Summer delights and an apology!

We have had a very busy time since my last update from our Scotland trip, sometimes domestic and family issues come before internet time.

I have also spent a lot of time "in the field" not any particular field but out enjoying finding and watching some rather splendid wildlife, more on this as the update continues.

Decent weather decided to bless us in the middle of summer and we enjoyed plenty of warm and sunny days. My love of wildlife gives me the impetus and enthusiasm to get the gear packed for early starts and I have enjoyed some wonderful sightings early in the day, but my first shots are from the end of the peregrine season at Malham.

Helping others to see the peregrines and other wildlife at the Cove is really enjoyable...plus I get to see and photograph wonderful sights like a tree full of young house martins!

The spotted flycatchers have been a delight once again, here one has caught a butterfly...

And of course the peregrines, we see little of them towards the end of the season fortunately one showed well on my last day of duty...

Whinchats are superb and delightful birds, a friend alerted me to their presence on a local moor and a short walk led me to the site.

The first shot is the female followed by two of the male.

The raptor watch I attend often involves long distance views through binoculars and/or telescope but occasionally we get lucky and a bird flies or lands close enough for photographs...that was the case with this female merlin which landed on a wall not too far away!

Sightings of marsh harriers are not unknown in our area but certainly not regular, one day we had three which was certainly exciting...a short walk on the moor got me near enough for a few shots.

Down on the river Wharfe I enjoyed some close sightings of goosanders

...and of course dippers!

A quick shot of a sparrowhawk

Buzzards are fairly regular sightings

A check on my kingfisher site produced some lovely shots

I love the little grebes that also show here

...and as a bonus there are little egrets too...

Efforts to get the blog up to date will continue, and I hope you will bear with me.

As autumn falls upon us the sightings will change, my love of being out there in amongst our treasured wildlife will never change though, watching wildlife behaving naturally is the finest enjoyment there is.

Many thanks to all who read, don't forget if you do add a comment that they come to me first for moderation.

Cheers everyone

Dave