Bungling Birder

Back to Bretton

2011-12-27T17:13:00.002Z

Depending on your point of view, Bretton Lakes Nature Reserve has recently been either revamped or vandalised. Today was my first visit since the not-so-grand re-opening and the first thing to hit me was the exponential rise in visitor numbers. I'm far from being an expert but I can't see how this can have a positive effect? I suppose only time will tell and we will be able to make more of a judgement when the next breeding season starts?

The sun was already sinking below the horizon when I arrived so, birdfeed at the ready, I made straight for the hide. All the usual suspects were around and were more than happy for me to sit close to their feeding stations to get some pics.

Photographically, the bad light meant high ISO settings and low shutter speeds hence there was plenty of noise and motion blur on the results.

After much post-processing here is the best of what I captured...

(Wren, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Blue Tit and Chaffinch)

Lanzarote

2011-11-09T23:17:00.000Z

I've been to Lazarote a few times in the past but that was before I got into bird photography so I was looking forward to this trip.

The first time I had a drive around made me realise that getting close to the subject wasn't going to be easy, mainly due to the lack of trees and other natural cover. So the car was going to have to make do as a hide. Thankfully I brought a beanbag with me so at least I could get a fairly stable camera window rest.

My first outing produced a grand total of nothing but after that things slowly improved.

By far the most common and friendly bird was the Berthelot's Pipit. These were around practically everywhere and were happy to come really close to me.

I didn't want to leave the island without seeing a Houbara Bustard. I'd no idea what they looked like or how big they were so when I saw this bird creeping around in the undergrowth I thought I'd found my target, only for it to turn out to be a Stone Curlew.

The next time I came to this area the Houbara Bustard did turn up.

It might have been fortunate for this fella that I was around as waiting on the rim of the valley in which I was sat in were this pair and their dogs.

They were to my right. To my left there had been some guys on loud trail bikes which resulted in two Bustards being driven (intentionally?) towards the hunters. I was roughly in the middle and both the birds doubled back when they saw me. I like to think that my presence might have spoilt the hunter's fun!

A few of the other photos that I managed to get before returning home...

Cattle Eagret

~~Sardinian Warbler~~ Male Spectacled Warbler

~~Common Whitethroat~~ Female Spectacled Warbler

Thanks to Roy for pointing out my ID mistakes. I even checked the female on WAB and still got it wrong!

Great Grey Shrike

Trumpeter Finch

~~Eleonora's Falcon~~ Common Kestrel

Hoopoe

Brazil - Toucans

2011-08-29T15:54:00.001+01:00

I did plan to visit the Intervales State Park during my visit to

Brazil, w

hich by all accounts is an excellent place for birding but I didn't manage to get there. Consequently there were very few photo opportunities. However I did decide to take my camera and a 300mm lens along with me when I visited one of my company's plants about 40 miles from Sao Paulo city.

It proved to be a fortunate decision as shortly after I arrived 3 Toucans landed in a tree not far from the entrance where I was waiting for our hosts. After a mad rush inside to get the camera they were still there so I managed to get some shots.

This pair seemed intent on having a bit of a scrap...

Whilst the other one looked on with amusement?

Brazil

2011-08-18T02:36:00.002+01:00

Work has brought me all the way over to Sao Paulo for a few weeks so I thought I'd better take the camera along and try to grab a few shots of the local birdlife. So far the only place I've managed to get to with any greenery is a local park, which as far as I know is called Parque Ibirapuera.

It was a warm and sunny Saturday afternoon and very busy with the local humans but I did manage to get a few bird photos. Here they are along with my best guesses (courtesy of Google) as to their identity...

Kiskadee

Black Swans

Southern Lapwing

Billy the...

France Part II - Trailcam

2011-06-23T18:49:00.007+01:00

I'd been wondering if these things were any good since I saw them being used on a wildlife program on TV. So I decided to take the plunge and fork out the best part of 200 quid on one to take on my trip to France.

Here are the results.

I think the first one is a young and very nervous Roe Deer.

Later on and after it got light an older Deer appeared for a short time.

This Fox appeared on the first night but it didn't quite know what to make of the jam sandwiches that I'd left out as bait for the Pine Marten.

Finally and after several blank nights my main target - the Pine Marten - showed up. Normally a nocturnal animal (or so I thought) it appeared before it even got dark.

The Pine Marten made one more appearance, this time in the dark where it appeared to show some displeasure at being filmed!

For several days I had been putting food (mainly nuts) out for the birds in the hope that I could tempt some Woodpeckers down onto a tree stump to photograph them. I never saw as much as a sparrow but the food kept dissapearing as though it had been hoovered up. So I decided to set the trailcam up on a tripod to try and capture the culprit..

..it didn't take long...

France

2011-06-11T14:09:00.044+01:00

My third trip to Perassay in Central France has been met with a bit of unseasonal weather. In the week leading up to our visit the temperature had been over 30C but since we arrived it has dropped back into the teens! This has curtailed the wife’s sunbathing but no matter as the birds are still around in their usual numbers!

However the Golden Oriole’s at the bottom of the garden are as elusive as ever and although one did present itself the other day, I didn’t have my camera with me.

This Dormouse came to join us for tea the other night. It was scurrying around above our heads in the roof of our hosts’ gazebo when I managed to get this shot of it eating a bit of ham that we’d left it. I was surprised at the size of these creatures – as big as a Hamster.

Black Redstart?

Dunno what this bird of prey is but there were about 20 of them circling a farmer’s field as he cut back the grass.

Young something or other…

A few pics from the garden...

Hummingbird Hawk Moth

I took the rest of the photos on a visit to La Brenne nature reserve.

Black-Crowned Night Heron (Hopefully)

I'm not sure what this is though. It was hunting above the reedbeds which I was sat above inside a hide. I thought it could be a Marsh Harrier but the one I got the other week at Far Ings didn't have a white head!

Reed Warbler

Far Ings Nature Reserve

2011-04-22T16:44:00.012+01:00

Far Ings NR is situated on the south-west side of Humber Bridge and is well worth a visit at an time of the year. It is particularly good for decent sightings of the Bittern and Bearded Tit. Although I didn't manage to catch sight of either bird today I did hear plenty of Bearded Tits hiding in the reed beds.

A rare sighting of a Weasel gave me my first opportunity to get some photos. I'd been stood very still for a while between two reed beds, hoping that whatever was providing the loud sing-song would pop-up and let me get a shot, when this fella appeared and ran towards me. I put the blurred images down to the effects of the heat haze ;-)

I stayed around in this location for a while longer and eventually did catch a couple of fleeting glimpses of the resident warblers. I'm not sure what they are though but I'll guess at Sedge Warbler (2) and then Reed Warbler? If anyone knows better please feel free to correct me.

