Friday 29 July 2016

Autumn Vacancies

These beauties are almost guaranteed this Autumn
Male Bearded Tit

Bookings have now opened for the 10-week Autumn term, which begins at the end of September.  At the time of writing there are a couple of vacancies on Wednesday afternoons, Friday afternoons, and Thursday afternoons.  There are fewer vacancies in the mornings. If you are interested in another session, please ask. For at least 2 hours a week encounter the natural world as a completely new sensual experience. You'll be amazed what you'll find just by listening, and not only by looking! In the Autumn we'll be looking for special migrants including: Redstarts, Whinchats, Wryneck, Spotted Redshank, Jack Snipe and Hen Harriers.  Autumn is also the best time of year to enjoy really good views of Bearded tits, so we'll be going to see them. So, if you are interested in learning more about your local wildlife in beautiful and secluded venues for less than £10 a week, then this is the course for you! We visit a different local hotspot each week and identify all the birds and as much other wildlife as we can. This includes mammals, and fungi with  in the early weeks butterflies, dragonflies and wild flowers. The course runs twice daily Tuesday to Friday. If you are interested in more details of the course, or wish to be placed on a waiting list, please leave a comment next to one of my posts or email me on the address at the top of these site.

Please find below a series of photographs taken during the last 2 years of the classes, and the vast majority of these from the Autumn.

Kingfisher (female)
 Family of Bearded Tits
 Ring Ouzel
 Rough-legged Buzzard
 Snow Bunting
 Starling Murmuration
 Water Rail
 Centi's warbler )left) and Bearded Tit
 Bewick's Swan
 Black-tailed Godwit [Archive photo]
 Goldcrest
Jack Snipe
 Great Grey Shrike 
 Pallas Warbler

Thursday 21 July 2016

End of Term Specials

At the end of term I led a few one off visits to either rather special places or those that are a little further away.  From a photography point of view the final visit - to Thorne Moors - was probably the most rewarding with at least 4 Hobbies (all heading west) and a very obliging Turtle Dove.  There were plenty of interesting insects, and a rather shy Grasshopper Warbler.
Record Shot of Hobby
 Record shot of Hobby
 Ditto
 Turtle Dove
  Most Photogenic view of Thorne Moors (c) 2016 Jane Robinson
 Black & Yellow Longhorn Beetle
 Ditto
 Black & Yellow Longhorn Beetle (c) 2016 Jane Robinson
 Clouded Border Moth
 Clouded Border (c) 2016 Jane Robinson
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Wasps nest in a Gate's lock
 Wasps
 Emperor Dragonfly
 Hawker Sp.
 Ditto
 Large Skipper
 Ditto
 Sedge Warbler
 Ditto
 Large Hoverfly Sp.
 Frog
 Diving Beetle
 Marbled Whites at Brockadale
 Yellow Shell at Brockadale
A week earlier we went to Wykeham Forest where the best birds included a hovering Bullfinch, a parachuting Tree Pipit and a soaring Goshawk. 
Hunting Bullfinch 
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Hovering Bullfinch (c) 2016 Jane Robinson
 Ditto (c) 2016 Jane Robinson
 Ditto
 Record Shot of Goshawk
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Parachuting Tree Pipit
 Tree Pipit
 Parachuting Tree Pipit
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Tree Pipit 
 Ditto
A week earlier we went to a brand new reserve near Driffield.  there wasn't many photo opportunities as we visited after a deluge of rain, but we were able to see the potential of this venue ready for proper visits next May.
Peacock Butterfly Caterpillars 
 Ringlet
 Thorne Moors - Large Red Damselfly (c) 2016 Jane Robinson