Thursday 22 December 2022

Quest for Decent Smew Photo

This week I've been checking out birds I'm hoping to take my classes to after the seasonal festivities.  To read more about next term's plans please click here

At Last a Decent White Nun 

I have continued checking on next term's location.  Sometimes two Barn Owls and 4 Short-eared Owl are quartering the fields.  However, on windy afternoons, nothing is present.  Again I just parked in a mini-lay-by and waited to see if anything turned up.

Barn Owl

ditto
Curlew
Red Sky at Night, Vole's Danger
Auto edit, deletes the Pink Sky, but leaves a pink edge round the Turbine!
Red Sky returns
Are you looking at me?
Looks Like It
Pink Flush

Another Day, Less Pink
ditto
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Early on Wednesday morning with strong winds forecast from the SW, and bright skies, I travelled to Tophill Low to see if the Drake Smew was close to the Visitor Centre on D Reservoir.  This is a species I've never been able to get close to with my camera.  It was on the far left near the reservoir wall, but too far for a photo.  It was just a question of waiting for it to swim a little nearer.
Goldeneye
ditto
Drake Pochard
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Drake Shoveler
Are you having a Laugh?  Tufted Ducks
A Smew Sandwich
With a Coot
Drake Smew
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Bad Hair Day
Having a Doze, right in front of the Hide
In the afternoon, in a rather stiff breeze there was no sign of any species of owl.  It was a shame because the light was beautiful.  I had to make do with Curlews, Lapwings, and more surprisingly a Snipe.  
Curlew
Snipe
Meanwhile a Wednesday am stalwart has had two species of "Winter Thrush" in his garden on successive days.  Initially, it was a smart Redwing.  The following day it was a Fieldfare.
Redwing (c) 2022 Tony Robinson

ditto
Fieldfare (c) 2022 Tony Robinson
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A future class member saw a field of Lapwings on the edge of Whitby. 
Lapwing near Whitby (c) 2022 Judy Franklin
Finally, just before the bad weather started a Small Tortoiseshell was probably looking for somewhere to hibernate.
Small Tortoiseshell (c) 2022 Ken Flowers [no relation]

Sunday 18 December 2022

Frost at Mid-Day

Before the recent ice and snow three Grey Wagtails were still in the cemetery looking for insects among the fallen leaves.  They were joined by at least one Pied Wagtail.  Many of the leaves have now been gathered up, so it remains to be seen if the wagtails will still be present once the cold conditions have gone.

Grey Wagtail

ditto
Pied Wagtail
On Wednesday afternoon after the wider family (here for mother’s birthday) had left for Leeds and Middlesbrough, I took my mother for a birthday drive in beautiful light to one of the venues we weren’t able to visit this autumn with the classes.  At first there didn’t appear to be a great deal to see, but then a Barn Owl was spotted flying low over a familiar grassy field.  I parked up in a mini-lay-by, and was rewarded with 2 different species of Owl within 20 minutes of each other.  The setting sun gave the photos a warmth the outside of the car certainly didn’t replicate.
Barn Owl in Late Afternoon Light
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Short-eared Owl
Catching a Mammal?
Mammal in Bill
Short-eared Owl
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Two Thursday classes had to be postponed because of wet weather during the term, so we caught up with the last one at North Cave Wetlands.  The person travelling the furthest was one of two participants to attend.  It felt too cold and icy for 6 others.  It’s a shame because they missed the closest and most prolonged views of Winter Thrushes: Redwings & Fieldfare that we’ve been lucky enough to see.
Redwing
Redwings
Redwing
ditto
Swallowing a Berry
Blackbird
Robin
ditto
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Fieldfare
Fieldfare
Ditto
ditto
Lapwings
ditto & the Legs of a Sheep
ditto
Magpie
Redshank
Heron
Shelduck
Song Thrush
Tawny Owl - morning
In the Afternoon
Black-tailed Godwit & Snipe
Remains of Wren's Nest?
Frost at Mid-day