~~Tree~~ House Sparrow

The rest of the pictures were taken at the edge of one of the lakes from a hide.

Marsh Harrier

Common Tern

Coot

Little Grebe

River Calder

2011-04-13T14:13:00.006+01:00

With the demise of Bretton Lakes NR looking almost inevitable now, I thought I'd better try and find somewhere else to spend my spare time. The River Calder runs through Dewsbury and at it's closest point is only around 400 yards from my home. Close enough to forget that it is there! So I set off yesterday for a walk along it's banks on a bright but cool and breezy morning.

I was more than impressed with what I found. On the river there were the usual suspects, a pair of Mute Swans, Mallards, Grey Heron and I spotted a Grey Wagtail hopping around on the weir. I also heard a Kingfisher calling but didn't catch sight of it.

Black Headed Gull and Lesser Black-Backed Gull

It was on the banks of the river where I came across the more interesting stuff...

I'm afraid that the photos are a bit on the small side as the subjects were a tad shy, not to mention on the small side themselves. I must try to get closer in the future!

Chiffchaff

Sand Martin

Willow Warbler - first one I've seen in my home town

Female Bullfinch

Blackcap - he wouldn't come out from behind the branch though!

Long Tailed Tit

Common Whitethroat. I've found these birds to be most infuriating to photograph as they don't let you get close. They pop-up from the undergrowth from time-to-time but as soon as you move they dissapear only to emerge from the undergrowth somewhere else!

Another shy bird and another first for me at this location! This Linnet was with his mate but she was even more difficult to see and I didn't manage to get a shot.

How to Ruin a Nature Reserve…?

2011-04-09T19:14:00.021+01:00

It has been a long while since I’ve visited my favourite local nature reserve, Bretton Lakes. Since then (October 2010) the owners have decided that the place needs a facelift and work has begun on what they call an “Ambitious new landscape restoration project”. The scheme seems to have been born of a conspiracy between Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield Council and Natural England, who have provided a cool half-million quid to fund the work.

All well and good, but they appear to have ignored the interests of the current residents, the wildlife that has thrived in and around the lakes for many years in what used to be known as Bretton Lakes Nature Reserve.

Here is the blurb - YSP Blurb

The nature reserve only gets a mention once but it does state that,

“…YSP to restore and enhance 85 acres of woodland nature reserve around two 65 acre designed lakes…”.

Mmmm… “restore and enhance” – sounds great doesn’t it? I wonder how the 100+ species of birds as well as the Foxes, Bats, Woodmice, Voles, Badgers, Weasels, Squirrels, Rabbits, Hares etc., not to mention the vast array of insect life, will benefit from this ambitious restoration project?

Well the answer is that in a few weeks time all the aforementioned wildlife will all be able to enjoy such blessings as - “… historic footpaths, bridges, views, follies and incredible historical features including a Greek-style summer house, a now land-locked Boat House, an Obelisk, Stepping Stones and a magical Shell Grotto.”

Whoopee! I can just hear the chorus of approval from the residents!

I sneaked into the reserve the other evening to take a look around but can’t say that I was impressed with what I saw.

Compare these two photos for instance. Most of the habitat on the left-hand side has been completely destroyed! But the human visitors can now get a view of the lake from the hall so I suppose that’s ok? So much for the stated intention to “restore and enhance” – it looks more like a scorched earth policy to me.

I also paid a visit to the hide. I was dreading this as I thought they might have removed it but thankfully it is still there. The same can’t be said for some of the well-established trees at the rear though.

I’m really struggling to understand why these old trees had to be vandalised in this way?

Next I had a walk around to the side of the lake where I took many Kingfisher shots last year.

Kingfishers

Young Kingfishers

All the perches you can see being used in the two blogs (above) have now been removed. So much for “restore and enhance”. So much for the Kingfisher being a Schedule 1 Protected Species!
If you look at the photo below, down the right-hand side by the lake edge you can see where a tree has been removed. A fallen tree has also gone from a little further along the bank. Both of these trees provided many excellent perches for the Kingfishers. The live tree also shaded the water, enabling the birds to see the fish better and at the same time provided cover and protection from predators.

If you look near the centre of the photo you will notice that there is now a large gap in the trees and the ‘Greek Temple’ (a cheap-looking folly) can be seen right at the top. This is another example of the wanton destruction. Many trees have been sawn down and lots of undergrowth ripped-up (important habitat for Wrens, Dunnocks etc.) just to provide the future human visitors with a view of the lake.

I suppose it is early days yet and one shouldn’t be too critical. But what the hell… its quite obvious that the interests of the wildlife have been completely ignored in favour of the human visitors to the park. A cracking nature reserve is in the process of being ruined so that the YSP can attract more people to pay £4 per car for each visit to the park. The nature reserve is being absorbed into the sculpture park. This is bad news for the wildlife!

A few bird photos taken during my visit...

Canada Goose, Robin, Nuthatch and a couple of Mallards playing Kiss-Chase.

Bretton Update

2010-10-07T19:38:00.008+01:00

It was the height of summer the last time I was at Bretton but today had a very welcome Autumn feel to it. The weather was perfect - sunshine, not a breath of wind and a seasonally cool 12 degrees centigrade when I arrived this morning. Not that it would have mattered if it had have been raining and blowing a gale as I'd taken the day off work so it was playtime!

I headed straight for the hide where I was pleased to see that the Little Grebes are still around. There was little else to photograph though...

...apart from this rather strange looking Mallard/Teal? I'm still not 100% sure but surely the beak it too short for a Mallard?

After leaving the hide I had a look at the spot on the lakeside where, during the spring/summer I'd had some good opportunities to photograph Kingfishers and Grey Wagtails. It was far too dark today though. The angle of the sun has changed and it has 'sunk' below the canopy of the trees. I'll have to wait a few months for the trees to shed their leaves before using that site again.

Its been ages since I'd seen the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at the far end of the lake so before heading for home I decided to have a wonder down there. I was only stood for about 10 minutes before this little fella arrived. Unlike their larger relatives these birds don't seem to keep still for longer than a second but I managed a few shots before she scarpered.

Spain

2010-09-30T01:12:00.003+01:00

I spent the first two weeks of September in Andalucia, Southern Spain. The weather was still hot but it didn't prevent me from venturing out with the long lens.

The first week we stayed on the coast in Torrox. About 10 miles west of here is the mouth of the Rio Velez which, according to my brief research, is a decent place for bird watching. I saw plenty of Egrets, Purple Heron, Hoopees and a load of species that I couldn't identify. The only snag with this place was that I couldn't get as close as I would liked.

I don't know what some of these birds are and despite trying to ID them in books and on the net I failed so you will have to make your own mind up.

I think this one is a Hairy-Legged Wheatear but I suspect I might be wrong...!

