One day I will run out of excuses for the lack of updates, this time is a first...simply too busy to blog! The weather has been kinder, the opportunities to get out with binoculars, telescope and camera have been often and time in has been scarce, or when I have been in and edited the days images I have been too tired to thinking about compiling a report.
Regular readers will understand how deep my love of wildlife is and time spent in the field is far more important than the acknowledged and respected feedback on my photographs.
An early trip to Malham to see if the peregrines were about, the male was up in one his regular perches...
More on these later...
Pied wagtails are lovely endearing birds with their fluttering flight and cheerful call.
Up towards Janet's Foss dippers are fairly reliable sightings
Walks on the moors are regular, as are red grouse sightings...
We have a large colony of the occasionally noisy black headed gulls, slight misnomer as the head is chocolate brown...
The wall tops are always worth a look, sometimes they yield a beauty like a little owl!
RSPB Leighton Moss is great for all sorts, Marsh Harrier especially.... a male hunting
Red deer stag...
Male goldcrest in display mode
Treecreeper
Marsh tit
Peregrine watch day brought some decent views of the male in flight...
Days at my raptor watchpoint rarely yield photographs, the views through binoculars and scope can be fantastic but often beyond the range of my lens. Just occasionally we get a bonus, crossbills landed in nearby treetops, these are the males.
The females which are yellow/green chose more secluded perches unfortunately!
We have a local pale variant buzzard who chose to fly close overhead...
The tail is rather tatty at the moment!
Another trip past the little owl site..
Lapwing are all around us in the fields, such delightful birds...
The short eared owls continue to show, hopefully a breeding pair...
When I stop enjoying wrens I will throw my camera away!
Nuthatch...
Treecreeper...
One of the benefits of the birding community is trust with friends, I got to hear of a pair of ring ouzels and managed a distant shot of a male..
and on the same day my first wheatear shot of the year...
So, the migration season is well and truly underway, I am happily busy and sleep comes easily after long days out. You can buy photographic opportunities but nothing beats the wonderful pleasure of knowing the habitats and the habits of the species you want to see, learning all the time about how to identify certain birds and knowing you are getter better and more expert and confident. Enjoying the company of like minded friends makes the hours fly by but I hope Spring lasts a long time!
Many thanks to all who read, please remember if you do comment that they come to me first for moderation so they will not appear immediately.
What a fantastic area you are able to cover, so much to see. There is never quite enough time though is there!
ReplyDeleteStunning photos, had see there was Ring Ouzel in the area, would love to see one.
ReplyDeleteAmanda
Lovely to see the peregrine at Malham, they had gone by the time we were there with you last September. What an amazing array of different birds again, the photos of short eared owl were delightful. Loved the close up of the nuthatch and a fine one of the lapwing . . amongst all the other beauties too !
ReplyDeleteJust realised I hadn't looked at this blog. Once again some excellent sightings. Nice to see the Crossbills.
ReplyDelete