A couple of visits last week to Huttoft to see what comes past on the high tide, with a gusty northerly wind, we had plenty to keep us occupied. Half a dozen skuas on both visits (Arctic and Long-tailed) were the highlights.
Monday, August 31, 2020
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
A trip to Spurn
A spur of the moment decision to go to Spurn. Some good birds had been coming onto the Spurn Twitter feed on Sunday so Monday morning off we headed. As usual, the wind had changed and most of the birds had cleared out overnight. But this lovely pied flycatcher was still around along with one of the red-backed shrikes (which was as distant as ever). The highlight for me was the swallows that fledged right infront of our eyes in Canal Scrape hide while everyone else was having a Sandpiper moment !
Meadow Pipit that coughed up a pellet, you can see the pellet above its head.
Yellow Wagtail taking a bath
Swallow outside Canal Scrape hide
Yellow Wagtail
Swallows from Canal Scrape hide, that fledged as we sat there. Lots of flapping was happening on the edge of the nest and the parent birds sat in the windows, calling to their chicks. Then it happened, first one, then another and then a third chick all left the safety of the nest and gained a bit more confidence sitting on the bird hide frame before taking their first flight. A few dodgy landings and they soon had it mastered. There were two chicks left in the nest, but bet by the end of the day, they too had braved it. Quite an emotional time for me, I chatted to the swallows and wished them well on their long journey and told them I would see them next year, hope they were all listening !
Redshank
Lots of sandpipers on Canal Scrape. Common, Green and Wood Sandpiper that the few people in the hide enjoyed while I turned my back and watched the swallows, far better !
Wood Sandpiper
and this lovely little owl on the way home
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)