Red-Legged Partridge

Purple Heron

The second week was spent close to a village called San Pablo de Buceite, which was about 30 miles North of Gibraltar, right on the migration route. I saw plenty of birds of prey making the journey south. Again, I can't identify them all but I think I've got a couple right.

Buzzardy-type thingy?

This Grasshopper was in the garden of our hired villa and it must have been 4 inches long! I was impressed with the striped eye.

Griffon Vulture

Dunno?

Back to the garden and there were a few friendly Redstarts around. Female and male I reckon?

Last but not least was this Short-Toed Eagle which was kind enough to glide (and land a couple of times) near to a road which I was driving along!

Hummingbird Moth

2010-08-18T21:30:00.003+01:00

My second trip to France this year enabled me to get some pictures of the Hummingbird Moth. There were plenty of these strange-looking things feeding on the flowers in the garden of our friends, who own the Holiday Cottage in Perassay that we stay at. If you're thinking of a birding holiday in France or just want some peace and quiet you would struggle to find a better place than this.

Bretton Update

2010-08-15T20:03:00.010+01:00

A pleasant Sunday morning motivated me just enough to get out of bed early and head down to Bretton Lakes. The hide is usually empty at this hour but I could see at least two people in there as I approached, so I turned around and made for my spot in the open by the lakeside.

August is usually a very quiet time and this morning was no different. I sat there for almost an hour with only an inquisitive Great Tit for company. It landed in a bush at the side of me to check out what I was doing. Perhaps he/she had seen me leave the area at the back of the hide without leaving some seed as I would normally and had come to give me a nagging?

It chattered away for a few minutes before returning to the area by the hide.

Eventually a solitary Kingfisher arrived.

It stayed around for over half an hour. Hopping from perch to perch, it went fishing many times and caught at least seven fish.

Before swallowing the fish it first shakes it and smacks it against the branch to kill it.

Young Mink

2010-07-23T20:56:00.007+01:00

I've caught several fleeting glimpses of the American Mink which live around Bretton Lakes but up to now none of them have lingered long enough to get a photograph.

They were the last thing on my mind this afternoon when I sat down on the bank of the top lake with high expectations of a visit from the Kingfishers and Wagtails. I'd been sat for barely five minutes when I caught sight of a couple of long, dark furry things, scrambling along a fallen tree at the edge of the lake.

The one at the rear quickly lost confidence and headed back from where it had come but the second one came out into the open to pose for some shots.

I think they're youngsters as they were only around a foot long, not including the tail.

At this point it swam across to the far side of the inlet and then out into the bushes on the shore. A few minutes later I heard a screech. I guess he/she had just caught a meal, probably one of the Bank Voles that we encourage to feed at the back of the hide!

Several more minutes went by and the Mink re-emerged, dived into the water and caught some kind of snail? Whatever it was it provided a snack.

If I'm correct and the adult Mink have now successfully bred, it can only have a negative impact on the reserve, particularly on the birds who nest on the ground and lake surface. The resident Great Crested Grebes have, for example, built at least 3 nests throughout this breeding season but they haven't produced any young. It is very likely that the Mink ate their eggs before they could hatch.

It's all Gone Quiet...

2010-07-20T06:38:00.002+01:00

...at the nature reserve at Bretton Lakes. The birds have given up singing (barring the odd Robin and Wren) signalling the end of another breeding season.

This was my first visit for over a month. I didn't expect to see much so I decided to pay a brief visit to the hide before moving on to the inlet where I saw the four young Kingfishers on my last visit.

As expected there was nothing much showing on the lake but there was one expeption, the Little Grebes have returned at last. They didn't come close though so I had to make do with this long distance shot.

Young Coot.

One of the resident Great Crested Grebes swam quite close to the hide.

And then it was off to watch the young Kingfishers. I took up position in what's becoming my usual spot and waited. I once heard a saying that, 'It takes the woods half an hour to forget you are there' - this turned out to be true last time as the Kingfishers arrived right on cue.

No such luck this time though. How dare they stand me up?

I was on the verge of moving on when something flew in low and landed not twenty feet away on one of the fallen trees.

It wasn't a Kingfisher but the even more elusive (for me at least) Grey Wagtail.

It stayed around for a few minutes and I thought that was that. But then a few minutes later it returned with what I at first thought must be it's partner. They both looked a bit scruffy and I put this down to the toils of rearing the young. But after I returned home and uploaded the pictures I changed my mind. I reckon they are juveniles. They did look a bit on the small side and the scruffy feathers could be 'cos they aren't fully grown yet? Their breast feathers should have more yellow? Either way I was well pleased by their appearance. They stayed for quite a while too!

I'm not sure what it has caught but it did swallow it after thinking about it for a few moments.

When I headed home, well chuffed with the Wagtails I was meandering over a field when a Hare sprung up right in front of me and legged it, heading over a hill on the horizon. I threw the tripod onto it's feet and managed to fire off a few shots just before it dissapeared over the brow.

Even though he's moving away at around 40 mph his eye seems to be looking back at me!

Allerthorpe Common

2010-07-04T15:26:00.000+01:00

Allerthorpe Common is a small Yorkshire Wildlife Trust nature reserve near to Pocklington in East Yorkshire. I haven't been there for a couple of years and a warm and sunny day was forecast so I decided to book a day off work.

Allerthorpe Common

Location on Multimap

The main reason for my visit was to try to get some pictures of the numerous Dragonflies which can be seen around the main pond. It was a warm, sunny day so they should be quite active. I wanted to have a go with my new macro lens which I've had for months now but haven't used yet.

The reserve is a good half-mile from the nearest car park but the stroll through the forest is nice and easy.

I came across this Carrion Crow. Its not often I attempt to get shots of these birds as they usually fly off but this one was quite happy on his tree-top perch.

I wasn't expecting a wave though...!

On to the reserve and I soon found out that the focal length (105mm) of my macro lens required me to get much closer than the Dragonflies would allow. They kept taking flight so I put an extension tube on my 300mm and used that instead.

I think this is a Four Spotted Chaser?

Damselflies

I soon got bored with the insects and decided to move on and try for some bird shots. There were several Green Woodpeckers around but as usual they refused to pose for photographs.

I set up by a small pond, under a bit of cover and this Willow Warbler(?) came quite close after a while. Nothing much else of note came near but I enjoyed watching the Blue and Coal Tits bathing in the cool water. Unfortunatley they were out of range for decent shots.

I uploaded this young Grey Heron shot by mistake so I might as well include it. It was taken from the hide at Bretton Lakes a couple of weeks ago.

Young Kingfishers

2010-06-12T15:46:00.002+01:00

There hasn't been much to see at Bretton lately so instead of going to the hide I decided to setup at the side of the lake. I've long suspected that Kingfishers use this area but previous visits have all proved fruitless.

