefly at the Budge screen.

Redpoll

Yellowhammer

Curlew

Curlew looking up

Oystercatcher

Water Pipit

Pintail

Pink Feet (if you look closely you may be able to spot a couple of Barnacle Geese in amongst this lot)

Pink Feet

Little Grebe

Canada Geese

Stonechat