Spotted Sandpiper

Got back from a weeks holiday in Scotland on Saturday (I will be posting the pictures over the next couple of days) and found out that the Spotted Sandpiper was still on the River Don at Jarrow. It was still showing really well on Sunday too and it‘s a lifer me. A rather wet and windy South Shields pier produced nothing more exiting than a couple of Sandwich Terns however, it was great to catch up with Stu.

Spotted Sandpiper

Sandwich Tern

 

Schoolboy Error

First thing Sunday I was at Seaton Common for the Short-eared Owls. I saw two possibly three but all were at a distance however, I managed to get a few dodgy shots. A kestrel kindly posed to have its picture taken when I was on my way out of the Common. While at Seaton Common I found out that a Bee Eater had been re-found at Haltwhistle but I thought I would go home first for a bite to eat. On leaving home to go up to Haltwhistle I found a Magpie having a go at what looked like a young Collared Dove in our village graveyard. It was quite brutal to see this young bird being attacked like this but nature is raw in tooth and claw. At Haltwhistle, the Bee Eater was showing well from the footbridge over the river. It had a favourite perch and returned to it time after time. I knew I had rattled off loads of shots but I could not believe it when the camera said the cards were full. It was at this point I found out about my schoolboy error. I had only one card in the camera the other one was still in the computer at home, oops.

Short-eared Owl

Kestrel

Just a few of a sequence of images I took of a Magpie attacking, killing and eating what looks like a Collared Dove

Bee Eater watching a fly

Take off

Doing what a Bee Eater is supposed to do

Bringing up a pellet

In flight

Coming in to land on its favourite perch

Catching a fly

 

Images from a few days ago

I seem to be getting out less often than I used too but I don’t know why that is, however here are some images I took a few days ago.

Yellowhammer

Grey Wagtail (high ISO light was rubbish)

Dipper

Mute Swan

Little Grebe

Heron

Wren

GSW

Ruddy Shelduck

Migrant Hawker. There were still quite a few around a few days ago however, when you want them in flight they will not fly.