After half an hour it looked like today was going to turn out the same, until this one turned up.

The white tip to the beak shows that it's a young bird apparently.

It wasn't long before another one appeared and they decided to sit together. A sibling perhaps?

Suddenly one of them dived under the water and emerged with what looked like a Stickleback. I remember these prickly fish from my younger days when we used to catch them in the local park lake. I wouldn't like to have to swallow one though!

Before swallowing the unlucky fish it flew back to where it had left its sibling. In the twenty or so seconds since it left the perch another two, presumably from the same nest, had arrived.

And there they sat for quite some time until finally dispersing to do a bit more fishing.

I never knew Kingfishers ate Tadpoles...

...or insects!

It was really good to see this young family who were all finding food without their parents, whom there was no sign of. Although I thought I counted five of them at one stage so mum or dad might have been around. They stuck around for about forty minutes, which was great to watch but I got a bit trigger-happy with the camera and ended up with over six-hundred shots! Still, its not everyday you get to see one of these birds, never mind four of them.

French Assortment

2010-05-30T13:16:00.000+01:00

I spent last week in France at a holiday cottage near to Perassay, a small village in the Indre region. Me and the wife were the first people to stay at our friends (Mo and Steve) newly restored and converted dwelling.

They've done an excellent job in converting the building (part of a very old barn) from a sheep shelter! See here - Stargazer Cottage

The cottage is in prime birding terrortory too. For example, Golden Orioles can be heard from the garden. Seeing them is another matter though as anyone who's tried to spot this elusive bird will testify. I just wish I'd got there earlier in spring before the green canopy covered the trees!

Besides the birds there is plenty of other wildlife in the area. Red Squirrels, Wild Boars, Pine Martins are some of the species that I failed to see. Here are some pictures of the stuff that I did manage to photograph...

Swallowtail Butterfly - Mo had kept a pupa in a glass jar all winter long and as luck would have it the butterfly emerged whilst I was there to photograph it.

We spent a day at La Brenne. Known as “The Land of a Thousand Lakes” it is a nature park which covers a large area and is home to many wetland birds as well as other interesting plants and animals.

Grey Heron

You would have thought that large, juicy Frogs living in France would keep a low profile but not a bit of it. This lot could be heard from the car park. In fact they were so loud that at first I thought they were some type of exotic duck.

Great White Eagret

Purple Heron

Fresh Water Tortoise

I thought only turtles had tails but the info board on the wall of the hide said that these were Tortoises?

I spent a while driving around the deserted country lanes near to our cottage and did the bird watching from the car. I heard and caught fleeting glimpses of many birds but the only ones to pose long enough for me to stop the car, lean out of the window and get some shots were these Red Backed Shrikes - male first then the female.

I thought it a bit strange to find this Roe Deer(?) feeding during the daylight hours.

Common Sandpiper

2010-05-15T03:56:00.002+01:00

A definite first for me at Bretton Lakes, I was surprised to see a Common Sandpiper in the front of the hide this afternoon. Luckilly for me it was in no great hurry as the shock of seeing something new put me into a bit of a panic. I forgot that the focus limiter on my lens was set to 10m-infinity. The bird was closer than that so I had to change it and take aim again. Sod's law would normally dictate that the bird would choose this moment to fly away but not on this occasion! I also forgot to add a bit of exposure compensation but I was able to correct this in post processing. This is one advantage that shooting in RAW gives you.

That was the end of the excitement for today!

Meanwhile a few of the usual suspects were happy to pose around for me.

Great Tit

Dunnock

I think this scruffy looking ball of fluff is a recently fledged Nuthatch?

"I'm not fat, I'm big-boned!"

A fellow blogger recently asked if I could upload a picture of Bretton's only wildlife hide so here it is. It's a small, rickety construction. Big enough for only about 4 people but it's nice and snug!

The horizontal bits of rotting wood on the left are improvised feeders, complete with a Great Tit who was eager to get at the seed I'd just put there. Underneath the bushes on the right of the entrance is where we put food down for the local Bank Voles, Woodmice and Shrews.

The viewing window is quite narrow but the thick log provides a nice, steady platform for the camera. Yet again I'd forgotten to bring my beanbag though! The island can be seen in the foreground but the Heronry is out of shot at the top of the trees. The wooded area on the far side is on a narrow spit of land that is bordered on one side by the River Dearne with the lake on the other. This area is people free so the wildlife tends to favour that side of the lake.

Bretton Update

2010-05-13T03:20:00.000+01:00

There were lots of Bluebells around to brighten up the woodland this morning. Pity I failed to anticipate this and bring a short lens with me to capture it!

Peacock butterfly.

Wren

There wasn't much else to be seen in Bridge Royd Wood so I headed for the hide. Just before I arrived I heard some birdsong from within a bush so I decided to hang around for a bit. After a couple of minutes this Blackcap popped-up to see what was going on.

Thankfully I didn't just blunder into the hide and stick my lens through the viewing window or I would have spooked this young Grey Heron who was perched on a log just in front of the island.

One of my favourite pastimes last spring was watching the Bank Voles, Woodmice and Shrews that became partial to the birdseed and nuts at the rear of the hide. It's nice to see that they have returned. Unfortunately I didn't have a flash with me so all today's shots were blurred barring this one which is almost sharp.

Bank Vole

Up on t' Moors

2010-05-05T19:17:00.000+01:00

It was high time that I had a day out so I took a day off work and went to Carr Vale nature reserve, just off the M1 (jcn 29a) in Bolsover. The weather looked promising so I set off with high expectations.

The first thing I noticed when I got there was that there were in fact two nature reserves adjacent to each other. One of these was the Peter Fidler Nature Reserve. Now anyone who has watched the old Carry On films will be all too familiar with the character of Mr Fiddler. So it was with images and sounds of Sid James, Kenneth Williams and Charles Hawtrey in my mind that I set off to explore..!

To cut a long story short, I didn't stay around for very long. Both reserves were very promising but there were far too many of the dreaded dog walkers around. One of whom thought it was a good idea to chuck a big stick into the lake for his mutt to fetch. The fact that this caused the Swans, Great Crested Grebes and other wildfowl to scatter in panic didn't seem to concern the dog owner at all.

So with double entendres and Sid James' laugh still fresh in my mind I retraced my steps over Mr. Fidler and left. I wouldn't let my experience put anyone off a visit to either of these reserves. Just make sure you get there early in the morning if you want some peace and quiet.

So it was off back up the M1, exit at junction 37, along the A628 and up to the Peak District to try my luck. I pulled off the road after a few miles and headed in an upwards direction and soon found myself here -

Another 10 minutes walking and it was sufficiently quiet and secluded to sit down and wait for something to happen. Must admit I wasn't too optimistic as barring the call of the odd Grouse I hadn't heard any birdsong on the way up.

