Spring sprung spectacularly splendidly!

Well at least that is the alliteration out of the way!

 

A few weeks ago a rare chance for a decent walk occurred, the weather forecast wasn't great but I dressed and packed gear accordingly and got dropped off at a high point on my local Rombalds Moor.

 

Not much to see early on but patience pays and it was not too long before I found red grouse...

 

The beautifully mottled female...

 

And the male in full breeding plumage and bright red wattles raised...

 

Soon after this the weather took the expected turn for the worse, except much worse than forecast! I added layers to the sensible stuff I already had on as the wind strength rocketed up, rain turned to machine gun like hail and I sought shelter, the vile stuff was coming straight from the direction I was walking into. Plenty of experience on big hills has taught me a lot and as soon as I could I lost altitude and settled in some rocks a few hundred feet lower down, the hail turned to heavy snow for a while but the fierce wind died. The camera was safely packed away during all this, just before it started I captured this lovely view of Wharfedale....

I found time for a few hours by the river Wharfe the week after, Mandarin ducks can be found here, sometimes asleep :-)

 

 

Time spent in the shelter on the down river side is always worthwhile...

 

Nuthatch...

 

Blue tit...

 

Wandering by the river I found the always delightful dipper...

 

A pied wagtail...

 

and a grey wag too...

 

Many people confuse these with yellow wagtails, but on the yellows the colour continues right up under the bill.

 

My next wander was another Leeds Liverpool canal walk, it is a very relaxing few miles from Bingley to Silsden, unless someone directs you to a location where kingfishers are nesting but there is no activity in the hour or so you sit motionless...and get cold and walk on, I will return!

 

I managed to combine jackdaws and dormitory to come up with a caption of jackadory for this one!!

 

Walking was at a managed pace as I had to be home for a certain time, I paused for long enough to capture this dunnock singing sweetly...

 

The first butterflies of the year are always exciting..a small tortoiseshell..

 

A Canada goose paddled up close..

 

The ever present robin...

 

And maybe as elegance goes, as good as it gets...

 

I also found a siskin...

 

And a long distance view of a curlew....

 

Another good walk!

 

 

The opportunity to meet up and have a day out with a good mate who is very experienced with birds but a very novice photographer could not be refused. A check on northern weather forecasts disclosed the west looked best. A brief phone call...Leighton Moss was always likely...

 

So off we went with combined skills firmly in mind, and fingers crossed for some good sightings!

 

Our joint mojo was good as a chiffchaff appeared in the early light....

 

A black headed gull appeared to be a little introspective...

 

Then a few minutes of real excitement, my patient trawl through the binoculars revealed two otters in the pond, long distance but clear and great fun to watch and my friend's first ever sighting..

 

Shared skills are vital, a soft song and halt as we walked as Gary identified a bullfinch singing in  amongst the woodland chorus...

 

A very close look at a great crested grebe was a treat for us both...

 

 

A real treat as a marsh harrier came fairly close..

 

One brief chance at a brimstone butterfly as we switched hides...

 

The wrens are at their most vocal and visible in Spring!

 

Occasionally here the red deer stags wander out for a feed...

 

And the delightful but aggressive avocets are back...

 

Appropriately from the hide named after Eric Morecambe, an avocet two step...."Bring me sunshine"

 

 

 

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