We plan and book our holidays a long way in advance, this is necessary to get properties in the areas we love to visit. As wildlife watching and photography have become more popular the more the difficulty of getting a booking in prime areas has increased.
So, a trip to Suffolk where we had great weather, great sightings and a superb holiday last year.....
The good old UK weather paid us back for over confidence, a week of strong easterly winds with little sunshine meant sightings were somewhat limited.
Sedge warbler ...
Avocets offered some nice reflections albeit in poor light...
Hobbys have returned, a wonderful small falcon that hunts dragonflies but will take small birds as well. Fast and agile they are wonderful to observe...
A brief but good sighting of a bittern...
Marsh harriers are plentiful around the reserves in Suffolk and we had some splendid sightings...
These are shots of males.
Smaller birds took lots of patience to locate, they sang well but more often than not from positions under cover from the strong winds!
However, a male blackcap showed himself...
Female marsh harrier...
A muntjac deer...
A true delight, a male bearded tit!
Movement in the water near the reedbeds alerted us to the presence of an otter, not visible for long but wow!
and a sighting of a male sparrowhawk
While we were away news came through that a male pallid harrier was not far from my local patch, fingers were firmly crossed that it would hang around until we got home.
At the first opportunity we made our way to the location, success! Distant but UK sightings, certainly this far north are quite rare. Of the same general family as hen harriers but a distinct separate species.
The harrier was alternating between hunting and display flights, carrying nest material in a desperate attempt to attract a female. It seems the attempt failed and it has moved on.
We called at Malham to check on the peregrines, great news...three chicks visible!
Pied flycatchers are back in a local wood...
We had super views as a great spotted woodpecker delved for insects along some fence posts and moss strewn boulders...
An intriguing scuffle between a male cuckoo and a meadow pipit was witnessed...
Female ring ouzel during a moorland walk...
Exciting news that an osprey was showing locally drew my attention!
and a stoat showed while I was on duty at peregrine watch, magic!
And a taster for next month?
Yesterday I witnessed and photographed a food pass between the adult peregrines!
Tomorrow we head for NW Scotland for a couple of weeks, pine marten, golden eagles, white tailed eagles...fingers crossed very firmly!
Many thanks to all who read my blog, it really is appreciated. Don't forget if you do comment that they come to me first for moderation.
What great sightings, despite the weather not being spot-on when you were in Suffolk. Good to see the peregrines too, I have been watching them on 'Wild Yorkshire' these last few days, a programme we recorded a while back. Thought of you sitting there at the moment !
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