I needn't have worried though. As usual, all I had to do was sit quiet and still and it wasn't too long before a very friendly Wheatear appeared. Not only did it stick around for a while but it kept coming back too. All very nice but the bird never came quite close enough to fill the frame of the camera as much as I would have liked. I was fairly pleased with these shots though.

There were plenty of Grouse around but they kept their distance.

I spent a nice, peaceful and relaxing couple of hours in this spot before returning home. Not another person or dog to be seen!

On the way back to the car I came across a few Meadow Pipits.

I thought these two were different types of Pipit but after checking with the people on the Wild About Britain website I was told that they were both Meadow Pipits. Apparently the patterns and colours can vary quite a bit.

Mink

2010-04-30T21:20:00.002+01:00

It had been a very uneventful afternoon at Bretton when all of a sudden the Ducks and Geese began to scatter in all directions. I looked up to see if there were any birds of prey around but there were none. So I looked at the water and could just make out something dark, swimming in the wake of a now departed family of Mallard, which I believe were his target.

I've seen the Mink on the banks of the lake but never in it, where it shouldn't really have any chance of catching anything. I suspect the Mallards were swimming very close to the far shore when the Mink decided to launch itself at one of the youngsters.

Unfortunately the far side of the lake is out of the reach of my 500mm lens, even with the 1.4x converter attached. But you can just about make out the head and shoulders of the Mink as he swims after the ducks.

Some of the family decided to take refuge on an abandoned Coot's nest.

Panic over. About 10 minutes later they were swimming around as if nothing had happened.

Then I noticed a Cormorant had arrived. Not sure how easy it is to dry your feathers in the rain though!

Bretton Update

2010-04-24T14:44:00.002+01:00

The excellent weather got me out of bed early and I was at Bretton Lakes by half past seven. It was a bit cool but there was bright sunshine and not a breath of wind - perfect conditions for photography.

I decided to visit the nest site of the Goldcrests which were featured on here a few blogs ago. It was all very quiet though with no activity around the nest. Have they abandoned it? Not sure - they did both turn up before I left which was encouraging but surely the female should be sitting on the eggs by now?

The only Lesser Spotted Woodpecker I've seen to date was last year at Meltham in Huddersfield. I knew they were around at Bretton but they'd eluded me up to now. I was quite pleased to break my duck this morning. I'd only been stood in the area where they were rumoured to be for about 5 minutes when this one turned up.

The bird life down at the hide seemed much the same as usual until I noticed that a couple of pairs of Greylag Geese had arrived. This isn't a rare event but they don't usually stay around for long. There was no difference this morning as all four of them departed before I left.

Bempton Cliffs

2010-04-23T20:01:00.000+01:00

RSPB Bempton Cliffs is always worth a visit at this time of year. It helps if you can choose a nice day with light winds though. Thankfully I was lucky on both these counts.

I've never seen a Puffin in the flesh before so I was hoping to put that right today. Again, luck was on my side and I saw two of them. The first one was quite close to me but my presence didn't stop him getting on with his business of collecting for his nest.

This one was quite a bit further away and was looking very nervous for some reason.

Gulls all look pretty much alike to me but I think these two could be Kittiwakes.

There were plenty of Razorbills around too.

Gannets

Not sure what this is but I think it could be a Herring Gull?

I can't even guess at this one....

Nesting

2010-04-10T17:48:00.002+01:00

This pair of Great Crested Grebes built their nest at least a couple of weeks ago but something seems to have gone wrong. No eggs and it has visibly reduced in size. Maybe they made the mistake of leaving it alone and it was raided? They certainly looked a bit confused.

The Goosanders usually winter on Bretton Lakes and then move on during early spring. However this year there are a few stragglers.

This female had a mate nearby and appeared to be either looking for a nest site or visiting an existing nest in a tree on the island. Hopefully they will breed and we'll see some young in the next few weeks.

I came across a pair of Treecreepers building a nest under this flimsy looking piece of bark on a dead tree. This one eventually worked out how to get this long twig through the narrow opening only for it to fall out several seconds later!

Blackcaps

2010-04-09T21:12:00.001+01:00

Prior to today I'd only seen one Blackcap at Bretton so far this year and that was a distance away. Today I was sure some more would have arrived but when I got to Bridge Royd Wood there was no sign at all. Chiffchaffs were everywhere but no sign of the Blackcaps.

It wasn't until I got undercover and sat still for a quite a while that I heard that unmistakable song. He wouldn't come out into the open though and all I got was a few fleeting glimpses through the leaves and branches.

Another hour went by and on his fifth visit to my area I finally got an unrestricted view. There were still a few frustrating moments when I could hear his song but couldn't see him but in the end I managed to get a few shots!

Where did you get that cap!

Whilst I was waiting around for the Blackcap this Chiffchaff appeared and had a bit of a grooming session.

Last Sunday I went looking for the Green Woodpeckers - again without success - but did come across a nesting Treecreeper and pair of Long-Tailed Tits.

The Long-Tailed Tits were happy to pose around but I wasn't quick enough to get any shots with them carrying nest building materials.

Bretton Update

2010-03-28T21:15:00.002+01:00

A sunny but very windy morning saw a little patience pay off with the Goldcrests. A pair are nest-building right next to the path in the woods next to the top lake. Luckilly this is a spot which isn't shaded and was nicely lit in the morning sunshine.

As is usual they dissapeared as soon as I got close to them but instead of walking on I decided to hang around for a bit. A few minutes later they both returned and must have decided to ignore me as I was treated to the best view I've ever had of these tiny birds.

Whilst I was waiting around this Long Tailed Tit decided to perch above me and for once actually stayed still long enough for me to get a few shots.

The resident Kingfishers were forced to relocate during the winter when the lakes froze over for several weeks. Thankfully at least 1 pair have returned and I saw them land near to the hide on the top lake. They weren't close enough to take any pictures so here is one I took on the 30th August 2008. It was shortly after I installed a perch in front of the hide. For some reason they only seem to use it between July and October but there are plenty of shots to be had during this period.

The Great Crested Grebes seem to have settled on their rather tatty nest now. Hope they get rid of that annoying twig!

I heard and caught a fleeting glimpse of a Green Woodpecker but despite waiting around for almost an hour it didn't return to have its photo taken. I had to make do with this Chiffchaff who came to check me out whilst I was waiting.

Signs of Spring - Part II

2010-03-23T19:32:00.000Z

I returned to Bretton this morning to see if any more Chiffchaffs had arrived since Sunday. There were at least a couple and I managed to get a few albeit modest shots of one of them.

Down at the hide a Wren has started to build a nest just inside of the door opening. I was sat just a few feet away but he didn't seem at all bothered by me being there or the flash firing as I took these photos.

