An afternoon at…

…Far Pastures and Thornley Woods around midway through this month produced some canny wildlife. 

Two Red Kite were flying around the fields at Far Pastures.

A pair of Whitethroat were feeding chicks in the brambles.

Meadow Brown Butterfly.

Small Skipper Butterfly.

Comma Butterfly.

Red Admiral Butterfly.

Bug.

This juvenile Little Grebe was catching fish at Far Pastures.

Close encounter with a Jay at Thornley Woods.

Female Great Spotted Woodpecker.

The first Juvenile GSW.

The second Juvenile GSW.

And I think this could be a third juvenile GSW.

 There were a few feathers floating around so out of daftness I thought I would try and get a shot of one.

Bempton Cliffs

 

It’s a fortnight ago since I went to Bempton Cliffs to see “Albert” the Black-browed Albatross. I arrived at 6am and left at 5pm in those eleven hours I stood in the same spot (I probably moved less than a meter) on Staple Newk, the best vantage point (or so I was told) to see “Albert”. However, in those eleven hours “Albert” did not show once but I did get some images of the other birds that adorn those cliffs.

Thousands of Gannets nest on the cliffs each year.

This one is coming in to land.

Love is in the air

But there are also battles going on both on the cliffs.

And in the sea.

I like the way this young Gannet is checking out the assembled crowd.

A near miss.

We were lucky this wasn’t any closer to us.

This youngster wants to be fed.

Hovering just above the cliff.

Kittiwake also nest on the cliffs. This youngster is using the wind to slow it down before it lands on the cliff.

I think the markings on the young birds look great.

An adult Kittiwake calling.

Fulmar use the thermals to glide over the cliffs.

A flyby by a Peregrine.

With all of the birds around there are bound to be feathers, I couldn’t resist.