After leaving the hide I met a fellow photographer who told me of a couple of Green Woodpeckers at the far side of the bottom lake. This is a bird I've only ever seen once and I don't have any decent shots of so I followed his directions to see what I could see. He was correct - there was one there - but my clumsy approach saw it take flight. I felt that something else was watching me and looked down to find that the Woodpecker wasn't the only animal to be alerted by my presence!

Signs of Spring

2010-03-21T19:55:00.000Z

The forecast was for fine weather this morning so I got up early and headed for Bretton Lakes in the hope that the first of the summer migrants had arrived. The Chiffchaffs are usually the first to appear and it seems that this year is no exception. After a few minutes walking through the woods by the top lake their trademark call could be heard. Unfortunately the sound only lasted for a minute or so and I didn't manage to catch sight of it's owner. Give it a few more days and we should be up and running!

There was plenty of other activity though. Especially on the lake where the resident Mute Swan cob was busy patrolling the area around the island, where I suspect his mate is hidden away on the nest. As usual he was engaged in his favourite 'sport' - Canada Goose chasing. He really seems to hate these creatures with a vengeance and not just at breeding time either.

Here he is at full ramming-speed, driving off the first of his happless victims.

When he tired of surface-raiding he decided to try aerial bombardment! Note the rather bemused Tufted Duck.

Well that shifted 'em!

A pair Great Crested Grebes have nested just to the right side of island for a couple of years but this time they have decided on a new site, nearer to the middle of the lake. It will be harder to get close to this nest but you can get some distant shots from the path which runs near the lakeside.

She was 'in position' for some time before the male took the hint and did the business...

It was all over in a flash.

I've been trying to get close enough to photograph Goldcrests for ages now but haven't seen a single bird until recently. I was only about 20 feet from this pair but that still isn't near enough even with a 500mm lens + 1.4x teleconverter so I had to make do with these heavy crops.

Last but not least is this Wren, who was hanging around the hide whilst I was in there.

Two 'firsts' at Bretton

2010-03-10T19:18:00.000Z

I spent the morning at Bretton Lakes NR reserve yesterday and came across two 'firsts' - but neither were of the feathered variety.

I sat under the folly, in the woods above the top lake for over an hour before I noticed some movement in the undergrowth. At first I thought it was a mouse but it was far too large. After a while it paused briefly from it's rummaging long enough for me to make out what it was - a Weasel!

This was the first time I've ever seen one in the flesh so I was grateful to get a few shots before it dissapeared.

Weasel

Later on I was sat in the hide when a large Mink appeared at the water's edge. Unfortunately it scurried away before I had time to get a photograph.

However there were a few other opportunites whilst I was there...

The Heronries seem to be into full-swing.

Goosanders

I bought a new macro lens the other week and decided to test it out on the Snowdrops growing in the woods. I got the Sigma 105mm for a bargain price off Ebay and am well pleased with the results so far. It will be nice to try it out again when the large insects are around.

Spring Lamb - This was actually taken in Scotland. I spent the long weekend there and although I came away without any decent bird photos the trip was very enjoyable.

I think this maybe a Herring Gull. Taken at Scotland's most southerly point - The Mull of Galloway.

These Pink-Footed Geese were grazing at Wigtown hide before I opened the window and scared them off!

Greylag Goose

Bretton Lakes Update

2010-02-28T21:06:00.000Z

Its been a few weeks since I was at Bretton and I managed to miss a rare visit from a Great White Egret whilst I was away. The views to be had weren't too good apparently so there wouldn't have been any decent photo opportunities.

I could have joined what looked like half the birding population of Yorkshire over at the sighting of a Ring-Billed Gull (Photo on Bluebirder's blog - http://bluebirder.blogspot.com/ ) which was only a mile and a half from home, but I opted for the peace and quiet of Bretton instead.

It was the first time I've visited in over two months that the place wasn't frozen over and covered in snow. The only white stuff around being the Snowdrops growing in the woods, which made it feel a little bit like spring. There was much more bird life around than of late too. However one animal was seriously down in numbers - the Grey Squirrel. Before the prolonged cold snap I counted at least one of these for around every 50 yards I walked. Today I only saw about half a dozen of them throughout my whole trek so nature might have had it's own cull!

Photowise it was a mixed bag but I did see the first Coal Tit I've come across this year. Didn't hear or see any Kingfishers though. Hope they're back soon.

It was nice to meet a fellow blogger at the hide by the lake - The Shat Birder - no he hadn't had an accident in his trousers. He really is called that - http://theshatbirder.blogspot.com/

Coal Tit

Long-Tailed Tit

Great-Spotted Woodpecker

Nuthatch at the improvised feeding station behind the hide.

Lurking high above us in the tree-tops of the island was this Sparrowhawk. If this is the same one that pounced last time I was here then I reckon he's got the feeding station marked down as his own feeding source now. He's looking straight down on the feeding birds.

Tufted Duck

Male and female Goosander

Potteric Carr

2010-02-21T17:35:00.000Z

I looked on the BBC weather site on Friday and it had a forecast of bright sunshine for today (Sunday) so I made up my mind to visit Potteric Carr. By late Saturday night the forecast wasn't quite as good - early mist and then white cloud for Sunday morning.

I woke up this morning to heavy snow! Good old BBC.

Normally this would be enough to send me straight back to bed but as I haven't been out with the camera for several weeks I decided to give it a go. The 30-odd mile journey was quite treacherous in parts but I got their in the end.

These are the best of this morning's pictures...

I hadn't been at the Piper Marsh hide for long when a Bittern flew in and concealed itself on one of the islands in the middle of the lake. Thankfully it didn't stay there too long and took flight to the far side of the lake. I got a few shots of the bird in flight but the distance was a bit too great for my 500mm lens + 1.4x teleconverter so they are a bit fuzzy.

Bittern

I also visited Willow Pool Hide where another Bittern landed on a small island before having a walk across the ice.

The rest of the birds were gathered around the feeders at Willow Pool Hide.

Water Rail

Wood Pigeon

Reed Bunting (Male)

Female Reed Bunting

River Calder

2010-02-04T20:06:00.000Z

I'm still without transport so I was unable to take advantage of the fine weather last weekend. I did have a look through last years photos to see if there was anything worth posting though. This may be of interest to anyone who knows the area where I live.

Anyone from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire who is of the same generation (or older) than myself would probably laugh out loud if you suggested that the River Calder and it's banks had become a bit of a nature reserve.

When I was growing up in the 60's and 70's the stretch of the river that runs through my home town was used as a playground by myself and plenty of other kids, but it was a distinctly unhealthy place to be. For over 100 years the local textile and chemical industries had been discharging their waste into the river. The result being that a river which was once home to large numbers of salmon and many other fish became a lifeless, dirty, smelly mess!

Not any more though. Due to anti-pollution laws and the demise of most of the local mills and factories that used to pour their waste into the river, the fish have returned. Otters have been seen along some stretches and the bird life that lives along it's banks now includes King Fishers, Grey Heron and Grey Wagtails to name but a few.

Last June I managed to get some photos of some of the birdlife. There was little cover so I couldn't get close enough for any really decent shots but here are a few examples of what I saw.

Long-Tailed Tit.

A scruffy looking Common Whitethroat. Too busy feeding the young to bother about appearances?

Grey Wagtail. This was taken on the weir next to Island View. I was so surprised to see this land in front of me that I almost forgot to take a picture!

Black Headed Gull flying above the same weir.

Yellowhammer - a pair were nesting alongside the Calder & and Hebble Navigation, a canal which runs parallel to the Calder for a short distance.

I'll be back at the start of the coming spring to see what the new breeding season brings.

Kingfishers

2010-01-25T23:28:00.000Z

No new photos to post 'cos my car 'died' late last week leaving me housebound for the weekend without any excuse not to do some diy!

Kingfisher shots are usually quite popular so in the absence of anything new I thought I'd post some of my better attempts. All of these were taken from the hide at Bretton Lakes.

The birds are using a perch which I installed a couple of years ago. For some reason they only seem to use it from late July through to around late September. That's more than enough time to get plenty of shots though.

This one could hear the sound of my camera shutter

The thin streaks are blurred water droplets being shaken from the skin of the fish.

Bretton - Almost Thawed

2010-01-17T17:32:00.000Z

Its nearly a month since the first snow hit us and the start of the big freeze. Thanks (I think) to NASA for this amazing photograph, which shows virtually all of the UK totally covered with a huge, white blanket.

I went to Bretton this morning with the thaw well under way. The lakes are still mostly covered with ice but it is retreating fast and the carpet of snow has all but gone.

As expected the birdlife was a bit thin on the ground so I headed for the rear of hide where the birders who visit during the week usually put out some food. The place was deserted when I got there but not for long. By the time I'd placed the seed, nuts and peanut butter I had plenty of company. All the usual common birds showed up apart from the Coal Tits.

The light at this site isn't very good at the best of times and this morning was overcast which made it even worse. So the following pictures are taken at low shutter speeds and ISO 1600. A bit of noise reduction and sharpening in Photoshop has produced some reasonable, if not very sharp results.

Robin

Blue Tit

Nuthatch

Great Tit

The stuff on the bark of the tree is peanut butter. Most of the birds love it.

Chaffinch

I'd been watching and photographing the feeding for quite some time when suddenly and completely out of the blue, the peace was shattered by a Sparrowhawk! Neither I nor these birds saw anything coming. It descended quickly and silently from the rear of where I was sitting and pounced before any of its potential prey had time to react.

I'm not sure whether the Sparrowhawk caught anything. It took off and then landed in a tree about 30 yards away but with its back to me. I tried to get a shot but there were too many branches in the way and the lens wouldn't autofocus. I switched to manual and got a couple of shots but they are poor and you can't tell whether or not it has anything in its beak. Although if you look closely along the bird's left 'shoulder' I think you might be able to see some ruffled feathers? Could this be a victim hanging from its beak?

Footnote: After asking around I learned that if the Sparrowhawk had caught anything then it would have had it grasped in it's talons. So it would appear that this strike was unsuccessful after all.

Wobbly Heron

2010-01-12T19:30:00.000Z

This series of photos were taken late one spring after the young Grey Herons had just about mastered the art of flying around the top Heronry at Bretton Lakes.

The cocky youngster pictured here decided to impose his authority by chasing away the Mallards who were busy sunning themselves on the fallen tree. You can just about see one of them retreating at the bottom left corner of the first picture.

He was looking quite cool until he decided to 'patrol' up and down his new found territory. Then it all got a bit undiginified as he lost his balance and decided to give it up as a bad job...

"Sod it!"

Non-Birds...

2010-01-07T18:23:00.000Z

...the other day a friend asked if I took any photos of wildlife other than birds. I said I'd like to but there's usually nothing to see. Birds can be difficult to approach but come to think of it, compared to mammals they're quite easy.

I looked back through my collection of RAW images and found a few non-bird shots that are vaguely presentable so here they are...

I woke-up this Fox one spring morning at Adel Dam nature reserve, just north of Leeds. It wasn't at all impressed by my presence and promptly went back to sleep. I suppose it helped that I was in a hide and all he could see was my lens poking out of the window.

No animals here but I thought a reminder of spring was in order during this unusually long period of freezing cold weather we're suffering at the moment. This is a scene from the woods at Bretton Lakes during Bluebell 'season'.

Aren't Woodmouse's cute? My first encounter with one of these came when I was sat at the rear of the hide at Bretton. He was very keen on peanuts!

This young Red Squirrel was a visitor to the garden of a cottage I hired in South-West Scotland.

Below is an adult I came across during a walk on the grounds of Craig Farm during the same holiday. I was renting the cottage from the owners of the farm - West Holmhead Cottage

I had to get up very early in the morning to spot this Roe Deer. I stopped the car in the road and took the shot from the window.

This one was taken a year later whilst staying at the same cottage. The adult Roe Deers tend to leave their young hidden in the undergrowth. That was the case here but the mother chose a place very near to the road. She bolted and left the fawn to fend for itself when she saw me.

Notice the bored look on his face? This Common Toad sat impassively as I arranged the blades of grass so I could get a clear shot of it but I think he was beginning to lose patience at the end. The picture was taken in Strid Wood in the Yorkshire Dales.

I think this is a Four Spotted Chaser? Taken at Allerthorpe Common YWT reserve in North Yorkshire - Allerthorpe Common

I don't suppose this set would be complete without a Rabbit?

A Spotted Wood butterfly. Taken in a wood of all places.

This friendly Bank Vole was competing for peanuts with the Woodmouse pictured at the start of this blog. Here he is getting greedy and trying to figure out how to carry two at a time. I had to use flash with these shots (and the toad) because it was very dark in the undergrowth.

Potteric Carr

2010-01-02T15:16:00.000Z

Potteric Carr is the largest of around 80 nature reserves that are either owned or managed by The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.

Potteric Carr Homepage

It's also the largest inland wetland in the UK - outside of London. Unfortunately 95% of this habitat is currently covered in ice. The good thing about this is that more of the birds are relying on the feeding station situated in front of the Willow Pool Hide.

I was hoping that I might see my first Water Rail and maybe even a Bittern, one of which has been showing in front of the hide since the ice took a hold. Apparently doing its best to reduce the local rat population!

The Bittern didn't show up whilst I was there but the Water Rail did.

This was the most acrobatic of the Great Spotted Woodpecker's visits to the feeders.

A solitary Willow Tit stayed around just long enough to get a shot

There were several female Pheasants around but the males seemed to be keeping their distance

Last to turn up was a male and female Reed Bunting

Bretton Lakes Update

2009-12-26T18:05:00.000Z

Well its not quite the antarctic but we are in the midst of a fairly prolonged cold snap. Snow rarely even settles in these parts but it has been covering the ground for over a week now. Daytime temperatures are hovering around 0-2 degrees which has meant the ice on Bretton Lakes isn't getting a chance to thaw.

View from Cascade Bridge.

I'm not sure what type of tree this is but the local birdlife are currently feasting on it's red berries.

One of the many Blackbirds taking advantage of some non-frozen food!

Also present but far more furtive was a flock of about a dozen Fieldfares. This was the first time I've encountered this bird!

They all flew off shortly after I got this shot.

As usual there were plenty of Robins around.

Nuthatch

I've been spending some time watching the undergrowth in the hope of spotting a Goldcrest for some weeks now but without any luck. Today's visit was the same but I did come across a Wren and a Dunnock.

Dreary

2009-12-14T19:30:00.000Z

West Yorkshire in December

Dull, miserable, gloomy, dark, wet and windy! This is West Yorkshire in December. It didn't even bother to get light today. So instead of going out with my camera on the last day of my annual leave - which I booked especially so I could go see the Great Northern Divers that are hanging around on the reservoirs above Huddersfield - I stayed in and tiled the kitchen floor. Yes it was that bad!

For people who live in nicer climates who want to simulate winter in West Yorkshire. Get a large electric fan, stand inside a walk-in refrigerator, throw a bucket of water over yourself, turn on the fan and then close your eyes!

Roll on spring!

Mauritius

2009-12-11T21:10:00.000Z

September 2008 saw my eldest son get married on the island of Mauritius. I smuggled my camera and a couple of lenses into the wedding luggage and managed to get a few shots of the local birdlife.

Most of these shots are taken from within the grounds of the hotel.

If I had a favourite then it would be the Red-Whiskered Bulbul. They appeared in numbers wherever you were and if out walking they would keep you company for much of the journey.

Madagascan Fody.

Also present in great numbers was the Mynah Bird.

I think the youngster was saying, "Mother, either you regurgitate some food or we're gonna fall out..!"

The Weaver Birds were too busy nest building to be bothered by photographers...

Zebra Doves were always to be found foraging on the floor.

Green Heron. This shot was also taken within the hotel grounds...

...but I had to venture out to The Black River Gorges national park to see this Pink Pigeon. Endemic to the island and once very common, this bird almost became extinct in the 1970's when numbers in the wild fell to less than 30. Since then a captive breeding program has seen the numbers increase to several hundred.

This Fruit Bat was one of a pair that flew high overhead whilst we were visiting the Black River Gorges.

Cyprus

2009-12-04T15:46:00.000Z

I spent a couple of weeks on holiday in Cyrpus in mid-September 2009. Probably not the best time of year for birdwatching but certainly not the worst. I was a little too late to see any Demoiselle Cranes on the Akrotiri salt lake and too early for the Flamingos on the Larnaca salt lake but apart from that there was plenty to see.

The most prevalant and visible were the Bee Eaters. Especially to the north-west of the Akrotri peninusar where the local farmers had many beehives dotted around the area.

This female spent a couple of minutes trying to repel the male's advances but he persisted and she eventually (just about) gave in.

By far the most productive site was Achna Dam, close to the border with Northern Cyprus. The only drawback was the local fishermen who seemed intent on turning the place into a rubbish tip. The waders having to negotiate the tin cans and plastic bags left behind by these people.

I cleared the mess away after this Spurwing Plover had moved on but more rubbish had been deposited by the next day when I returned.

A solitary Great White Egret could be found at the dam each time I visited.

Keeping it company was this Little Egret

Making up the numbers was a Black Ibis

Ruff

Cyprus Pied Wheatear

I found this friendly Kestrel in the grounds of the hotel we stayed at for the first week of our holiday.

Sardinian Warbler

Winchat

Great Reed Warblers were very common

Birds of Bretton - Part Two

2009-11-28T19:43:00.000Z

A few more pictures from Bretton Lakes.

This freeloading, sleepy Mute Swan Cygnet was one of 5 born last year to the resident adult pair on the top lake at Bretton. They all survived and were still around until their parents chased them off to be ready for the new breeding season!

Its rare to not have a least one encounter with a Coal Tit during a walk around the reserve.

The Cormorants are always good to watch. A pair have been present for most of the year but I haven't seen them recently.

" 'ere, you should have seen the size of that Trout I caught yesterday "

These female Goosanders were around for most of last winter. I imagine they spend most of the year on nearby rivers before wintering on the lakes. This has always struck me as odd because the lakes are much more prone to freezing over.

Male Goosander

This photo of a Robin taken in front of the hide during a very cold spell of weather last winter. He/she had just been fighting over the food I had put out to attract the birds.

Last but not least is one of the many Grey Herons that are resident at the reserve.

Birds of Bretton - Part One

2009-11-24T16:06:00.000Z

Bretton Lakes nature reserve is my local patch. Formerly managed by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust it is now under the direct control of the local council. Whether or not this is a good thing remains to be seen but things seem to be working ok at the moment.

Bretton Lakes on Multimap

Here are a selection of the many photographs I have taken at this reserve. They are in no particular date order but most are taken in the spring and summer.

There is a more informed look at this reserve on this blog - Bluebirder

Kingfisher

Bluetit

Nuthatch

Kingfisher

Grey Squirrel stealing the peanut butter I put out for the birds!

Treecreeper

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Wren

Kingfisher

2009-11-22T19:26:00.000Z

Far Ings

My first visit to this reserve in North Lincs resulted in two birding 'firsts' for me - a pair of Bearded Tits and a Bittern!

Far Ings is on the banks of the River Humber just to the West of The Humber Bridge and is managed by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. It is well worth a visit. There are 8 hides, toilet facilities, free parking and a visitor centre (visitor centre not open every day).

LWT Far Ings Website

Far Ings Location on Multimap

Speaking of 'firsts' this is my first ever blog!

Bearded Tits
The Bearded Tits appeared after just 10 minutes and hung around long enough for me to get plenty of shots. Sadly they didn't provide any natural poses in the reedbeds either side of this gravel path but I'm still well pleased.

Bittern
Locating the Bittern was an altogether more complicated task and but for an eagle-eyed bloke who was already in the hide I would have missed it. He had to point it out several times and I still only saw it after it started moving. I hadn't realised just how stealthy these birds are!

I've made many trips to other reserves to photograph these birds but without any luck. After today I realised why. A casual scan around the edge of the reedbeds is not just good enough. You need a good pair of binoculars and a fair amount of patience.